May 8 South Africa (Turffontein) form analysis
(4) GULF OF AMERICA and (7) JAPANESE GARDEN stayed on well in a winners' race on debut over 1,160m and both would have benefited from that experience.
(2) BOLD ACTION and (9) OPERA FAN have the form and experience to play leading roles, too.
Watch the betting on well-bred newcomer (3) FAIR PROPOSAL.
Race 2 (1,450m)
(1) CHRONICLE KING ran second on debut over track and trip behind a subsequent winner. Can go one better with that experience to count on.
(8) SCARLETT HEART can be competitive, especially in receipt of a sex allowance.
Recently gelded (6) ROYALE JACKET is best judged on his debut performance.
Watch the betting on imported youngster (7) TASKMASTER.
Race 3 (1,200m)
(7) EIGHT HATS will be hard to beat if she takes her place in this.
(2) GENOVEFA and (6) RENDEVOUS IN RIO have shown enough to trouble the selection, although well-bred newcomer (10) RACHEL WALL need not be special to also make her presence felt.
Race 4 (1,600m)
(1) ART NOUVEAU and (3) SHAMOON have the form and experience to play leading roles but are vulnerable to less-exposed rivals.
(2) NKWENKWEZI would not be winning out of turn and need not improve much in first-time blinkers to open her account.
(9) ETHICAL ran an improved third against males last time and remains open to further progress.
(8) REFLECTIVE did not go unnoticed on debut. Has a say.
Race 5 (2,000m)
(8) KUDZU scored in his only 2,000m appearance and is good value to preserve that 100 per cent record over this distance.
(10) TOTAL SURRENDER is weighted to be competitive, especially in first-time blinkers.
(5) STAR COIN has a good record over this trip. Keep safe.
(9) CLAW, (12) FETCHING FLYER and (13) JORDAN have each-way chances.
Race 6 (1,450m)
(4) SAIL THE SKY was rewarded for consistency with a last-start success at a higher level.
However, it is worth noting that Gavin Lerena gets off that runner to ride (5) CALL ME MASTER.
(1) AFTER HOURS and (2) CALIDA have the form and experience at this level to do well.
Race 7 (1,450m)
(2) NIGHT BOMBER finished behind (6) BOB'S YOUR UNCLE before beating (9) PRESSONREGARDLESS, (8) BIOFARMER and (4) MAX THE MAGICIAN last time. There should be little separating the quintet on the revised weight terms.
(12) PLUS FOUR landed a betting coup over this track and trip on his Highveld debut. Another bold showing is on the cards.
Race 8 (1,450m)
(1) WARNING SOUND fluffed her lines last time in a stronger race but would have benefited from a subsequent 15-week absence.
(5) GREGARIOUS fits a similar profile and will likely fight for victory with progress expected.
(2) QUANTUM, (3) RATTLE BAG and (7) ANNEWITHAN E have the form and experience to be competitive.
Race 9 (1,450m)
(2) SATYAGRAHA made it start-to-finish to win over track and trip last time. It should pay to follow his progress.
(1) WILLOW EXPRESS is proven at this level and has the means to play a leading role, despite conceding weight to all.
