Muzi Yeni’s hard work has paid dividends and he extended his lead in the National Jockeys Championships last week but he said his biggest challenge going into the final three months would be landing quality rides.

In an intriguing struggle Yeni is currently on 153 winners, reigning champion Lyle Hewitson is on 149, four-time champion Anton Marcus is on 146 and once champion Gavin Lerena is on 126.  

Yeni said, “The Championship is going to boil down to support and I am struggling to get quality rides. I am not getting the first two choices of ride I am phoning for, even in Kimberley, and am having to settle for third best.”

Yeni has recently added stand alone Cape Town meetings to his schedule so is now riding in all five centres and is literally race-riding seven days a week.

Hewitson rides in three centres, Gauteng, KZN and Port Elizabeth, but has the support of two powerful yards, Sean Tarry in Gauteng and KZN and Yvette Bremner in PE.

Anton Marcus is retained by Ridgemont Stud, whose horses chiefly run in Cape Town, and he otherwise freelances. He is highly sought after and has first choice of ride in many races in KZN. He is riding to a phenomenal strike rate of 29,98% strike rate as opposed to Yeni’s 11.93% and Hewitson’s 14,86%.

Lerena is riding to a 26,20% strike rate and could become a contender if deciding to chase the title.

On top of Yeni’s busy race-riding schedule he is also known, alongside Hewitson, as probably the hardest working jockey at track in the mornings.

He work rides on all the mornings when not travelling.

Yeni books his own rides except for Durban and Cape Town which are covered by his agent Ray Curling. 

He enjoys good support from Robbie Sage in Gauteng, Gavin Smith in PE and Corrie Lensley in Kimberley.

He admitted his schedule impacts heavily on the quality of his family life.

However, winning the championship could open new doors and help him realise his dream of riding in places like Hong Kong and Singapore.

He feels he is riding well at the moment but added, “There is always room for improvement.”

Yeni has not booked a Vodacom Durban July ride yet but is riding the Weiho Marwing-trained Samurai Warrior in the Grade 2 KRA Guineas on SA Champions Season opening night, Friday May 3.

Samurai Warrior gets automatic entry into the July as the winner of the SA Derby.

Yeni will continue to chase the championship and gave himself a shout of hanging on to his lead. 

He concluded, “If I get beaten I know I will have given it my best effort.”

By David Thiselton

Anton Marcus, who took over on One World when stable jockey M.J. Byleveld was out injured, keeps the ride on the Vaughan Marshall star in the Winter Guineas at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Marcus has won three out of four on the Captain Al colt, including the valuable CTS 1600, and Saturday’s Grade 3 looks at his mercy as his mount is rated 8kg better than next-highest Herodotus who receives only 2kg – as does Vardy who was beaten nearly four lengths in the R5 million Met-day race.

Twist Of Fate, who was a length and a half second in that mile and would have been a kilo better, runs instead in the KZN Guineas on Friday week. Joey Ramsden, confirming this yesterday, pointed out that his colt was drawn particularly wide (15 out of 16) in the Kenilworth race. In the Greyville Grade 2 he is drawn one.

One World is now as short as 11-20 with World Sports Betting which makes Vardy second favourite at 5-1 and goes 7-1 Herodotus, 8-1 Majestic Mozart, 12-1 Russet Air, 14-1 Fabian, 16-1 Clouded Hill. The field of seven is the smallest the Winter Guineas has seen for at least 18 years.

Marcus, who has won three of the last seven runnings, rides in seven of the eight races on Saturday and four of his mounts are for his Ridgemont retainer. Other notable visitors include dual champion S’Manga Khumalo (three rides including Herodotus) and Randall Simons whose six mounts are all for Candice Bass-Robinson.

By Michael Clower

Mary Moon has drifted from 7-2 to 9-2 and at this price she appeals for the Tellytrack.com Maiden at Kenilworth tomorrow.

The Glen Kotzen filly has made the frame in the last two of her four starts and, although she has two lengths to find with Silvery Heights and stable companion Je Ne Sais Quoi on the most recent of them, there are grounds for thinking she can do it. Not least of these is that Bernard Fayd’Herbe rides her for the first time.

