We take a look at all of the racing, sport and lucky numbers action coming your way this week!
Horse Racing
With Royal Ascot on the close horizon, a few clues for that prestigious meeting will click into place this weekend when Haydock Park attracts such exciting names as BATTAASH, KACHY and CALYX while the final two Classic trials take place on the Sussex Downs as Goodwood hosts the Cocked Hat Stakes and the Height Of Fashion Stakes. However, the results of these races will not have any bearing on the Investec Derby or Oaks.
Battaash already has his name on the Gr2 Armstrong Aggregates Temple Stakes roll of honour courtesy of a narrow triumph in the race 12 months ago. And with both the lightning-quick Kachy as well as Prix de l’Abbaye winner MABS CROSS taking him on he’ll need to be in the same turbo charged form Charlie Hills says he is to achieve back-to-back victories.
The dual King George Stakes winner has developed physically as well as mentally, and has won first time out in every season he’s raced, but Kachy and Mabs Cross have the advantage of recent winning runs under their belts.
It all makes for a sizzler of a race worth travelling a long way to see.
KACHY has a big edge when going round a bend as he again demonstrated at the Lingfield All-Weather Championships, while on a straight five furlongs like Haydock he can still perform close to that. He was beaten just a neck by Battaash in a three-way photo for this race 12 months ago and since undergoing a breathing op last September has easily won all three starts.
Just 35 minutes earlier it will be the turn of unbeaten CALYX to try to bolster his Royal Ascot claims in the Gr2 Armstrong Aggregates Sandy Lane Stakes.
The John Gosden-trained Kingman colt skipped the 2,000 Guineas and warmed up for this with a clear cut triumph in the Gr3 Pavilion Stakes at the first Ascot fixture of the year. Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to his owner Prince Khalid said: “He’s always had considerable talent and it was nice to see him quicken up like he did to score by three lengths, especially after his injury. He’s a powerful horse who seems to take his racing well.
“The Commonwealth Cup is the plan, as he shows considerable speed, but we haven’t ruled out looking at a mile later in the year.”
Goodwood’s May Festival begins on Thursday when the spotlight falls on the 3yo fillies contesting the Listed Height Of Fashion Stakes over just short of a mile and a quarter.
The race should have some bearing on the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot, as SHAMBOLIC, LOVE SO DEEP, LOVE EXPLODES and GRACE AND DANGER all hold that Group 2 engagement.
Friday’s card is highlighted by the British Stallion Studs Cocked Hat Stakes. Hampshire-based trainer Marcus Tregoning has twice plundered the Listed race in recent years and his MOHTARRIF is sure to command plenty of respect, holding as he does an entry in the King Edward VII Stakes.
Another intended runner is the David Simcock-trained SPANISH MISSION, who has successfully plied his trade on the all-weather. Simcock also knows how to win this race and feels that the colt’s versatility will stand him in good stead.
Two Listed contests highlight the third and final day of the Festival on Saturday. These are the Betfair Best Odds On ITV Races Festival Stakes and the Bet Your Way On The Betfair Exchange Tapster Stakes, both valued at £50,000.
MIRAGE DANCER was an impressive scorer at the Glorious meeting last summer but would be returning over a trip shorter than ideal in the Listed Festival Stakes should Sir Michael Stoute opt for that. He is also entered in the quarter mile longer Tapster Stakes.
Teddy Grimthorpe, racing managed to wonder Prince Khaled opined: “He hasn’t run since Hong Kong in December but Sir Michael is pleased with him. It will be good to get his season started.”
It will be a case of ‘a dozen up’ for Aidan O’Brien if MAGNA GRECIA lifts the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh on Saturday and on all evidence the colt will be extremely difficult to beat.
Everything fell into place fit Magna Grecia in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket where he enjoyed an uninterrupted run up the stands rail and travelled over the quickest of the ground. But he nevertheless won in the style of a proper Group 1 horse and his juvenile form has been boosted right, left and centre.
He will rightly start at odds-on to follow in the hoofprints of Rock Of Gibraltar, Henrythenavigator, Gleneagles and Churchill by completing the 2,000 Guineas double.
On Sunday it’s the turn of the fillies to strut their stuff in the 1,000 Guineas.
Once again Coolmore hold the key with JUST WONDERFUL seeking to improve on a satisfactory effort on the Rowley Mile.
Unsuited by the course at Newmarket where she became unbalanced in the Dip and lost her stride, she should prove far more effective on the rolling expanse of the Curragh and has already shown how much she likes the course by winning the Flame Of Tara Stakes as a two-year-old.
In South Africa, our premier speed day of the year will be held at Scottsville in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday.
A jackpot of four Gr1 sprints, the afternoon brings together the cream of our sprinting talent down the 1200m straight.
With the draw bias largely ironed out and the track playing evenly, fair and competitive racing is close to guaranteed and the highlight will doubtless be the recently crowned Highveld Feature Season Champions and Nursery winners, BASADI FAITH and the New Zealand-bred FROSTED GOLD, who are taking on the best of the current 2yo crop in the Allan Robertson Championship and Gold Medallion, respectively.
A daughter of top new sire Master Of My Fate, BASADI FAITH has swept all before her up North, winning her first four starts on the trot and now faces a career peak test. The handsome Mike de Kock-trained grey FROSTED GOLD won the SA Nursery with some authority on Champions Day and now faces a host of potential future stars from the Cape and KZN.
Down at Kenilworth in Cape Town on the same afternoon, the arch rivals ONE WORLD and VARDY square up in the Gr3 Winter Classic – the second leg of the Cape Winter Series.
ONE WORLD has only been beaten once in his eight starts – that was in the Cape Guineas – and got the better of a rough duel with VARDY in the Cape Winter Guineas last time. They meet on the same weight terms over a furlong further and with trainer Vaughan Marshall recently declaring that ONE WORLD will definitely go ten furlongs, the stage is set for a rematch of note.
