WEEKEND RACING HIGHLIGHTS: 6 – 8 NOV

HERE’S ANOTHER SPARKLING WEEKEND OF RACING

Another sparkling weekend of racing gets under way with two banker bets at TAB Fairview this Friday. Later in the day comes a competitive Pinnacle Stakes, featuring two Betway Summer Cup prospects, at Hollywoodbets Greyville and the opening meeting of the 2026-27 Dubai Racing Carnival at Meydan.

Saturday dawns with the last of the four meetings comprising this year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival and the afternoon sees more Summer Cup hopefuls face the starter in the TAB Victory Moon Stakes at TAB Turffontein. Sunday’s card at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth features two Graded and two Listed contests. Three days of good racing, enjoy!

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

TAB FAIRVIEW: GREEFF HOPES TO STEAL THE SCENE

Alan Greeff has two exciting runners in Grade 1 winner Golden Palm (Race 2) and up-and-coming U S Ranger (Race 4). And judging by ante-post betting markets, another to watch is newcomer Steal The Scene (Race 1), a filly by Canford Cliffs out of champion mare Dancer’s Daughter, who dead-heated with Pocket Power in the 2008 Durban July. Steal The Scene is a grey, like her dam, and Greeff won four races with her half-sister Silvan City. “She’s a speedy little filly and, if all goes well, she could be there at the finish,” the trainer said.

HOLLYWOODBETS GREYVILLE: WHISPERING DEATH CAN STRIKE

Stuart Ferrie’s powerhouse Gladatorian and Gareth van Zyl’s classy stayer King Pelles gear up for the major summer features in Race 5, a Pinnacle Stakes over 1600m, which has attracted just eight runners. Interestingly, Gladatorian has won 12 races without scoring over this distance, while eight-time winner King Pelles has also yet to win over 1600m. At the weights, and with proven ability over the distance, Whispering Death (48.5kg) and Nerina Trogon (51kg) present realistic dangers to the accomplished pair. Preference is for Whispering Death, who is improving rapidly following a wind operation and looks ready to fulfil earlier promise.

AINTREE: SKELTON EXPECTS MIRABAD TO SCORE

Mirabad will bid to go one better following a second in his comeback over hurdles at Carlisle in Race 5, a Grade 2 chase over 3200m. He was a shock winner of the Maghull Novices’ Chase at this track in April. Trainer Dan Skelton said: “Mirabad’s performance at Carlisle was brilliant, as I didn’t expect him to run that well by any stretch. For a moment, I thought he was going to win. That gives me plenty of encouragement coming to Aintree. I think he should take plenty of beating in this.” 

MEYDAN: WATSON’S NYAAR CAN SCORE AT CARNIVAL OPENER

Racing makes a welcome return to Meydan for the opening fixture of the 2026-27 Dubai Racing Carnival. Former UAE champion trainer Doug Watson saddled a double at Jebel Ali last Saturday and has made a strong start to the season with a 28% winning strike rate. He sends out US-bred Nyaar, to be ridden by Pat Dobbs, in the evening’s feature, Race 5 over 1600m. Nyaar has a solid record at Meydan and holds sound claims from a stable in cracking form.

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

FLEMINGTON: THREE G1 BLOCKBUSTERS ON CHAMPIONS DAY

Three Group 1 races headline the TAB Champions Stakes Day card with in-form Chad Schofield chasing another major success in Race 6, the Group 1 VRC Champions Sprint over 1200m. He partners Cieron Maher’s Tempted, who will be hard to beat on her first attempt down the Flemington straight if she can reproduce her last-start Everest performance. Maher saddled the first three home in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.

Chris Waller’s star mare Autumn Glow has shown no signs of regression this campaign with three dominant wins. She will be out to add Race 7, the Group 1 VRC Champions Mile, to her impressive list of victories. Waller’s Aeliana was brave in defeat in the Cox Plate, having been forced wide on the bend before staying on strongly to finish in the placings. She can atone in Race 8, the Group 1 TAB Champions Stakes over 2000m. The meeting kicks off at 03:40 with Win, Place, Quinella and Swinger bets on Races 3 to 9 commingled into the HKJC World Pool.

SELANGOR: CHOICE IS MINE CAN MAKE THE GRADE

Choice Is Mine, who has won three of five starts and seems to thrive on a break between runs, looks the right choice in the day’s Grade 3 feature, Race 8 over 1400m. He returned to winning form on 26 September and has shown the temperament and ability to make his mark at Graded level. His main danger is Banker’s Two Six, who posted a dashing trial win on Tuesday. The meeting starts at 06:00.

CHAMP DE MARS: RAPIDASH TO REPEAT MAIDEN CUP WIN

Seven runners will face the starter in Race 6, the Grade 2 Col Draper Cup over 1500m. Corne Orffer’s mount Rapidash looks the one to beat on the strength of his runaway win over Good Council in the Grade 1 Maiden Cup. He has a big weight, but faces a field of lesser quality. Havana Moon, winner of seven of nine starts in Mauritius, is an obvious threat. The meeting starts at 10:30.

HOLLYWOODBETS KENILWORTH: CHAMP FILLY RETURNS

Last season’s Equus Champion Two-Year-Old Filly, Palace Of Arvernia, returns to action in Race 7, the Grade 2 Western Cape Fillies Championship over 1400m. This is a preparation run for December’s Cape Fillies Guineas and, while she should be reasonably close to peak fitness, there are several other promising fillies to consider. The include Justin Snaith’s unbeaten Over My Shoulder and Candice Bass-trained Dream Trip.

The three supporting features have also attracted runners of high calibre. Stablemates See It Again and Legal Counsel could fight out Race 4, the Grade 3 Cape Mile, while Future Free is reported to be fit and ready for a bold showing in Race 5, the Listed Woolavington Stakes over 2400m. Babelicious is the class act in Race 6, the Listed Laisserfaire Stakes over 1100m.

SUGGESTED R300 (50%) PICK 6 PERM (Leg 1 Race 4 @ 14:20):

Leg 1: 4, 5

Leg 2: 1, 4

Leg 3: 4, 6, 7

Leg 4: 5, 7, 8, 9, 10

Leg 5: 1, 3, 5, 6, 9

Leg 6: 8, 9

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS

SHA TIN: WEIGHTS POINT TO SPEED DRAGON

Francis Lui-trained Speed Dragon is particularly well at the weights in Race 8 over 1800m. He was second to Numbers last season and meets that rival on 8.5kg better terms after an encouraging second at Happy Valley in his second run after a break. Lui’s runners invariably peak after two pipe-openers and Speed Dragon looks well placed to make his presence felt. The meeting starts at 06:30.

TAB TURFFONTEIN: DRUMNADROCHIT PICK OF THE WEIGHTS

Rafeef filly Drumnadrochit has made eye-catching progress this season. Her latest run yielded an 11.25-length victory over King’s Express and she features in the top 20 on the first Betway Summer Cup log. She has just 51.5kg to shoulder in Race 7, the Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m, and is the best-weighted runner in the field off her rating of 111.

The in-form partnership of Candice and Tammy Dawson has strong prospects in both Listed features. Whistle The Tune has been kept in training for a tilt at this season’s features and is the class mare in the line-up for the TAB National Colour Stakes over 1000m (Race 5). Reece’s Wish, who is improving rapidly, could land Race 6, the TAB Summer Pudding Handicap over 1600m.