But there is more – “She has run well at Durbanville but she will be suited by the longer run-in at Kenilworth,” points out her trainer who is also expecting a good run from Je Ne Sais Quoi. It is surprising to see this one joint favourite (at 33-10) considering she has been as expensive to follow as a millionairess in a diamond emporium. Furthermore she flopped here three weeks ago.

“She broke through the pens that day and sometimes when that happens all the adrenalin goes and they run flat,” explains Kotzen who scratched six of his runners at Durbanville last Saturday, giving rise to fears (among punters at least) that there could be a bug going through the stable. “It is viral related,” Kotzen confirms. “But it is mainly the two-year-olds who are affected and the best thing is to rest them.”

Joint favourite Silvery Heights is half a kilo top-rated, has been beaten little more than a length in total on her last two starts and seems sure to get into the shake-up again. Indeed the race looks to be between the top three.

Outoftheordinary made a big improvement when reverting to 1 200m on his last start two months ago and is rated 3.5kg clear of those who have been given a mark (the top five) in the Play Soccer 6 Maiden. His chance is obvious, he has been backed from 4-1 to 5-2 and is a confident selection. The Brett Crawford Jackson newcomer Khopesh opened 3-1 favourite with World Sports Betting but has drifted out to 4-1while The Last Supper now heads the market at 18-10.

Destin (7-2) is weighted to confirm last time’s Durbanville placings with 22-10 favourite Crome Yellow in the Tabonline Handicap, particularly as he had to overcome a bad draw that day. However Crome Yellow was unlucky not to win – he finished like the proverbial train, making up six lengths in the final furlong – and should make amends here.

The opening two-year-old maiden is a tricky-looking affair but maybe Savvy will improve enough to get the better of form horse Lasata.

By Michael Clower

The weather gods appear to have it in for Scottsville. In recent weeks it’s either been blistering hot or pouring with rain as was the case on Sunday.

A soft track doesn’t suit all, but there are horses that revel in the mud and don’t often get a chance in these conditions in KZN. That said, the Scottsville outside track was a little more than soft and after two races around the turn, a jockey protest and a track inspection in pouring rain the Listed The Sledgehammer was called off and postponed until this coming Sunday.

The underfoot conditions had no obvious affect on the two at the top of the weights in the Highland Night Cup as Silver Rose and favourite Strathdon took up the cudgels shortly after the start and finished in that order.

Once in front, Silver Rose settled for Gareth Wright and the race was run on his terms. Strathdon tried gallantly to get to grips in the home straight but Silver Rose kept finding to win comfortably.

Byron Foster, assistant to Andre Nel in KZN, expressed reservations about Silver Rose staying further than 2400m but the gelding did it rather easily under testing conditions so he may well be a factor come the big staying races in Champions Season.

Justin Snaith, on the other hand, has indicated that some of his runners are short of one run after the Cape summer, Strathdon and Pinkerton, third in the second when starting favourite, prime examples. But Listed The Scarlet Lady winner Miyabi Gold handled the heavy going comfortably and put up her hand for inclusion in the final field for the Vodacom Durban July.

She plugged away in the mud to win comfortably but the runner that caught the eye was Sabina’s Dynasty. Having her first outing for Brett Crawford, she was closing fast from well off the pace and it will not come as a surprise to see her name added to the list of July hopefuls at second entries alongside stable companion Charles.

Dennis Drier is responsible for two of South Africa’s promising locally-bred stallions, Master Of My Fate and now Captain Of All. Master Of My Fate already has a sophomore crop performing well but Captain Of All is still among the freshman ranks.

Captain Of All, winner of the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint as a two-year-old, signed off his career with victories in the Gr1 Gold Horse Sprint and the Gr1 Mercury Sprint, all for Drier. KZN’s current champion trainer has stayed faithful to both Master Of My Fate and Captain Of All.

Cartel Captain gave notice that he could be in line to emulate his sire in the Tsogo Sun Sprint as he scored comfortably in the card opener. He was up against quality field of maidens and his experience over the often tricky Scottsville 1200m will count in his favour.

Robbie and Shannon Hill enjoyed their finest hour with Cascapedia winning the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes a fortnight back and look to have two nice juveniles in Into The Future and Fools Gold, first and second in the All To Come Juvenile Plate. Both came off smart barrier trials and look to have some scope.

