Favourites to find favour

The Grade 2 World Sports Betting Joburg Spring Challenge and the Joburg Spring Fillies And Mares Challenge, both over 1450m over will be run on the Turffontein inside track today while the Grade 3 Kuda Matchem Stakes and Diana Stakes will be run over 1400m at Durbanville today.

There are Pick 6 carryovers at all five venues this weekend, so there is plenty of top-class racing to be observed and loads of money to be won.

Charles Laird has brought Ice Machine to the Highveld to contest the R400,000 Joburg Spring Challenge and the seven-year-old will take a power of beating if he comes close to repeating his last start in which he ran Futura to a short head in the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m at Greyville.

The manner in which he won the Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m at Greyville, beating Bouclette Top by three lengths, also indicates the distance should be ideal. He is well weighted to beat most of his opposition but the main threat could come from Trip To Heaven who is unbeaten at this course but is questionable over the distance.

The fillies and mares race all hinges on whether Lazer Star will see out 1450m. She has only run the distance on one previous occasion and was run out of it late by Sensible Lover, who is running in the Diana Stakes in the Cape.

If the Ormond Ferraris-trained runner does not see out the trip the race looks quite open with all of Sabaha, Madame Dubois and Alice Springs having chances.