There are some very interesting races at Fairview on the turf this Friday, and the two class acts, Marchland and My Best Shot, are sure to attract the crowd’s attention.
The filly Marchland has been superb so far and is unbeaten in five starts. She contests Race 3, the Guineas Plate over 1600m, with just seven runners carded.
Marchland is taken on by two fillies, one colt, and the balance of the field is made up of geldings.
The Malmoos filly won her first two starts over the 1200m straight course at Fairview on the grass, recording wide-margin successes. Stepping up to 1400m and trying the Polytrack for the first time resulted in another easy victory.
Her fourth win came in the Grade 2 Thekwini Stakes at Greyville over 1600m in July. After a break, she returned to the Polytrack last month and was backed into odds-on favouritism. She had to fight for her victory but proved a good winner.
Although carrying top weight of 60kg and giving plenty of weight to some of her rivals, she is still well weighted if her merit rating is anything to go by.
Jockey Muzi Yeni was aboard for all five of those wins, but he is riding in France at the moent and Andrew Fortune will be aboard for this race.
Fortune was aboard Gimmethatworldcup for the second win of that gelding’s career back in July, over the Fairview Polytrack 1400m. The Gimmethegreenlight gelding was a well-backed and easy winner under Fortune that day.
More was expected of Gimmethatworldcup when he met Marchland last time out, but he failed to show his form that day and was well beaten. He tries the turf for the first time and will have Richard Fourie in the irons.
Another rival and stable companion to Marchland, Wo Zai, is unexposed and could be a threat. He showed promise on debut and improved to win his second start. The Rafeef gelding did not show his best last time out when only fifth but is expected to do better this time.
My Best Shot takes on five rivals in Race 7, the Non-Black Type November Stakes over 1400m.
This five-year-old gelding had a cracking year in 2025 and has had only one start this year. He returned from a lengthy break in October to run a decent third, clearly in need of the run and over a distance short of his best.
The Fire Away gelding has always been at his best around a turn and, although his high-class form for most of last year came over further, it is worth remembering that he is a six-time winner over this distance.
Those six successes came from only eight attempts. Fourie knows him well, and he should be doing his best work at the finish.
Clive Robinson
