The Michaelmas Handicap (Listed) has attracted only eight runners, disappointing in terms of numbers for the R150k stake, but that said, sorting out a pecking order is no easy task.

It may prove prudent to look among the bottom weights for a likely winner where Paul Lafferty’s runners get lumps of weight in the 1900m contest on the turf at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.

The pick of the Lafferty runners could be White Lightning who has his third run after a break and now tries blinkers. The grey has only recorded a single victory in his 14 starts but has only been out of the money on four occasions and has placed against some useful opposition. He was far from disgraced when just under three lengths back to the promising Jack Of Hearts last time out, giving the winner 7kg. Lafferty has probably had the Michaelmas pencilled in for his colt a way back as he goes well over course and distance. With a light weight and blinkers on for the first time, he could prove the one to beat.

Lafferty says both of his runners are in with strong chances. “White Lightning and Our Coys are both big runners,” he said yesterday. “The half-cups are on White Lightning just to get him to concentrate,” he said.

Frank Robinson has probably had similar plans for his filly Arianos Shadow who caught the eye in her last two starts over 1400m. She was staying on stoutly in both those races and the step up to 1900m with only 53kg on her back could make her a handful.

Of the balance, The Dazzler has a big weight but is always honest and although Blackball returns from a four-month break and may just need it, he will go close on his best form.

Mike de Kock is back in two and saddles two runners with strong chances, Port Key in the fourth and Balletto in the eighth.

Balletto shows some promise and is sure to be among the fancied runners, many of whom have poor draws to contend with. She is a lightly raced daughter of the ill-fated stallion Soft Falling Rain whose progeny have come to light in recent weeks. Her pedigree suggests that Sunday’s 1400m will be right up her alley and she may prove to be the one to beat.

Lowan Denysschen is enjoying a good spell of late and he saddles Eternal Words, successful in three of her ast five starts including a recent victory over Liquid Irish. She has the benefit of an inside gate and young apprentice Jason Gates has an enviable record aboard the mare.

But the list of possible winners is a long one. Obvious dangers Spam Alert, Linear and Je Ne Sais Quoi have drawn in Marriott Road – not the best place to be in a 1400m dash.

Port Key lines up in a seriously competitive handicap in the fourth race and opening leg of the Pick 6 – there are nine races on the card.

Dean Kannemeyer saddles the progressive Favour who bids for his fourth race on the bounce. He was cleverly placed when winning a lowly merit rated handicap on the poly last time out and takes a jump in class this time around. However, he does come from a very much in form stable and has a handy galloping weight.

Clouds Of Witness is consistent and Gary Rich’s runner caught the eye when two lengths back to Noble Joshua in his warm-up for this event. He will much prefer this trip and with a good draw will make them gallop.

Port Key arrives with useful Highveld form, no further back than second in his four starts, and the lightly raced four-year-old is likely to start at the top of the boards.

Kannemeyer could provide two of the better bets on the card in Ice Baron in the first leg of the PA and Silva Magic in the fifth.

By Andrew Harrison

Twist Of Fate is well-nigh impossible to oppose in the Tellytrack.com Pinnacle Stakes at Durbanville tomorrow but punters should hold fire until such time as they are sure that the horse is going to run.

The colt was the only one declared without a jockey on Monday and I was unable to contact Joey Ramsden on Tuesday or again yesterday morning. But he often prefers to scratch a horse if he can’t find a rider he considers suitable – and this one is the stable star.

He has only been unplaced once in 16 starts and has earned over R3 million. Last season he won the Cape Classic over tomorrow’s trip as well as the Politician and the KRA Guineas. He was second in the Cape Guineas, CTS 1600 and Daily News while he was also third in the Vodacom Durban July and the Concorde.

Just as much to the point he has 5kg in hand on adjusted ratings. True, he is drawn eight out of 12 and has not raced for nearly three months but neither should stop him.

He was trading at a generous-looking 15-10 yesterday, with original main market rival Charles drifting from 9-2 to 6-1, but the Brett Crawford runner is also having his first run of the season. Furthermore he is badly drawn and needs further.

If the favourite does not run then Sacred Arrow could be the best bet. His price will, of course, shorten significantly from his present 11-2 but this is his trip, he is well drawn and has had an outing. “He should go well,” says Candice Bass-Robinson. “He needed his run when seventh (beaten less than three lengths) in the Matchem but he would have been a bit closer with a decent draw.”

