MJ Byleveld returns to action at Durbanville tomorrow after being off for over five weeks, the result of a horrific, eight stitches-needing gash just below his right knee when kicked at Kenilworth.
“The rehab took a little bit longer than I thought but I was able to resume riding work two weeks last Saturday,” says the Northern Transvaal-born Marthinus Johannes who will be 34 next month. “It’s good to be back, particularly when the yard is in form.”
Vaughan Marshall had four winners here last week and the Milnerton trainer may waste little time in returning to the winner’s box because Mystical Twilight looks nailed on for the opening Welcome To Durbanville Maiden.
You don’t get many Grade 1-placed horses running in maidens and, while Mystical Twilight may have been flattered by his third in the SA Nursery, his subsequent fourth to Purple Mountains looks more than good enough.
“He is quite highly rated and, while he hasn’t been on the course, there is nothing in the race that looks like giving us trouble,” is the jockey’s assessment.
But the early betting suggests that King Of The North might well worry him. The Eric Sands newcomer was all the rage when Betting World opened him at 5-1 yesterday. The price tumbled as the money poured on and by 2.30pm 22-10 was the best you could get.
Byleveld considers Victorious Jay in the Z.A.C. Hamilton Handicap the next best of his five rides but this three-year-old had to be ridden four furlongs out when scoring over 1 400m last time. This is 100m less and on a faster course so the 6-1 chance could struggle against the likes of Ochoncar (5-1) and Twentymanjones (6-1).
Donovan Dillon makes his Cape Town debut and the best of his three rides could be Team Valor’s Megan Jones in race two. This filly ran quite well behind Princess Royal when making her debut for Justin Snaith in January, she is a generous-looking 8-1 and Mike Robinson says: “I am hoping she will run well.”
However Supercilious, odds-on last time, has more recent form claims and the 12-10 favourite may be able to confirm the placings with La Rochelle (22-10) even though the Bass filly started slowly and so should, in theory, get closer.
Aspara also has losses to recover in the Ladies Day Maiden and the running of Mystical Twilight (less than a length behind her in Purple Mountains’ race) should provide a pointer. Just A Jag, nibbled at yesterday, looks the danger.
Race four is wide open but 5-1 shot Frenni could be another for the Marshall-Byleveld combination. She came from some way back to get up close home over 1 400m last time and looks capable of further improvement.
Gift Of Rain took a long time to win a maiden and, surprisingly, she was strongly supported yesterday (4-1 to 28-10). That price looks too short but money usually talks so don’t write her off.
There is not much between Exclusive Knight, River Blaze and Baksteen in the last while Charlie Strong gets the longer trip he has been looking for. However Archie is comparatively lightly raced and could be the answer at 5-1.
By Michael Clower
Picture: MJ Byleveld
