Horseracing, rugby, football, boxing, MMA and more! Gary Lemke runs the rule over the upcoming sporting weekend.
A GRADE ONE IS A GRADE ONE…
There are some cynics suggesting that because the Gauteng three-year-old champions Main Defender and Sandringham Summit didn’t make the trip to Cape Town, the R2 million Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas is “sub-par” this year.
Hand on heart, it doesn’t look like the strongest renewal of the Grade One race, but that will all be forgotten going forward and all that would count is being a Grade One winner. The wind has been pumping the whole week around Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, although the saving grace is that there are only 12 runners in this mile event, so jockeys should be able to find some cover.
The only filly, Red Palace, is the likely front-runner and she can be extremely dangerous if she gets a couple of lengths clear. Favourite is the Justin Snaith-trained colt Hhluhluwe, who has the quality and looks progressive. Last week I tipped Countdown for the Cape Merchants and he finished a nostril in second at 25/2.
For this Guineas I’m going to go with Tail Of The Comet. He was fifth, beaten nearly three lengths behind Hluhluwe and Snow Pilot last time and looks well held on that run, but before then he won at Durbanville, causing jockey Richard Fourie to comment that he was “an interesting horse”.
LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE
There has been a lot of trash-talking ahead of an intriguing UFC 296 bill in Las Vegas on Saturday night. That’s not uncommon in MMA or boxing, but there seems to be an extra edge to two fights in particular.
“Scouser” Paddy Pibblett (20-3-0) is heavy favourite to beat veteran Tony Ferguson (26-9-0) in a non-title lightweight content and he has promised to “beat Tony, have a big greasy burger, early night and then up to watch the Reds slap the Mancs on Sunday.” Yes, he’s a staunch Liverpool fan.
The main event is the welterweight title fight between champion Leon Edwards (21-3-0) and Colby Covington (27-3-0). “Saturday night you’ll see a different version of myself. I’ll bring out the dog in me and the quit in Leon,” said the American, who hopes to have former president Donald Trump strap the belt on him.
“Leon is at the bottom end of who I’ve fought. He’s had an easy path, who has he beaten? I’ll expose him as a coward and low IQ idiot.” The oddsmakers don’t agree. Edwards is 4/6 and Covington 29/20.
THE JAKE PAUL SHOW GOES ON
Speaking of rumbling, that YouTuber turned boxer with a 7-1 record as a cruiserweight pro, is back in the ring tonight. This time Jake Paul takes on 10-1-1 opponent Andre August in Florida, in what has been scheduled for eight rounds.
It is the most experienced opponent Paul will have faced in his boxing career. August has had as many fights as all Paul’s previous eight opponents have had put together. That doesn’t mean he will present too much of a threat to the American, who continues to market himself well in a sport lacking superstars.
Who cares if he wins or loses in Florida? Well… he has about 70 million social media followers, including 25m on Instagram and 20m on YouTube. His fights so far have totalled more than $150 million in revenue. Clearly, he is doing something the world wants to see.
REVERSE FORTUNES FOR BULLS, STORMERS?
Rugby’s Champions Cup – the elite tournament featuring European (and South African) teams – enters round two this weekend. Last week the South African involvement saw the Bulls beat Saracens at Loftus, while the Stormers weren’t disgraced in losing away to Leicester.
This week’s rolls are reversed: the Bulls are away to Lyon, while the Stormers are back at home, against La Rochelle. And in a reversal of last week, the Bulls are outsiders to win away, while the Storms are favourites to win at home.
For those looking to back all 10 favourites to win – eight home teams and two away teams are priced up as such – the accumulator with Hollywoodbets comes to 45/1. You’d be looking at wins for Bayonne, Northampton, Saracens, Stormers, Bordeaux, Leinster, Lyon, Bath, Ulster, Exeter, Toulouse and Stade Francais.
FOREST MANAGER UNDER FIRE
There’s an old expression among football managers that says “you get hired to get fired”. It’s particularly relevant in the Premier League and while only two managers have been sacked so far – and we’re hurtling towards Christmas – the chances are that nervous Board chairmen are going to soon get trigger-happy.
This weekend’s round of fixtures looks particularly important for Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper. Forest are safe for now, in 16th place and five points clear of relegation, but you can feel the anxiety around the City Ground. They face Tottenham on Friday night and defeat would mean they’ve picked up one point from their last possible 18.
It’s an important game for Cooper. The big game of the weekend is at Anfield on Sunday night when Liverpool host Man United. Get the popcorn ready.
