IT should be a really great weekend for South African horse racing and as usual the Eastern Cape is playing a huge part in it.
The weekend started early for local racing fans last night at the Boardwalk with the launch of the racing festival.
A wonderful weekend of racing awaits us from May 9 to 11 at Fairview.
Today we also have a fine meeting at Fairview.
It has been moved from the grass track to the polytrack.
The main races are the East Cape Oaks, the Flying Five and the Derby Plate. Hopefully the rain we had this week will not be too much of a disruption, because it looks like a very exciting meeting. We tipped you a nice little PA last Friday and will give it a go again today.
There is also a lot happening at Turffontein in Johannesburg tomorrow. It is Champions Day and the card includes five Frade 1 races and four Grade 2 races. One cannot ask for much more than that.
Copper Parade will be the only Port Elizabeth horse in action at Turffontein.
The six-year-old gelding will be contesting one of the Grade 1 races, the Computaform Sprint over 1000 metres. It is exciting to see that Pieré Strydom, a son of the Bay, takes the ride for the Yvette Bremner yard.
It is a tough assignment for Copper Parade but he has proved himself against the best and is not without a chance.
All eyes will be on Louis The King in the SA Derby for three-year-olds. Louis The King is looking towards the record books because he could become the first horse since Horse Chestnut to win the Triple Crown.
Louis The King needs to win the Derby to complete the Triple Crown after winning the Gauteng Guineas and the SA Classic.
There is a bonus of R2-million for the Triple Crown. The Geoff Woodruff yard is confident of pulling it off. Expect some bold challenges of Bouclette Top, As You Like, Gone Baby Gone and Ilitshe.
To end the weekend there is the National Yearling Sale in Johannesburg on Sunday and Monday.
Punters' Pal tips for Fairview:
PA R432
1-2/1-2-8/3-6/1-2-5/1-2/3-4-8/ 2-17
PICK 6 R1 800
1-2-3-4-8/3-6/1-2-3-4-5/1-2-3/ 3-4-7-8/2-12-17
- Punters' Pal