Snaith holds the key as he chases trainers' titles

IF you are at the Fairview racecourse today the chances are good you might see the winner of this year's Vodacom Durban July in action.

The jockey, of course, not the horse.

Richard Fourie is in town for today's meeting and this young man is confident he can pull it off in Africa's biggest race tomorrow. He is riding the exciting three-year-old Legislate, trained by Justin Snaith.

It is a huge day at Greyville tomorrow, but if you cannot make it to Durban, do not worry too much. Fairview is there to play its part in this massive racing weekend.

There are eight races on the Fairview grass today and it is an attractive card to look forward to after a few weak meetings.

Fourie will certainly play his part and Snaith has brought a few horses from Cape Town to help in his title bids.

Snaith is not only chasing the national trainers' title but also honours in the Eastern Cape.

This is the weekend to pull out all the stops and the weekend that could be the title decider as the season closes at the end of the month.

There are two feature races today – the Port Elizabeth Gold Cup and the East Cape Breeders Stakes.

Fourie is riding the favourite, Captainofmysoul, in the Breeders and this could be a banker in all bets. One of my favourite races is the PE Gold Cup. It is the longest race in Africa and 11 warriors will battle it out over the murderous distance of 3600m.

This race is a true test of stamina and a lot can go wrong over such a long distance. It is also a huge challenge for the jockeys who have to be on top of their game.

Trainer Jacques Strydom, who is a master in these long races, has taught me much about these distance events over the years.

His recipe is simple – a fit horse is a good horse.

The stables of Strydom and Tara Laing should fight this one out.

It is a weekend full of betting opportunities, so do not miss out.

Punters' Pal tips for Fairview:

PA (R216)

1-8-10/12-13/2-3-8/2-4/1-2-3/1/1-11

PICK 6 (R1620)

1-3-9-12-13/1-2-3-8-10-17/1-2-3-4-7-9/ 1-2-3/1/1-11-15 - Punters' Pal