One that does have scope for breaking his duck sooner rather than later is third-placed Pinkerton. A seven-furlong maiden will be at his mercy when next he steps out.

By Andrew Harrison

Justin Snaith achieved the most dominant finish in Vodacom Durban July history last season and his filly Miyabi Gold was the first of this year’s July entries to put up her hand when winning the Listed Scarlet Lady over 1750m at Scottsville on Sunday under Richard Fourie.

There were a number of July entries engaged in the Sledgehammer, a race which was scheduled to follow the Scarlet Lady, but it was postponed until next Sunday due to unsafe conditions around the turn caused by steady rainfall.

Miyabi Gold has one big factor in her favour as a July candidate and that is she is by Champion Stallion Silvano. The latter has a superb record in the July, siring four winners, Bold Silvano (2010), Heavy Metal (2013), Power King (2015) and Marinaresco (2017). Furthermore in 2015 he sired the first three past the post, an unprecedented feat.

Miyabi Gold ran off a 105 merit rating on Sunday, which fortunately put her at the top of one of the merit rated bands under the conditions of the race. She is typical of a Silvano filly in that she has strengthened and matured as a four-year-old. From a handy position she stayed on well in the straight to win by a cosy one length. Sabina’s Dynasty made a fine debut for the Brett Crawford yard, running for the first time in the Ridgemont Stud colours, who are new part-owners. She ran on strongly from off the pace for second and is one to follow. The talented Folk Dance bounced back to form in only her second attempt at a trip beyond a mile. She appeared to relish the rain softened ground and finished a 2,60 length third. She is trained by Paul Peter, who previously trained Sabina’s Dynasty.

Prolific Durban-based owner Nick Jonsson owns Miyabi Gold. Last year Jonsson part-owned the one-two in the July and the runner up, Made To Conquer, had started his SA Champions Season campaign with an easy victory at Scottsville, so perhaps history will repeat itself with Miyabi Gold. The filly enjoys Greyville having finished a 2,25 length fourth to Oh Susanna in last year’s Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 and then following that with victory in the Grade 2 Kuda Gold Bracelet over 2000m on Gold Cup day. In December she gave the useful Fresnaye 2kg in the Grade 3 WSB Victress Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth and was beaten into second by only 1,50 lengths. She followed that with a disappointing run in the Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes, beaten 8,1 lengths by Oh Susanna and she was also unplaced in the Grade 1 Bidvest Majorca Stakes over the too sharp 1600m. However, she proved on Sunday she is thriving in Durban and appears to be coming into her own.

Her current odds July odds with Track And Ball are 60/1.

Snaith and Fourie had earlier combined to win with Jonsson’s first-timer Miss Florida. This two-year-old Captain Al filly has speed and class and pulled away to win a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m by a comfortable 2,10 lengths, despite being green.

The other feature run on the day was the Non-Black Type Highland Night Cup over 2400m and this also saw success for Silvano, who sired the first two past the post. The Andre Nel-trained Silver Rose won by a comfortable two lengths under Gareth Wright from the Snaith-trained Strathdon. There was a promising third-place finish in this race by the Gareth Van Zyl-trained Noble Tune three-year-old gelding Paths Of Victory and he is going to be one to follow over staying trips.

Dennis Drier’s two-year-olds must always be noted at this time of the year as he has a magnificent record in the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion. His Captain Al colt Cartel Captain will almost certainly be a contender in that race at the Festival Of Speed Meeting on May 25, having come from off the pace in the first race over 1000m on Sunday with long strides to win in impressive style on debut under Sean Veale. Drier had a treble on the day, also winning with In The Stars under Veale and Cabo Da Cruz under Gavin Lerena.  

The Robbie and Shannon Hill yard recently clinched their first Grade 1 win with Camphoratus and they have a promising two-year-old in Visionaire gelding Into The Future, who was an easy winner on debut in the second over 1200m.

On Friday Snaith won the Listed East Cape Oaks over 2000m at Fairview with Drakenstein Stud’s Dynasty home-bred Madonna, who was ridden by Ryan Munger, and she will now be on her way to join Snaith Summerveld’s Champions Season string. The Woolavington 2000 is likely her chief target. 