Last-start winners (4) KING OF NUMBERS and (9) SUPER AWESOME remain competitive, while unexposed (8) CARS BIG AS BARS is not underestimated.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Independent Singapore
22-07-2025
- Independent Singapore
Venus Williams returns to tennis, hopes her sister Serena will end retirement and join her
INTERNATIONAL: American tennis player Venus Williams is back on the tennis scene and preparing for her first match in more than a year. She will make her comeback at the DC Open. She admitted she would be even happier if her younger sister, Serena Williams, also played with her. The athlete's most recent tournament was the Miami Open in March 2024, where she was unfortunately knocked out in the first round. As she has not competed since then, the official WTA Tour marks her as 'inactive' on their website. Her sister, Serena Williams, has not played tennis since the 2022 US Open. During her athletic journey, Serena won 23 major singles titles and 14 more in the doubles category with Venus. Venus admitted: 'I keep saying to my team: The only thing that would make this better is if she was here. Like, we always did everything together, so of course I miss her… But if she comes back, I'm sure she'll let y'all know.' See also Singaporean graduate referee Taqi goes to Qatar World Cup 'I don't know what she's going to do. I don't ask those questions… I think we always hit the ball, because that's who we are. We're always hitting,' the athlete added. She stated that Serena came by and played with her during her recent practice session, which took about 15 to 20 minutes. 'She can take six months off and she clocks it clean,' Venus said. 'You can't teach that kind of talent. She's just so good,' the athlete also shared. About her comeback, Venus remarked: 'This is very special for me to come back and play tennis… I think it's a surprise for the fans — and a surprise in general, as I hold my cards tight.' 'I'm just here for now, and who knows?… Maybe there's more. … But at the moment, I'm focused just on this. I haven't played in a year. There is no doubt I can play tennis, but obviously, coming back to play matches, it takes time to get in the swing of things. I definitely feel I'll play well. I'm still the same player. I'm a big hitter. I hit big. This is my brand,' she added. See also Canadian Vasek Pospisil ends Davis Cup career DC Open chairman Mark Ein admitted that he was shocked that Venus agreed to play in Washington through a wildcard entry. Ein declared: 'She's such an icon of the sport — and, importantly, both on and off the court… So anytime you can have her engaged and have the spotlight on her and everything she's done and continues to do, it's hugely positive.' On social media, netizens showed their support to Venus by stating: 'Fans want to see Venus and she is an amazing ambassador for the sport and for female athletes. I'm thrilled she is still competing. ❤️,' and 'I will say it again, champions get to retire when they are ready. She has earned every wild card she gets for what she has given to the game.' However, some netizens were not thrilled by her comeback and commented that she should now retire and offer the wildcard spot to a younger player. One netizen declared: 'It's time. Let someone else play that needs the ranking points, the money, and the experience. We love you, Venus, but it's time. Join the Legends bracket.' Another netizen remarked: 'Taking a wildcard spot from people who have been working their tail off for the opportunity is wild work. Just stay retired and enjoy being one of the greats!'
New Paper
18-07-2025
- New Paper
July 19 South Africa (Turffontein) form analysis
Race 1 (1,000m) (8) WINDSOR SILK and (1) AMAZONIAN would have benefited from their introductory outings and could be competitive with natural improvement likely. The latter showed pace on debut over 1,160m which suggests this shorter trip may be more to her liking. Watch the betting on newcomer (4) PARADISE WAY who will not need to be special to have a say in the outcome. (2) DONDOYAKI finished second over track and trip two starts back, so needs only to produce a similar effort in first-time blinkers to play a leading role. Race 2 (1,400m) (4) DELAWARE RIVER stayed on to finish third over 1,200m, suggesting this extended trip will suit better. Further progress expected after an 11-week break. (3) CONCORDIA ran second over track and trip in her penultimate outing and a repeat of that performance should put her in the frame. Newcomer (2) AMBER'S FATE is worth a market check. (1) AMAZE ME improved to run fourth over 1,000m last time. She can improve further stretching out to this distance. Race 3 (1,400m) (4) JABARI THIMBA was second best on debut over 1,160m and will not need to improve much over this longer trip to go one better. Well-related (6) PALACE ATTACK has also shown enough in two starts over 1,160m to suggest he could fight for victory if improving for the step-up to this trip. Newcomer (1) BIG JOE can be a big threat to the principals while (7) ROYALE JACKET also has earning potential. Race 4 (1,000m) Newcomer (8) TRUE HERO will not need to be special to upstage those rivals. So, any market support for the youngster would speak volumes of his chances on debut. (4) CHILLI MARMALADE, (2) SUMMER SHADE and (1) JET QUERARI have the form and experience to play leading roles. Race 5 (2,400m) (6) ALADDIN'S LAMP has thrived since relocating to the Highveld, winning consecutive recent starts and a further five-point penalty (career-high mark) is unlikely to prevent another bold showing in his hat-trick bid. Course-and-distance