The International team were comfortable winners of the tenth renewal of the Air Mauritius International Jockey’s Challenge at Turffontein yesterday and it was only the third time they had emerged victorious.

Ireland’s PJ McDonald produced a late rattle out of the second favourite, Secret Potion (22/10), in the first of the Challenge races over 1600m to snare the favourite Tigerlace (2/1), ridden by Craig Zackey, on the line. Lyle Hewitson was third on Diva Faustina (7/1) and Australia’s Cory Brown and France’s Thierry Thulliez were next best on Truth Of Beauty (9/1) and Pokemon Shuffle (100/1) respectively.

Lyle Hewitson

The next race over 1800m was dominated by the international team. The Paul Peter-trained first-timer Majestic Mambo (11/1) looked as if he had been dropped into the race at the 200m mark and coasted to a 5,5 length victory under Thulliez. Brown on Royal Resolution (7/2) and Ireland’s Seamie Heffernan on Harrington Port (28/1) were next best. Gavin Lerena in fourth place on the fancied Flexible Fugitive (9/2) was the first South African home and PJ McDonald was in fifth place on Soldat (12/1). The favourite Finding Troy with South African captain Anthony Delpech up faded from a handy position and finished well beaten.

The internationals were even more dominant in the next race over 3000m where they read the pace well. In a thrilling three-way finish Ireland’s Pat Smullen got up on Dromedaris (9/1) ahead of Martin Dwyer on the 4/1 favourite Ali Bon Dubai and Brown on Sess (11/2). Heffernan was fourth on King’s Drive (19/1) and Lyle Hewitson was the first South African home on fifth-placed Stunned (11/2).

The internationals had built a huge lead and were on 200 points to 107.

The South Africans fought back in the next race over 1600m as Gavin Lerena burst through on Snowdonia (13/1) to give Paul Peter a double and S’Manga Khumalo was second on Costa Da Sol (9/1). Brown, Greg Cheyne and Thulliez were the next three in on Sea Bean (12/1), Pennington Sands (22/1) and Seattle Tango (28/1).

PJ McDonald scored a double in the next over 1600m as Monarch Air (8/1) kept going well to hold off Hewitson on Rose Water (9/2) and Cheyne on Sammi Moosa (12/1). In fourth and fifth were Delpech on Flowing Gown (7/1) and Thulliez on Subtle Force (22/1) respectively.

Going into the last of the Challenge’s races The International team were going to be hard to peg back being on 281 points to South Africa’s 226.

Lyle Hewitson won the 1450m race from start to finish on Bubbly Reply (19/1), but The Internationals ensured victory as Dwyer finished second on the 41/10 favourite Captain Chips and McDonald came from last to finish third on the slowly away Shortstop (12/1). Cheyne and Smullen were next best on Highway Eightyfive (19/1) and Mambo Symphony (15/2) respectively.

The Internationals won by 331 points to 290 and McDonald was a comfortable winner of the victor ludorum prize on 86 points.

By David Thiselton