We have to lean towards ONE WORLD on his overall exposure – and the fact that he also comfortably beat VARDY when they clashed in the CTS 1600 on Sun Met day.
South African racing fans will be monitoring the progress of multiple champion jockey Piere Strydom, who rode his first work in Mauritius on Tuesday morning.
On a balmy morning, he got the feel of SOLAR STAR, OUZO, HARD DAY’S NIGHT and BARRACK STREET – all could be runners at Champ de Mars on Saturday for the Rameshwar Gujadhur yard.
Another of our TOP jockeys has been in the news – Hong Kong based Cape Champion Aldo Domeyer has been granted a day licence to ride at the Kranji Mile meeting in Singapore on Saturday.
He is booked on BLIZZARD for trainer Lee Freedman in the Gr1 Kranji Mile and SIAM ROYAL ORCHARD for trainer Michael Clements in the Gr1 Singapore Guineas.
Of further SA interest is the presence of Tony Millard’s Hong Kong based SINGAPORE SLING who lines up alongside 2018 winner SOUTHERN LEGEND in the Gr1 Kranji Mile where they take on eight Singapore runners, including the likes of DEBT COLLECTOR, COUNTOFMONTECRISTO and ELITE EXCALIBUR.
The last Gr1 of Hong Kong’s 2018/19 season will be run on Sunday and features the usual suspects, and an interesting Japanese raider in HAPPY GRIN.
PAKISTAN STAR will look a little different in the race when he attempts to become the sixth repeat winner of the Gr1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup in the last 30 years. Trainer Paul O’Sullivan has opted to ditch the famous green and white blinkers. They were taken off for a recent barrier trial and the star galloper’s surging run suggested this course of action could lift his game again.
The tricky Sha Tin card could also make or break John Moore’s assault on the Hong Kong trainers’ premiership.
He has 13 runners on the 11 race programme, including EAGLE WAY in the feature. The latter mentioned is looking for his first win since he set a 2000m track record in November’s Gr2 Jockey Club Cup.
At Eagle Farm in Australia, the smart 2yo DUBIOUS bids to rewrite the history books in the Gr1 Kingsford-Smith Cup on Saturday.
But a shocker of a draw could derail the chances of the son of Not A Single Doubt in the 1300m feature. There is plenty at stake and the colt’s potential future stud career will soar if he wins at the highest level.
If DUBIOUS wins he will equal Perth sprinter Barossa Boy who won from the same barrier in 1992.
Interestingly, no 2yo has ever raced in the Kingsford-Smith Cup and a win would revive memories of the great Wiggle who won the 1958 Stradbroke Handicap. Trainer Ciaron Maher, who trains in partnership with David Eustace, said he was naturally disappointed with the draw but still expected DUBIOUS to be hard to beat.
Enjoy the diverse menu of great racing from all over the globe!
Pro 14
Glasgow Warriors and Leinster will clash at Celtic Park this Saturday in the Pro 14 final everyone was hoping would happen. The Scottish side produced one of the performances of the season as they crushed Ulster 50-20 in their semi-final while losing European finalists Leinster registered a reoutine 24-9 win over Munster at the RDS Arena.
Both sides are full value for their places in the final having finished comfortably atop their respective conferences. The Irish province will be desperate to claim the Pro 14 title this season following their heart-breaking loss against Saracens two weeks ago in the Champions Cup Final. They blew a 10-0 lead on that day and will need to be better if they find themselves in a position of superiority this weekend.
Despite Glasgow’s home advantage and their thumping win over the Ulstermen last weekend, Leinster still head into the tie as the bookmakers’ favourites at 11/20- Glasgow can be found at 15/10. The Scots did manage to beat a second-string Leinster outfit 39-24 at the RDS last month, but the Irish club were afforded the opportunity to rotate their squad having already secured top spot in Conference B. Glasgow will find plenty of encouragement in front of a heaving Celtic Park but will likely come up short against a Leinster XV smarting from Champions Cup defeat.
Lucky Numbers
Hollywoodbets has made some changes to certain lottos and we would like to keep you all up to date to ensure you manage to get your bets on at all times!
The following draws have had changes:
The India 5/36 Jaldi:
Previously, this draw tool place on Wednesdays and Fridays. But now the draw takes place daily, closing at 15:50.
Along with this change there is also a new Jaldi draw called the India 5/36 Early Jaldi 5 which follows the same format. This Early Jaldi draw takes place on Fridays and Sundays and closes at 14:00.
Finally, there is a new India 5/36 Double Jaldi 5 draw which takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. This draw closes at 15:50.
Russia 6/36:
Previously, this draw closed at 15:00 every Friday and was resulted early Saturday morning. Now the draw closes at 14:00 on Saturdays and is resulted on Sunday Mornings.
Israel Double Lotto:
Previously this draw took place on Tuesdays and Saturdays, closing at 18:00. Now, the draw takes place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, closing at the same time.
Canada Lotto Max 7/50:
Known previously as the Canada Lotto Max 7/49, this draw has had a change of format and schedule.
Previously taking place on Fridays only and closing at 22:59, the draw now takes place on Tuesdays and Fridays and still closes at 22:59.
The odds have been updated and are:
1 Number (Main Set & Bonus): 9/2
2 Numbers (Main Set & Bonus): 35/1
3 Numbers (Main Set & Bonus): 300/1
4 Numbers (Main Set & Bonus): 2 500/1
5 Numbers (Main Set & Bonus): 25 000/1
Bonus: 45/1
Aside from these changes, Hollywoodbets is happy to announce the addition of THREE new lotto draws as of next week! So be sure to look out for these in the near future. As always, we wish all our clients good luck!
