There are eight Graded races and two Listed contests on a star-studded card at HWB Greyville on Sunday. To top it all, there is a TAB Pick 6 carryover of R2-million to boost what is expected to be a R15-million pool, and a Quartet carryover to Race 7 of R1-million, expected to grow to R5-million. Tote facilities are available via the
Betway tote portal, and for on-the-nose odds, you can’t beat our Fixed Odds offering.
Betway Ambassador Mike de Kock expects his four runners at Sunday’s Champions Day meeting to be competitive. As the 2023/4 racing season draws to a close, they’re all at peak fitness and ready to deliver their best.
The stable’s best prospect is Dave The King (Richard Fourie), who posted a pillar-to-post win in the Grade 1 Gold Challenge over 1600m recently and finds himself in a similar, strong vein of form. He will go to post in Race 8, the HKJC Champions Cup over 1800m.
Mike said: “I’m very happy with his preparation and I’m not too concerned about his draw. I believe he is at his best over 1600m, but he has run very well between a mile and 2000m. We’ll need a bit of luck in running but as we’ve seen he can put his rivals on the back foot with his pace. He goes into the race very well.”
Mike is also confident that Mary’s Greenlight (Race 1, 1600m) can have a say in the finish. He said: “She showed her ability when running fourth in a Listed race against male runners a few weeks ago. She is flying at home and we have a decent draw for a change. If you look at her last five runs, she’s had wide draws. She is better than a 16-1 shot, I give her an eachway chance.”
Next up is two-year-old Waheed (Race 5, 1600m), who has shown glimpses of top-class form and has the services of Piere Strydom. Said Mike: “The mile will be better for him, even further, but he will be suited here. It’s a pity he is drawn wide, so I’m hoping Piere can get him into a good position from there. He was 4.5-lengths behind Cosmic Speed in the Golden Horseshoe on Durban July day and has a few lengths to find on Cosmic Speed, on the evidence of that. But he is better than he was that day, he has a first-four chance if we can beat the draw.”
Aragosta takes his place in Race 7, the Grade 3 World Pool Gold Cup over 3200m. He is a horse with lots of ability, but his form at Greyville has been inconsistent and Mike assessed: “Jockey Serino Moodley advised us to put blinkers and a tongue tie on him, so we will be doing that for the race. His Greyville form is patchy and hopefully this will help him to focus and deliver what he is capable of. It seems to have made a difference to his work. It all depends on him breaking well and getting a decent position, otherwise he seems to throw in the towel. If things go his way, he will be factor, so he warrants inclusion in exotics.”
The international highlight is Saturday’s Group 1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes over 2300m at Ascot. Aidan O’Brien’s Auguste Rodin is the hot-pot favourite. This is also a Hong Kong World Pool meeting. On Sunday, the Singapore champion Lim’s Kusciuszko goes for his third successive win in the last ever running of the Group 1 Lion City Cup over 1000m. As racing weekends go, they don’t come much better than this.
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