Star Chestnut is a big price at 18-1 for a Snaith-Fourie runner, particularly with the combination in such hot form, but he was only tenth in the Matchem.

Keagan de Melo, who rides Charles, could have his work cut out to overcome the widest draw of all in the TAB Telebet Conditions Plate but Star Fighter has the most appealing recent form as she was fifth in the Diana. Unfortunately much of the value has gone with her price shortening from  4-1 to 5-2.

Duchess Of Bourbon (Snaith/Fourie) was the original favourite and, while she won the Winter Oaks, that was over 600m further than this and she is held by the selection on previous Stormsvlei Mile form.

By Michael Clower

This time of the year is traditionally greatly looked forward to by the more astute and patient punters of the SA racing fraternity as it heralds the arrival of the summer rains and trainers have their best horses tuned like machines to take advantage of the more forgiving going.

Unfortunately the rains are yet to arrive and there is no sign of them in the forecast this weekend, where the highlight is a MR 104 Handicap over 1200m.

The latter race is difficult to analyse, but Grade 2 Post Merchants winner La Bella Mia is given the nod. She has a wide draw to overcome but will be fit, having had recent runs, and has a 4kg claimer up. She has won over this course and distance before and many of the opponents she faces have question marks against them. If she gets the necessary luck in running she will go close.

Winter Storm struck as one who was headed for the top in the sprinting division last season but by the end of the term he needed a layoff and disappointed in his last couple of starts. He should have come on from his comeback run last time. Interestingly, the blinkers have been removed and with Warren Kennedy aboard he has every chance of overcoming a tough draw.

Warrior’s Rest is a highly effective front-runner but such is his style, in which he continually ups the pace, it is essential he gets to the front as he lacks turn of foot when sitting behind a slow pace. This trip is too sharp, so he could battle to get to the front, but he is well drawn so might be worth including. State Trooper is capable of running on so is interesting from a tricky draw. Attenborough had a disappointing last season but this Grade 1 winner can’t be ignored over an ideal trip from a plum draw.

In the previous race, a MR 99 Handicap over 1800m, Silver Spectrum appears to be on the up and can follow up on his last win off a five point higher mark. Green Haze has some class and will be a threat. He has run once over this trip and appeared to not stay. However, he is now having his third run after a layoff and gelding so he should be given another chance, especially being by miler Gimmethegreenlight out of a Western Winter mare who won twice over this trip. Popsicle Toes looks to be an ever improving sort and he will also be right there over a suitable trip if able to overcome a tough draw.

In the seventh race, a MR 92 handicap for fillies and mares, Ouro is the narrow first choice. She has some class and has bounced back to form this season after ending last season on a disappointing note. Double ‘O’ Eight has a tough draw and a welter 61,5kg to carry but has a fine turn of foot, so if finding a good position in the running she will go close. Three Stars improved last time with second time blinkers on when running second, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of Ouro. She has a good draw, but is half-a-kilogram worse off with Ouro, who likely needed that run. Blonde Vision is a small but zippy sort and with first-time blinkers on she can’t be ignored. Twelve Oaks is capable of popping up and is effective over this trip so will be dangerous from a plum draw with a 4kg claimer aboard.  

It should be an enjoyable meeting but many will be keenly anticipating the arrival of the summer rains. 

By David Thiselton

The teams for this year’s World Sports Betting International Jockey Challenge supported by Sun International and Air Mauritius, have been finalised.

Muzi Yeni will captain the South African team while Gavin Lerena, Warren Kennedy, Greg Cheyne, Callan Murray and S’manga Khumalo are the other riders to wear the green and gold silks.

The International Team will be captained by Rab Havlin (Scotland), with Paul Hanagan, Martin Dwyer, Hayley Turner (England), Andrea Atzeni (Italy) and Nooresh Juglall (Mauritius) his wingmen and -woman.

TEAM SA

Muzi Yeni is a regular on the South African team competing in international jockey challenges. He is undoubtedly the most hard-working jockey in the country having saddled up 476 times since the start of the season in 1 August.