By David Thiselton

Betting World and market rival World Sports Betting are engaging in a battle royal with their prices on the Vodacom Durban July and punters are the beneficiaries.

When the country’s biggest bookmaker posted its prices on the great race over the Easter weekend most of the leading fancies were half a point or so shorter than those quoted by WSB. Favourite Do It Again was 9-2 compared with WSB’s 5-1 while Hawwaam and Rainbow Bridge were on 6-1 as against 13-2.

However by mid-morning yesterday the position had changed completely with Betting World extending the favourite’s odds to 11-2 and, while Rainbow Bridge was still on 6-1, Hawwaam was out to 7-1. WSB, on the other hand, had cut Do It Again to 9-2. If this sort of thing is anything to go by there will be plenty more competition-induced fluctuations over the next ten weeks, and that can only be good for the customer.

WSB has opened last year’s July winner 11-2 joint favourite with Undercover Agent for the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes at Greyville on Friday week while Sun Met winner Rainbow Bridge is on 13-2. Betting World does not normally bet on the race until nearer the time.

In this Saturday’s Kenilworth Winter Guineas (the race last season in which Rainbow Bridge first gave notice of his talents) WSB makes One World evens favourite. Twist Of Fate, beaten a length and a half by One World in the R5 million CTS 1600, is next on 33-10 and Vardy  (two and a quarter lengths further back third) is on 13-2. The Glen Kotzen-trained Cape Derby third Herodotus is a 17-2 chance with 14-1 and upwards others.

By Michael Clower

Bernard Fayd’Herbe, Keagan de Melo and Sandile Mbhele will be the main beneficiaries of Aldo Domeyer’s decision to leave for Hong Kong at the end of the week.

Candice Bass-Robinson, for whom Domeyer rode as first jockey, said at the weekend: “I will use Bernard for my heavyweights, I like Keagan’s riding and I will also use Sandile.”

Domeyer, 32,  had expected the Hong Kong call to come in June or July after his CV –submitted on the encouragement of his good friend Grant van Niekerk – received a positive response from the Jockey Club.

He said: “But they gave me a ring and told me ‘We think something is going to become available pretty soon. If you can come we would like to have you.’ I felt I should grab the opportunity.”

Domeyer is now concentrating on making a speedy recovery from the damage he received when After Glow fell with him at Kenilworth a week ago and he said on Saturday: “I hurt my back and there is a little chip in my hand but as soon as I think I am getting there it starts hurting again. It feels OK when I rest and I am not mobile but after a little while it becomes uncomfortable once more.”

His three replacements share five of the six Bass-Robinson rides at Kenilworth tomorrow – Greg Cheyne is retained by Ridgemont and so partners Silvery Heights – while Fayd’Herbe and De Melo both rode winners for the stable at Durbanville last Saturday.

De Melo dominated proceedings with a treble and attracted plenty of attention with his daring tactics on Lip Service in the Tellytrack.com Maiden. This was the filly on whom he was unable to get a clear run a week earlier and she was backed from 63-20 to 17-10 favourite to make amends.

Corne Orffer on Tuyuca, leading the field up the straight, cleverly left a gap between himself and the rails not quite wide enough for a horse to get through but big enough to tempt a jockey coming from behind to think it would probably open sufficiently.

De Melo sat like a cat waiting to pounce while those riding their own race in front of the television screens, particularly those whose money was down, began to fear that Lip Service was going to be unlucky for the second week running. Silently at first, and then increasingly verbally, they urged De Melo to act.

At the 200m mark he did just that. The leader, tiring and sensing the challenger coming, eased a few centimetres further away from the rails – despite Orffer swinging his whip in his right hand to stop her doing just that – and De Melo was through. The pair touched but not seriously enough to press the stipes into action.

De Melo related: “I had to wait until the gap was just big enough and, when I made my move, I had to really put my head down and get into it. Thank goodness I had a little bit of horse under me.”

By Michael Clower

The Turffontein Inside track has an ordinary nine race meeting tomorrow but there will still be a lot to enthuse about.

