Scottsville is a happy hunting ground for Summerveld-based Mark Dixon and he went home a contented man after scoring a treble that could so easily have been a four-timer yesterday.

Galaxy Tunes upset in the card opener as the gelding fought out a tight finish with stable companion and long-time leader Peacock Alley with short-priced favourite Kingdom Come a disappointing fourth.

Kingdom Come was reported to have got his tongue over the bit so he is sure to make amends.

Galaxy Tunes (Candiese Marnewick)

Galaxy Tunes was bred by Nothemba Nlonzi who has a fledgling stud outside of Howick in the KZN Midlands and is slowly gathering a band of choice bred mares.

Dixon missed out on a quick double as the Belinda Impey-trained Swift Move out-gunned Asiana in the second, but a more satisfying win came in the fourth were the ever-game Isingamoya out-pointed a tough Pinnacle Stakes field, scraping home ahead of Anneline and an ever game Lunar Rush.

Unbeaten since being tried in blinkers, this was the mare’s eighth win. “She’s bloody game,” said Dixon while singing the praises of jockey Brandon Lerena. “He really gets behind them,” he said. “I don’t know why more people don’t use him.”

Dixon rounded off a fine afternoon’s work as Admiral’s Guest got the better of Captain Courteous in the seventh.

In a sport where all are quick to criticise without first confirming the facts, it was heartening to see the jockeys come to the party after a ‘sink-hole’ was fortunately discovered at around the 1500m mark before the first race.

Peacock Alley stepped into the hole while circling behind the gate and Brandon Lerena reported it to the relevant authorities.

After an inspection by jockey representative Warren Kennedy, the area was cordoned off and the meeting continued without further incident.

Initial inspection of the area indicated termites having attacked the grass root system but the track will be thoroughly inspected before the next meeting.

By Andrew Harrison