KZN champion trainer Duncan Howells was in dominant form yet again in a KZN turf meeting and completed a treble on the day, including winning the Listed Michael Roberts Handicap over 1750m with the enigmatic five-year-old Australian-bred Rock Of Gibraltar gelding Royal ZuluGuard, who was ridden by Muzi Yeni.

Yeni placed the talented Roy Moodley-owned horse well from a good draw and set him alight early in the straight from where he ran on strongly down the inside part of the straight to win by a comfortable 1,75 lengths.

Yeni has now won this race four times, which was one more than Roberts achieved in his own race as a rider, although Roberts has also won it twice as a trainer.

The well backed favourite Tiger’s Retreat, who was raiding from Johannesburg, followed the pacemaker King Neptune and looked poised to strike, but he found little and finished fifth. The Alistair Gordon-trained Joshuas Crown ran on well for second and was followed by King Neptune and Auction King.

The racemeeting coincided with Roberts’s 38th wedding anniversary and he thanked his wife Verna and his family for all of their support in a speech after the main race. He was introduced by “Mr KZN Racing” Bill Lambert, who was celebrating his birthday.

Summerhill Stud-based stalliion Visionaire got off the mark with his first local crop when his daughter, the Glen Kotzen-trained Royal Pleasure,

showed speed throughout in the first race, the Cyril Hurwitz Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m. She kicked on to win in impressive style by 6,75 lengths under 2,5kg claimer Callan Murray. She was bred by Barry Irwin’s Team Valor International and is owned by the well known bloodstock agent Andy Williams in partnership with KZN’s face of racing youth, the Box 3A syndicate, as well as Kotzen’s mother-in-law Judy Wintle.

Roberts fittingly trained the winner of the second race, the Mr and Mrs Oppenheimer Graduation Plate over 1200m, with the impressive little Jay Peg three-year-old filly Genial, who was ridden by Keagan de Melo. She beat the boys in emphatic fashion to remain unbeaten, so looks to have a bright future.

The third race, the Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II Maiden Plate over 1400m, was won by the Robbie Hill-trained Glinka under Luyolo Mxothwa. The St. Petersburg colt just got the better of Roy’s Selvan.

There was a thrilling head-bobbing finish in the fourth race, the Lord Carnarvon Maiden Plate over 1400m for fillies and mares, and it was the Duncan Howells-trained three-year-old Silvano filly Silver Inspiration who got her nose down at the right time under Stuart Randolph to deny the Glen Puller-trained Call Me Maybe.

Howells, Randolph and Silvano then scored a quick double as the favourite, the three-year-old gelding Hunting Owl, finally got going and just got up in time to deny the second favourite Escovitch.

The sixth race, the Sheik Mohammed Al Maktoum MR 72 Handicap, was a competitive event over 2400m and it was the Des Egdes-trained six-year-old Modern Day gelding Modern Spot who was produced with a well-timed effort by Ian Sturgeon to beat the favourite Jay Power by two lengths.

Husband and wife combination Alec and Lezeanne Forbes combined to win the eighth, the Sheik Ahmed Al Maktoum MR 78 Handicap over 1600m, with the promising Silvano gelding Run Rhino Run, who remained unbeaten after two starts. Jockey Alec “really rates” this horse, while trainer Lezeanne said the horse was still learning, so they were placing him carefully at present. Owner John Jones donates a portion of all this horse’s winnings to the “Save The Rhino” fund, so it is fitting that he has turned out to be talented.

The meeting was rounded off by the Mike Miller-trained AP Arrow filly Feels Like Heaven, who under a driving ride by Sean Veale just got up in the Katsumi Yoshida MR 70 Handicap over 1600m for fillies and mares to deny the Howells-trained Popular Blues. This was a meritorious win as it was her first time out the maidens off a merit rating of 78, having won her maiden at the 11th rime of asking by 5.75 lengths over 1950m.