Brian Healy gives his top South African racing tips for Saturday’s meetings at Turffontein and Durbanville.
Irish racing at Thurles flies the flag on Saturday, but there is also horse racing action going to post in South Africa throughout the course of the morning and early afternoon.
South African racing goes to post at both Turffontein and Durbanville on Saturday and we look over both of the day’s fixtures at the Johannesburg and Cape Town tracks.
SOUTH AFRICAN RACING FIXTURES TODAY
Turffontein (flat) – 10.55 – 3.35pm (9 races)
Durbanville (flat) – 11.15 – 3.20pm (8 races)
Brian Healy looks over both of the day’s South African racing fixtures and gives his South African racing tips and best bets for Saturday’s action.
TURFFONTEIN RACING TIPS
(11.30 Turffontein)
GREENS offered something to work on when finishing a promising third on her debut at Vaal earlier in the month. That experience won’t have been lost on her and the Gimmiethegreenlight filly can build on the run.
Paul Peter’s charge was beaten around five lengths, but she shaped as if she’d be better for the run and she gets 5lbs from this field of rivals as the only filly in the race.
With the potential for improvement on the back of that effort she can step up on that performance to get off the mark here at the second attempt.
(12.05 Turffontein)
AFTERNOON TEA has hit the crossbar on all three of her starts to date, latterly finding only Rapid Fire too strong at Vaal earlier in the month.
Ashley Fortune’s Pathfork filly had been beaten less than a length on both her previous outings which includes over course and distance; that form looks fair and with a claimer now taking over in the saddle she looks worth siding with here to open her account.
(1.15 Turffontein)
ESKIMO KISSES has found only one too strong on each of her last two outings, but the What A Winter filly could go one better here.
Candice Dawson’s charge was a winner over this trip at Vaal back in July last yer, and she latterly finished just a half-length adrift of Mademoiselle over five furlongs at this venue in February.
This small field isn’t ideal as she can race keenly and the outside draw might see her fail to get adequate cover; but she can give a good account and it wouldn’t be a surprise if she were to make a return to winning ways.
10.55 – Intothemystic
11.30 – Greens
12.05 – Afternoon Tea
12.40 – Sheer Talent
1.15 – Eskimo Kisses
1.50 – Al Mutawakel
2.25 – Celtic Sea
3.00 – Epic Dream
3.35 – Rainbow Haze
DURBANVILLE RACING TIPS
(12.25 Durbanville)
WHAT A JEWEL has been running well in defeat at Kenilworth in her recent starts and the What A Winter filly can shed her maiden tag here.
Paul Reeve’s filly has made the frame in three of her six career runs, latterly finishing three lengths’ third behind Silver Tiara last month and that form has been boosted with the winner and fourth horse home both going on to register next-time successes.
She could take advantage of running in what looks a slightly weaker race and no surprise to see her going close here.
(1.35 Durbanville)
DANCING SALLY struck on her last visit to this venue, scoring over the trip back in October with a defeat of Rock Trip.
The Twice Over filly hasn’t matched that form in three subsequent starts at Kenilworth, latterly failing to beat a rival home although Justin Snaith’s charge could be worth chancing here to bounce back returning to the scene of her latest success.
She finished behind a couple of these rivals in that last start; but having slipped in the weights as a result she could do better.
(3.20 Durbanville)
NIXON posted his best effort to date when finding only one too strong over this trip at Kenilworth latest and Candice Bass-robinson’s charge can get off the mark with a repeat of that effort.
The Silvano gelding ran better than the bare result when returning from a break back in January at the same venue, finishing down the field although he might just have been stretched by that longer trip.
But he was only beaten a head latest behind Tambora when last seen and still an unexposed sort he could have more in the locker. He had a few of these rivals behind him that day and further improvement ought to put him firmly in the mix.
11.15 – Tarantino
11.50 – Fiftyshadesdarker
12.25 – What A Jewel
1.00 – Winter Assembly
1.35 – Dancing Sally
2.10 – Miraculously Ours
2.45 – Al’s My Daddy
3.20 – Nixon