Gary Lemke has a look ahead to the weekend’s action as South Africa’s champion sprinter Isivunguvungu will be flying the country’s flag at the Dubai World Cup, as the race for the Champions League places intensifies in the Premier League.
ISIVUNGUVUNGU LEADS SA CHARGE IN DUBAI
Let’s all shout him home. There’s a storm coming, aka Isivunguvungu, South Africa’s champion sprinter, flying the country’s flag at the Dubai World Cup meeting on Saturday afternoon (SA time).
The former Peter Muscutt-trained, still Hollywoodbets-owned, Isivunguvungu, is having his third overseas start since being exported to his United States home.
Gr 1 Al Quoz Sprint is 1200m turf event up the straight at Meydan and South African speedsters have a good record in the prestigious event, with Shea Shea winning in 2013 and JJ The Jet Plane in 2009 and 2011.
GUINNESS-DRINKING HORSE IN GRAND NATIONAL
The famous Grand National steeplechase takes place over a distance of 6900m and takes in 30 fences, with 34 horses facing the starter. It is an annual spectacle that splits opinion as to whether it’s a cruel practice or not.
A horse that has drawn a lot of attention and huge betting support is an Irish-trained seven-year-old called Hewick, who was bought for just £800. He has shortened from 66-1 to 10-1. Probably the main reason is his popularity.
When his trainer, John “Shark” Hanlon, won the 2022 Grand National, he took the horse with him to his local pub to celebrate the win by stablemate Noble Yeats (50-1). Henwick was filmed downing a pint of Guinness.
This week’s headlines have included: “Guinness-drinking horse that cost less than a cow poised for Grand National glory”. Hewick won’t win. Those kinds of fairy tales don’t exist. Joint favourites are Iroko, Stumptown, and I Am Maximus.
EPL RACE TURNS TO EUROPEAN SLOTS
The real interest in the English Premier League run-in is who will fill the places in Europe. Liverpool (eight points clear, eight matches to go) are champions-elect, while Ipswich (18th) are nine points from safety, which means that they will join Leicester and Southampton back in the Championship this season.
This focuses us on Champions League places and the other remaining European slots. Liverpool, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest seem assured of Champions League action, leaving seven clubs within seven points of one another with eight games left.
Stand out fixture of this weekend is the Manchester derby, where 13th-placed United take on 4th-placed City, while a tasty dust-up is between Aston Villa and Forest.
TSUNODA’S JAPANESE HOME-COMING
There will be special interest in Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull debut at the Japanese Grand Prix, the hometown hero making his first start as teammate to Max Verstappen.
Apart from the rock star attention he’ll get, there’ll no doubt also be highlighted TV and streaming comms from his interaction with the Red Bull crew. The FIA have clamped down on swearing, and Tsunoda is under watch.
When asked about it he replied, “I can’t swear now in racing, so I’ll try to not fudge up and not get fined.” On the track, it looks like being another McLaren-dominated race at Suzuka, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri the clear two favourites.
George Russell (Mercedes), Verstappen, and the two Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will try to have their say, but the money has to be on McLaren.
BLITZBOKS LOOK FOR SINGAPORE SURPRISE
The Blitzboks head to Singapore for the penultimate round of the World Series, arriving there on the back of another Hong Kong disappointment.
The Blitzboks are fourth on the overall standings, with Argentina, Fiji and Spain above them – New Zealand have fallen off the cliff, in seventh.
South Africa face Great Britain and Argentina on Friday, and the tournament format is that only the pool winners go into the semi-finals. The final round is in Los Angeles in May.
SA’S ‘EUROPEAN’ SIDES TAKE UP CHALLENGE
Where are we in the world of rugby? Oh yes, it’s the Investec Champions Cup again, which we last saw in January. We’re now into the Last 16 of Europe’s premier club competition, with a South African influence.
Except, there are no South African sides left after a poor campaign. In the Champions Cup this weekend, all eight home sides are favourites, although it seldom works like that. But, an all-home accumulator works out at 2-1.
The South African trio of Bulls (at Bayonne), Lions (at Edinburgh) and Sharks (at Lyon) are involved in second-tier Challenge Cup action this weekend.