The best bet is chosen as Eightfolds Lass in the fifth race over 1600m, but she is an inexperienced filly running from a wide draw and so punters might want to exercise caution in the Pick 6. Last time out from a wide draw at this course over 1450m the jockey managed to drop her out on the back of a fast pace and she was then able to use her stride. She then ran on strongly from last and just failed. So it all depends on the pace and, although her sire Eightfold Path was a stakes winner over a mile, her Jallad dam’s only win was over 1100m so there could be a slight stamina question mark. The dangers are Tuscan Light and Kayla’s Eagle, who should both enjoy the course and distance, although the former has a tough draw. Diamonds ‘N Rubies and Vijeta could improve and can also be included.

The PA first leg is over 2600m and Humour Me, being by Ideal World out of a Fort Wood mare, should relish the step up in trip and is drawn in pole. The rangy Byron Bay can be included from a fair draw as he stayed on well over 2000m last time despite over racing a touch early after being dropped to last from a wide draw. Flame Fella is proven over this trip so has to be included despite a wide draw being against him.

Latin Opus is a PA banker in the next over 1600m as he is a progressive sort who stayed on over this trip last time and he is well drawn again. The Brass Way has run three fair races and gets a good draw for a change so can be included in the Pick 6.

In the sixth race over 2000m American Indian is on the up and from a plum draw can make it two-in-a-row off a three point higher merit rating. Gift For The Gap impressed in the Derby Trial and will be improving all the time being an immature sort. Yamoto is a well-bred gelding by Dynasty who has plenty of substance and will be coming into his own, so he must be included.

In the seventh over 1000m in form Roy Magner’s pair Pool Party and Opera are the fancies from good draws. However, it is an open race and La Bella Mia, Winter Watch and See You Tyger are hard to ignore.

In the eighth over 1600m Witch Of The West has always struck as being a nice sort and has probably been looking for this trip. Only To Win has good form against some fair sorts over this trip and Abelie is improving. However, its open and the whole field can be included with the exception of Until Dawn who is hopelessly out at the weights.

In the last race over 1600m Missouri has dropped to a competitive mark and has been staying on over 1400m so should enjoy this trip and is selected to beat Genesis and Picadilly Square. 

By David Thiselton

Sanskrift looks nailed on for the TAB Telebet Maiden Juvenile Fillies at Durbanville on Saturday. This R800 000 full sister to Santa Clara ran above expectations (in terms of readiness, not ability) when making much of the running on debut here last month only to be pipped on the post.

Aldo Domeyer’s mount will have learned a lot from that and should have come on enough to beat the badly drawn Third Runway and Linda Loves Lace who riding arrangements suggest is the pick of Justin Snaith’s five runners.

Two races before Sanskrift went so close Rio Querari did much the same, the principal differences being that he had had a run, started at odds-on and was caught by a 50-1 stable companion. The drop in trip in the Betting World Maiden should suit Richard Fourie’s mount.

However he is taking on older horses at considerably worse than weight-for-age. The official scale says he should be receiving 8.5kg from the three-year-olds but in fact he gets only 3kg. In practical terms he is the equivalent of four lengths worse off than he should be.

This is not as bad as it sounds because he, and the other two juveniles, are up against horses who have not proved good enough to win a race in the first 16 months of their careers. Rio Querari seems sure to start favourite and he is a fairly confident selection. The most obvious dangers are Kingston Rock and Empire Glory who is a fair bit better than last Saturday’s effort would suggest.

There are four two-year-olds up against the three-year-olds in the 1 400m Tellytrack.com Maiden but their chances are nothing like so obvious and the vote goes to Lip Service who was most unlucky not to win over a slightly shorter trip here last Saturday. Her path was repeatedly blocked but she still finished like a certain future winner.  Silver Dazzle is the obvious danger but there is a line of form that gives the Joey Ramsden filly the edge.

The puzzle of the day comes in the last with Boomps A Daisy who so far has been something of a Jekkyl and Hyde. She has looked a bit special In two races at Kenilworth, and certainly far better than her current 73 rating, but on her only appearance here she was hardly the same horse. She lost ground at the start, had trouble finding the right leg on the bend and didn’t really pick up.

Brett Crawford reports that she has not been back to Durbanville in the interim but he is optimistic that she will be OK this time. Her nine draw is a negative but she has so much ability that she has to be the selection – but don’t have too much on!

By Michael Clower