TGIF and… TGIF again

A busy racing weekend kicks off with two Friday meetings – the usual Fairview afternoon fare and the rare treat of a Greyville night card. Apart from a juvenile scurry at Fairview, all races are on Polytrack.

The East Cape highlight is a Pinnacle Stakes contest over 1600m featuring some of the region’s finest gallopers and a couple of raiders from Cape Town.

Marmara Sea, with 11 wins from 22 outings, is sure to be the local favourite, with visitor Wild Coast playing the likely spoiler.

Last time out, Marmara Sea had to bow to Global Drummer in a showdown of two PE heroes. But that was over 1400m, which suited the sprinting prowess of Global Drummer and not the miler-2000 strengths of Alan Greeff’s doughty son of Soft Falling Rain.

Wild Coast was carded for that little feature but was scratched, denying fans an interesting three-cornered battle. His trainer, Justin Snaith, will want to complete the job he’d originally planned, but faces a tough task – and not only from Marmara Sea.

Gavin Smith fields a powerful duo in Jaeger Moon and Snow Report, while Johan Janse van Vuuren’s Herodotus is a major factor, having recently broken the ice in his new environs in the Bay.

At Greyville, in-form trainer Peter Muscutt looks set for a good evening, with every one of his six runners in with a winning shout.

SELECTIONS

Fairview Friday

1: Juveniles with no form; watch the betting

2: 2 Notorix, 10 Quick Count, 5 Trumps Express, 6 Zero Rate

3: 2 Franca, 5 Flaming Lass, 6 Mesmerizing Moon, 3 Talia Al Ghul

4: 1 Line Of Power, 3 Tevye, 8 Stanton Street, 9 Timkat

5: 6 Chauels Camelot, 4 Raise The Standard, 3 Ellis Island, 2 Homer Fidget

6: 4 Florida Keys, 5 Europeana, 3 Vision On Ice, 8 Meeneera

7: 1 Marmara Sea, 7 Herodotus, 2 Wild Coast, 4 Snow Report

8. 2 Linguee, 3 Cape Point, 1 On Your Marks, 4 Hikaru

Pick 6: 2,3,4,5,6,8 x 1 x 1,2,3,4,6 x 3,4,5,8 x 1,2,4 x 1,2,3,4 (R1440)

PA: 2,5,10 x 2,5 x 1 x 4,6 x 3,4,5 x 1,7 x 2 (R72)

Greyville Friday night

1: 4 Flag Of Wren, 5 Poppy Of Bayeaux, 2 Zuri’s Star, 9 Carnelian Bay

2: 7 Princekresh, 1 Coldhardcash, 3 Herecomestherain, 6 Majorca Palace

3: 5 Ethiopian Queen, 7 Nikiya, 10 Lady Legend, 4 Flashy Kaitrina

4: 10 Lucretius, 9 Head Gardener, 7 Eventidor, 11 Recollect

5: 5 Master Tobe, 1 Victory Twist, 9 Calgary, 7 Khiza

6: 12 Fists Of Fire, 8 Hippocrates, 4 Groomedtowin, 7 Caesura

7: 3 All Aglow, 8 Wishful Girl Linn, 2 Time To Roll, 4 Montford

8: 11 Fantastic Impact, 5 Luck Of The Iris, 7 Protea Pride, 1 Miss Jacquelin

Pick 6: 5,7 x 7,9,10,11 x 1,5,7,9,10 x 4,8,12 x 2,3,4,8,10 x 5,7,11 (R1800)PA: 7 x 5 x 9,10 x 1,5,9 x 8,12 x 2,3,8 x 11 (R36)