While the sensational quality entertainment of the York Ebor Festival is a difficult act to follow, the South African racing season gathers some momentum this weekend with the running of our first stakes feature.
It’s a relatively modest start after a few quiet weeks on the local scene, but the Listed Jockey Club Stakes has all the makings of a tightly contested potential dealmaker for a few soon to be paddock-bound mares.
The Fairview Friday headliner offers an opportunity for a black-type credit, and is named in honour of our racing regulator, which had its origins in Port Elizabeth in 1882 under the branding of the Jockey Club.
A capacity field of sixteen will line up at weight-for-age plus stakes-victory penalties at the 2000m marker.
Cape kingpin and former SA Champion Justin Snaith has a powerful record of dominance in this race over the past few years and the top team bid for their fourth consecutive top-two finish – quite an extraordinary achievement!
They are represented by the consistent Twice Over five-year-old LIBRA and the year older RED GINGER. The former is clearly the stable elect on recent form and the mount, of stable jockey Richard Fourie looks capable of challenging the poorly drawn stakes winner MERYL for top honours.
The Snaith-Fourie combination can get their afternoon off to a flyer when JJ THE WOLF – another Twice Over – contests the second race. The four-year-old has only run two places in eleven starts at home, but might be good enough to beat a modest field in this centre, from his pole position draw.
Turffontein and Kenilworth run alongside each other on Saturday and both meetings have plenty of appeal.
The Turffontein nine-race programme will be run on the Standside track and after a winless sixteen months, the gutsy stayer JUST CRUISED IN looks to have found the right race and ready to find his best form in the seventh, a Pinnacle Stakes over 2400m.
In-form Warren Kennedy rides the six-year-old and he could prove some value with the mare PILGRIM’S PROGRESS and Mike de Kock’s INDY ICE his major opposition.
The Kenilworth winter course hosts eight races on the same afternoon.
While Brett Crawford’s AMERICAN LANDING has been threatening to win again, the Justin Snaith yard have a strong coupling in the second, with PLATINUM PRINCE holding the edge over the rested KNIGHTS TEMPLAR.
Stable jockey Richard Fourie partners the latter, who returns off two straight wins and a nine-week rest. PLATINUM PRINCE enjoys the advantage of the very talented Sandile Mbhele’s 1,5kg claim and is way overdue to win again.
Hollywoodbets Greyville rounds the weekend action off on Sunday with eight races on the Polytrack.
Outgunned in the KRA Guineas, Robbie and Shannon Hill’s smart four-year-old TRIPLE FATE LINE won his only start this term and looks set to attract plenty of interest when he steps out in the seventh. The son of Master Of My Fate is clearly a progressive sort and should hold his own.
ACADEMY AWARD has all the looks of a potential quartet kicker in the eighth and final race where CAVALIERI will be out to give former top jockey MJ Odendaal his first winner as a trainer.
A son of Oratorio, CAVALIERI finished like an express train on his turf debut earlier this month when attracting plenty of betting support.
If he goes as smartly on the all-weather surface from his two draw, he will be a popular choice.
Our mailer feature image today pays tribute to yet another smart Hollywood Syndicate winner in the shape of the three-year-old speed queen Travelling Light, who downed a small but smart field to register her second win from only four starts at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday.
The Varsfontein-bred daughter of Gimmethegreenlight has probably earned a short break now. Congratulations on a job well done to Serino Moodley and trainer Garth Puller and his entire Summerveld team!
If you’d like to follow Travelling Light and our other Hollywood Syndicate runners and news, please read more here.
Enjoy the great mix of diverse racing over the weekend!
