This year’s Gold Cup Day features eight graded races from Greyville, and we’ve dissected each of them previews and betting tips.
Action from Greyville racecourse on 29 August sees the 2020 running of the Gold Cup. A combination of rescheduled race meetings throughout lockdown has culminated in this being one of the most feature race-rich meetings in South Africa that I can ever think of. Across the 10 races on the day, there are a staggering four Grade 1s, three Grade 2s and one Grade 3.
Greyville Betting Tips for 29 August 2020 – the Gold Cup, Champion’s Cup, Mercury Sprint and more!
From an entertainment perspective, you’re undoubtedly watching the best selection of horses this country has to offer. From a punting perspective, it’s a day packed with opportunities to back some winners, and we’ve prepared our usual feature day guide to help follow the action. Get race-by-race blitz previews and betting tips for all the features on 2020 Gold Cup Day.
Whilst Race 1 kicks the day off at 11:40am local time, we’re honing in with betting tips for the graded races, which start off at 12:50pm in Race 3.
Bet.co.za has once again played its part by offering up a load of ridiculous promotions for new and existing customers. More details in the tips below, starting with Race 3 of our Gold Cup 2020 tips from Greyville.
Race by Race Guide & Tips
click on each race to reveal preview and tip
Race 3 - Debutante (Grade 2)
Tip: MIRACLE FLIGHT – I’m opted for a bit of value, and the combination of Paul Peter and Warren Kennedy are not much of a gamble these days. The politics around jockey bookings between the current favourite Springs Of Carmel and this Var filly in unknown to me, but no doubt we’ll see the score settled between the two Paul Peter runners in a hotly contested finish. Ecstatic Green, to me, seems the biggest danger, but Miracle Flight comes into this the obvious speedster of the fancied runners, and being well in at the weights, could prove to be her advantage. Expect her to fly out the gates and test the other’s early toe. The only question mark will be her ability to see out the 1200m, which may suit the more fancied runners.
BET: Race 3
Race 4 - Umkhomazi Stakes (Grade 2)
Tip: GARRULOUS – Whilst being less exposed to big races than Erik The Red and Pray For Rain, I cannot ignore its last race over the course and distance. A repeat of that lightning fast, front running domination in a Juvenile Plate will likely have this race sewn up, and the value on offer here is too good to pass up. Again, Warren Kennedy takes the ride from a plum draw of 2. Getting the fast start may put the top two in the betting out of the race early, and I’m hoping a little cover round the bend gives Garrulous the perfect run in down the straight.
BET: Race 4
Race 5 - Thekwini Stakes (Grade 1)
Tip: ANYTHING GOES – For a small Joburg stable like Stuart Pettigrew, and up and coming jockey Diego de Gouveia, this is likely their biggest chance to shine in Champions Season to date. They seem to have an immaculate Var filly on their hands, and the unbeaten form to match. It may seem risky backing these raiders at short odds, but it seems the right fit for this race. Love Bomb sprung the big upset on July Day, and thus is included again in the reckoning, albeit trying the 1600m for the first time. Drawn wider are the fancied War of Athena and Caralluma, both who haven’t run this distance before. I prefer the former, but would much rather side with the favourite in this one with on the exposed form to date.
BET: Race 5
Race 6 - Premier’s Champions Stakes (Grade 1)
Tip: PORTICO – Besides Tempting Fate and the July Day win from Nourbese, there isn’t a lot of standout class considering this is a Grade 1. If you consider Tempting Fate is going an extra 400m for the first time from a wide draw, there seems little value in following at short odds. He could well be the class act and show the field up, but not for me. This throws the race wide open and I fancy the huge value on offer for Portico. He ran next to Nourbese in the Golden Horseshoe win, and the forecasted betting suggest Nourbese will be around 5/1, with Portico around 16/1. I’m taking the each way value and reckon the extra 200m they’ll both run could be anyone’s to win.
BET: Race 6
Race 7 - Gold Cup (Grade 3)
Tip: FACTOR FIFTY – I’m a believer in looking for value over these distances. The comeback runs from It’s My Turn have shown serious potential, and Marchingontogether does look its closest rival. Looking at recent form brings way more runners into this race, and Factor Fifty comes to the fore for me. Anton Marcus doesn’t take rides for fun, and she was tipped on July Day in the Gold Vase, running 2.1 lengths off the winner in 7th, after some distress at the start put her off her game. The forecast betting suggests you’ll get around 14/1 on the day, and to me the each way value here is the best play.
BET: Race 7
Race 8 - Mercury Sprint (Grade 1)
Tip: KASIMIR – The betting suggest another 3-way split in this, and siding with the reigning champ seems the sensible play. In weight for age contests like this, the likelihood of an outsider springing up gets exponentially tougher, and Kasimir tops the best weighted boards in addition to being the most accomplished. Van Halen from an inside draw looks the value in the race, but as a perennial bridesmaid, never seems to go home the victor. Kasimir is a tentative inclusion for doubles and trebles.
BET: Race 8
Race 9 - Champions Cup (Grade 1)
TIP: DO IT AGAIN – At six years of age, it’s his first attempt at this race, whilst Rainbow Bridge returns to defend his title. Had runner up last year, Soqrat, not been sent to stud, I would have sided with him. Rainbow Bridge seems suited to 1800m-2000m, but has always seemed a shade short of his arch rival’s ability. Whilst Do It Again has not won since his 2019 Durban July double, his road to full fitness seems to have been perfectly timed. He stayed all the way with Rainbow Bridge in his penultimate run in the Gold Challenge, and was denied a Durban July hattrick by just a length. It looks like we may witness another Justin Snaith masterclass, as Do It Again goes all the way to claim yet another Grade 1 triumph. Either way it’s setup for another epic.
BET: Race 9
Race 10 - Gold Bracelet (Grade 2)
Tip: KELPIE – This 4 year old has had some up and down form whilst matching up against the best in huge feature races. This experience plus the services of Anton Marcus cannot be overlooked at Greyville. With the field weighted quite evenly, bar Miyabi Gold, the forecasted value of around 16/1 is eye catching. The jockey booking could likely be a contracted one, which doesn’t mean it would necessarily be Anton’s choice ride. But he know the horse and the course, and going into the lucky last that counts for a lot. If Miyabi Gold fails to bounce back from a disappointing Durban July, then the race is there for the taking. A fun each way to end the day.
BET: Race 10
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