Gavin Lerena is no stranger to team racing, having represented SA in five International Jockey Challenges on home soil, winning the Longines International Jockey Challenge in 2015 in Hong Kong, and representing the Rest Of The World team at the Shergar Cup a few years back. He was SA champion jockey in the 2014-15 season.

Warren Kennedy currently leads the champion jockey log. Last season he broke through the 100 barrier mark, riding 139 winners at a strike rate of 12,2% and finished 7th on the log. Furthermore, he scored his first Grade 1 win, riding the Gavin van Zyl-trained Gabor to victory in the Thekwini Stakes over 1600m at Greyville on eLan Gold Cup day.

Greg Cheyne is well-travelled, having raced in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Germany, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Korea and Macau. He boasts more than 100 international victories.

Callan Murray has proven that he has BMT – that’s big match temperament. Four months after being crowned Champion Apprentice for the 2015-16 season, he bagged a Grade 1 treble on Champions Day in 2018. He has also made his mark in Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia.

S’manga Khumalo was crowned South African champion jockey for the 2013-14 season. He repeated that feat in 2015-2016. He wrote his name in the history books in 2013 when becoming the first black jockey to win the prestigious Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July.

INTERNATIONAL TEAM

Rab Havlin was a member of Team UK at last year’s International Jockey Challenge in Singapore. He has ridden around 900 domestic winners, partnering more than 1000 winners worldwide – in countries like the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Singapore and South Africa.

Paul Hanagan has twice been crowned champion jockey on the Flat in Britain, riding 165 winners in 2011 to defend his title, having won his first title with 191 winners in 2010. Among his major wins are the British Champions Sprint Stakes Grade 1 with Muhaarar in 2015, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Grade 1 with Taghrooda in 2014, the Grade 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere in France with Wootton Bassett in 2010 and the Grade 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen aboard Muarrab in 2016.

Martin Dwyer has recorded major wins worldwide, most notably aboard Phoenix Reach. They teamed up to win the Canadian International Stakes in 2003, the Hong Kong Vase in 2004 and the Dubai Sheema Classic in 2005. He has twice been the recipient of the Flat Ride of the Year award, in 2003 for winning the Jockey Club Cup with Persian Punch and in 2006 for his Vodafone Derby win upon Sir Percy.

Hayley Turner became the first woman to ride 100 United Kingdom Flat race winners during a calendar year in 2008. In fact, that year she was only one of five jockeys to ride in over 900 races in the UK. She currently has over 780 career wins. In 2011 Turner became the first female jockey to ride an outright Group 1 race winner in Britain, when partnering Dream Ahead in the Darley July Cup.

Andrea Atzeni won the St. Leger and Moyglare Stud Stakes in the same weekend in 2014, followed by the Dewhurst Stakes and his second successive Racing Post Trophy the following month. In 2015 he won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on the Luca Cumani-trained Postponed and the St. Leger for a second successive year on Qatar Racing’s filly Simple Verse. He has won major races in France, Italy, Germany, UK, Republic of Ireland, UAE and Canada.

Nooresh Juglall honed his craft here in SA and won two champion apprentice jockey titles before spreading his wings to Singapore in 2014. He made an immediate impact, booting home his first winner, Majestic Moments, in his very first Kranji ride. The friendly Mauritian went on to ride a total of 217 winners in the city-state. Juglall enjoyed his best season in 2017 when he racked up 50 winners. He rode Twist Of Fate for trainer Joey Ramsden in this year’s Vodacom Durban July, finishing third, a mere 1.70 lengths behind Horse-of-the-Year Do It Again.

The World Sports Betting International Jockey Challenge supported by Sun International and Air Mauritius takes place at Turffontein on Saturday 16 November.

Anton Marcus made his long awaited comeback to the racetrack in a barrier trial at Greyville yesterday and hoped to be back race riding within ten days.

Marcus underwent an operation on his wrist and elbow respectively.

Unfortunately, infection set in to two of the incisions after six weeks.’

Therefore, he had to go for a second operation to have it cleaned out.

He said, “I am hoping to be back race riding within ten days.”

He quipped, “But it all depends on how I pull up from all of these barrier trials.”

He said there had been “an improvement” in the mechanics of both his wrist and elbow and admitted fitness was the main obstacle he was facing.

He concluded, “It is nice to be back.”

By David Thiselton