specialists (3) TWENTY DRACHMA'S, (2) BREEZE OVER and (7) FETCHING FLYER are proven at this level. They have the experience and form to play leading roles. Race 6 (2,000m) (2) THE ULTIMATE KING races off a career-high mark after consecutive victories but should remain competitive in his bid to complete the hat-trick. (7) ENFLAME fits a similar profile and should make his presence felt too. (1) AMERICAN REBEL has more scope for progress and this extended trip should also unlock further improvement. Veteran (6) BANHA BRIDGE is a capable hard-knocker with the means to get involved. Race 7 (1,600m) (3) LAVA COUNTY relished the step-up in trip when a fast-finishing winner of his maiden over 1,500m and this looks a good opportunity for him to follow up on his handicap debut, especially as this extended distance should unlock further improvement. Best-weighted (10) SHEETS AND GOGGLES and last-start winner (8) ROSY LEMON are females with the form and experience to challenge the youngster. Hard-knocker (5) SPY STORY should not be underestimated. Race 8 (1,800m) (2) DON'T CRY FOR ME was not disgraced in his last two starts in the 3YO Winter Series and even under top weight should acquit himself competitively in these calmer waters. Maturing last-start winner (11) PIONEER SQUARE improved after he was gelded and was a wide-margin winner over this trip last time. He is awkwardly drawn in gate No. 11 but is expected to be competitive under just 53kg on his handicap debut. Fellow last-start winner (3) HAWKBILL shoulders a big weight but ought to remain competitive too. (7) ON TARGET is not to be taken lightly after absences and will not surprise with a forward showing in this line-up. Race 9 (1,400m) (1) OBSIDIAN trounced a subsequent winner over 1,600m on the Inside track six weeks ago and copped the maximum eight-point penalty for that victory. However, he remains open to improvement and it could pay to follow his progress, even over this shorter trip. (8) GIMMEACHOICE should be respected with improvement likely after pleasing reappearances following breaks. In-form (10) SEA SHANTY and promising youngster (12) PALACE PRINCE are not taken lightly either.
Straits Times
06-07-2025
- Straits Times
Coach turns underdogs Fluminense into Club World Cup challengers
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox NEW YORK - Brazilian soccer's ultimate showman Renato Portaluppi has transformed Club World Cup underdogs Fluminense from relegation battlers to giant-killers in three months, setting up a blockbuster semi-final with Chelsea on Tuesday. The charismatic 62-year-old, known as Renato Gaucho, has helped them defy the odds to knock out Champions League runners-up Inter Milan in the last 16 and Al-Hilal in the quarter-finals with his trademark extravagant guidance from the touchline. Portaluppi was one of Brazilian soccer's most popular and polarising figures before taking over a Fluminense team that had barely avoided relegation in the Brazilian league last year. Now his standing has grown stronger after guiding one of the tournament's biggest underdogs this far. The former striker, who scored almost 200 goals in a career spanning two decades, has never been short of confidence or controversy. A textbook egomaniac, Portaluppi once declared that he was "better than Cristiano Ronaldo." His playing heroics included scoring with his belly one of the most iconic goals in the country's history - the winner that gave Fluminense the 1995 Rio de Janeiro championship in a breathtaking 3-2 derby victory over Romario's Flamengo. The next morning, he graced the front page of Brazil's most popular newspaper wearing a crown with a sceptre in one hand and a ball in the other under the headline 'King of Rio.' A decade earlier, he was the hero of his childhood club Gremio, guiding them to their first Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup titles as a young player. From humble beginnings, he bought a house for each of his 11 siblings with the bonus he received. LIBERTADORES DOUBLE Over 30 years later, Portaluppi became the first Brazilian to adorn his living room with a Libertadores trophy as a player and another as a coach, guiding Gremio to the South American title in 2017 after winning the Brazilian Cup the previous year, and ending a 15-year title drought for his beloved club. But Portaluppi's career has been marked by dramatic ups and downs due to his strong personality and emotional outbursts. He was famously excluded from Brazil's World Cup squad in 1986 for allegedly leaving the training camp to go partying, and was later kicked out of Botafogo after organising a barbecue at his home for the opposition Flamengo squad after a humiliating defeat in the final of the Brazilian championship. A coach since 2000, Portaluppi is an exceptional motivator, which is arguably why he has experienced great success in knockout tournaments but has never claimed the Brazilian league, the big trophy that he has yet to win in his country. Portaluppi has been a great opponent of the latest trend towards having foreign coaches in Brazilian soccer, arguing that the clubs have more patience with outsiders, giving them more time to work. Critics say he improvises too much with his tactical schemes and does not put enough thought and study into his football. But Portaluppi has transformed Fluminense with an attacking 4-2-3-1 system and high-pressure style that he calls "creating chaos", which has defined their campaign in the United States. He has Fluminense playing with a grit and determination they will display against Chelsea as they try to continue their improbable Club World Cup run. REUTERS
