Mike De Kock's Horse Racing Picks: Turffontein


There are local standalone meetings at Turffontein on Saturday and HWB Scottsville on Sunday, both with competitive mid-winter fields and a chance to win big on the exotics. The last two single Saturday meetings both yielded Pick 6 pools of around R1,2-million and sizeable payouts. Similar can be expected on Saturday and Sunday. Place your tote bets via the Betway tote portal to get your 6% betting tax refunded at month-end. This is a racing weekend for astute form students to cash in!

Betway Ambassador Mike de Kock has three runners at the Turffontein standside track meeting and only one at the HWB Scottsville meeting. Some of the stable’s big guns have been entered for races on Champions Day at HWB Greyville next Sunday, including Dave The King in the HKCJ Champions Cup. Mike has booked Richard Fourie for the ride, replacing Muzi Yeni, who is obligated to ride the Durban July-placed Royal Victory for Nathan Kotzen.

Sea Anemone and Bonete will come under starter’s orders for Race 6, a Pinnacle Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein. They have to beat Tony Peter’s Grade 1 winner Bavarian Beauty and a few others in a strong race. Mike said: “Sea Anemone is coming off a rest, but she is doing well in her work and should race well fresh. This is a competitive race, but she has a handy galloping weight I’d include her in the exotics. Bonete is well exposed, she ran on nicely for a place in a handicap last time. She has only 50kg to shoulder and has a Quartet chance.”

The late Lady O’Reilly’s Destiny of Fire (Race 1, 1160m) is a half-brother to Fire Flower and Red Hot Rosie, from the useful Festival Of Fire female line. Mike commented: “She looks like she has some potential and has an eachway chance first time out.”

Woodland Glade is in Race 4 over 1950m at HWB Scottsville. It’s not a big field and she has Muzi Yeni aboard with only 52kg allocated. Mike said: “She’s been doing okay in Durban but does seem to prefer the Polytrack surface and has a little more to do to win this race. She has a Quartet chance.”

There is international Group racing to keep racing fans glued to their seats this weekend, including the Irish Oaks over 2400m at The Curragh on Saturday and the last running of the Singapore Derby over 1800m at Kranji on Sunday.

Aiden O’Brien sends out a formidable pair in the Group 1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks. Stable jockey Ryan Moore has chosen to ride O’Brien’s Group 1 placed filly, Content, ahead of the fluent Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes winner Port Fairy, which suggests that the Galileo filly is the stable elect. French raider Dare To Dream has good collateral form through Content and is a value Place bet.

With racing in Singapore closing on 5 October, Race 9 will be the last running of the Group 1 $400,000 Group 1 Singapore Derby. The race has even more significance because champion colt Lim’s Saltoro has a good chance of becoming only the second horse in history to win Kranji’s four-year-old Triple Crown. His jockey Manoel Nunes goes in search of his second success in the big race. “To win the last ever Singapore Derby would be massive for everyone concerned,” said trainer Daniel Meagher. “I can’t fault the horse. We knew he was special from day one, but to do what he has done is still amazing. He’s as ready as can be and set for this race.”


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Published: 07/19/2024