SIXTEEN feature races in little more than seven hours! That’s the amazing line-up this Saturday when Classic Day at Turffontein and Dubai World Cup night at Meydan will run virtually side by side through the afternoon and into the evening.
It doesn’t get better than this so head for Turffontein, a TAB or your lounge and treat yourself to hours and hours of quality racing action. And there will be loads of chances to win big because the TAB betting pools will be huge, especially on the Dubai races on which some 15 countries will bet into TAB’s global pools.
Champion trainer Mike de Kock is in with a chance of landing winners on two continents.
The R2-million SA Classic, Africa’s richest race for three-year-olds, heads a mega programme at Turffontein, where eight feature races will be run.
De Kock is in line to win several of them including the SA Classic, in which the stable has three runners in Perana, Dark Wind and Link Man, who was thoroughly impressive when outgunning stablemate Kavanagh in the 1600m Gauteng Guineas at Turffontein last month.
And De Kock could have a grin from ear to ear after the Dubai meeting, where he has a chance of landing at least one of the eight feature races including the $10-million Dubai World Cup, the richest race on the planet.
Link Man has been priced up firm favourite for the Classic ahead of Galileo’s Destiny and with good cause. This handsome grey had Galileo’s Destiny 2.25 lengths behind him in third place in the Guineas and the two meet on identical weight terms.
The big question is whether Link Man will be as good over this 200m longer distance. De Kock and Link Man’s regular jockey Anthony Delpech are both confident that the colt will stay in his first start beyond 1600m and he was showing no signs of stopping as they went across the line in the Guineas.
But Link Man has so much speed that there have to be doubts about his ability to stay this tough 1800m, whereas Galileo’s Destiny has given the impression in his 1600m races that he needs further.
Temperamental but ultra-talented Perana also has a huge chance. He’s not an easy act to follow but he did turn in a performance straight out of the top drawer to beat Mother Russia over this course and distance last November.
He never got into the hunt in the Guineas in which he started slowly before running on late to finish seventh, but he’s lengths better than that and will much prefer this 200m longer distance. If he focuses on racing he could beat them all.
De Kock’s runner Igugu should take the SA Fillies’ Classic and put herself in line to win the SA Oaks and the R1-million bonus for winning all three legs of the Triple Tiara.
Her main danger is Hollywoodboulevard, who she slammed by four lengths in the first leg, the 1600m Gauteng Fillies’ Guineas. They meet on the same terms and Igugu should prefer this 200m longer distance. Great racing – don’t miss a second! – tabonline.co.za
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