Best & Value Bets: Greyville This Weekend

With all the heavy rainfall that took place in the province of KwaZulu-Natal earlier in the week, horse racing punters are treated to a night meeting at Greyville on Friday night, which plays as a stellar curtain-raiser for the Daily News and Woolavington 2000.

Greyville (Friday)

Race 1 – King’s Spear

The first race on the card at Greyville on Friday night should go in favour of King’s Spear. The 4-year-old gelding out of the Nathan Kotzen yard will be ridden by jockey S’manga Khumalo and looks set to come out of the maidens here. He finished runner-up in both starts over this course and distance and should go one closer from barrier gate 1.

Race 2 – Winter Journey

One of the better bets on the card comes in Race 2. Winter Journey is the current favourite in the market and should make her presence felt in this field. She tops the merit rating in the race and hasn’t finished too far off the winner in her recent starts, running in the money in her last five successive runs. Jockey Muzi Yeni know this daughter of What A Winter very well and retains the ride after being aboard for her last two starts.

Race 5 – Airways Law

Airways Law gets the top selection in this race here from the Andre Nel stable for Mrs Sabine Plattner. The 4-year-old gelding won his only attempt over this course and distance and has won three of his six career starts to date. He meets his most competitive field but has his peak run with this being his third start after a rest, coming back to win in his last run.

Race 7 – Rain Or Shine

The highly-rated Rain Or Shine from the Peter Muscutt stables returns after a 10-week layoff, hoping to notch up a hat-trick of wins under his belt. The 4-year-old son of Soft Falling Rain has found plenty of betting support in his early career, which has proved profitable, winning two of his three starts. From his last victory, it must be noted that the horses that ran in second and third place have both come out to win since that race, so expect another massive run here.

Greyville (Saturday)

Race 5 – Lonsdale Stirrup Cup (Gr 3) – Shangani

The first of the graded races on Saturday start in Race 5 where nine runners will line up for the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup. Shangani looks the hardest to look past in this fiercely competitive field, but with Warren Kennedy aboard once again for the Paul Peter stable, they tend to come into form around this time of the season.

Race 6 – Woolavington 2000 (Gr 1) – Light Of The Moon

Some of the finest 3-year-old fillies in the country line up at the 2000m mark for this year’s running of the Woolavington. Light Of The Moon gets the top selection in this race under the ride of Muzi Yeni for Drankenstein Stud. She won by over 1 and a half lengths in her last start and finished second behind Triple Tiara winner, Rain In Holland, in her penultimate run over 2450m. The trip will suit her perfectly and she should give a solid account of herself in this race.

Race 7 – Daily News 2000 (Gr 1) – Pomp And Power

Punters across the country will get to see the Durban July favourite in action as Pomp And Power leads the betting market for this year’s Daily News 2000. His comeback run was very encouraging over 1600m in the KZN Guineas, running third behind Zapatillas. Pomp And Power has won his only run over this distance and will be hoping to keep his punters happy going into the Durban July.

Race 8 – Spydas Corner

Spydas Corner produced a positive comeback run in a feature race last time out, finishing 4 lengths behind Isivunguvungu. The 4-year-old son of What A Winter finished second in his only course and distance attempt. He has been drawn wide in both of his last two starts, but and doesn’t have the best of draws once again. But with in-form jockey S’manga Khumalo on his back and being the class in the race, he should take a power of a beating.