Undercover Agent heads the 11 declared for the Matchem Stakes at Durbanville on Saturday and last year’s Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner is 14-10 favourite to give Brett Crawford his second Matchem win in four seasons. But Corne Orffer’s mount, the biggest money earner in the line-up with R5 million to his name, has to give weight all round.

One World, who beat Kasimir in a progress plate at this meeting last year en route to victory in the Concorde Cup and a CTS R5 million sales race, is second in the betting at 5-2. The Dean Kannemeyer-trained Umkhomazi winner African Warrior, drawn on the wide outside and quoted at 11-2, is the only other priced at less than 12-1. Keagan de Melo’s mount bids to become the first three-year-old to take the Matchem since the mighty Variety Club eight years ago.

There has not been a bigger field for this race since Joshua’s Dream accounted for 12 others back in 2007 but Twist Of Fate and Tap O’Noth are notable absentees.

Front And Centre is odds-on at 7-10 to initiate a notable Grade 3 double for the in-form Crawford stable in the Diana Stakes and, although she also has to shoulder 60kg, recent history is on her side as favourites have won four of the last six runnings.

Dynamic Diana is the shortest priced of the other nine at 7-1 to give Richard Fourie his first Diana victory and Justin Snaith his fourth.

Quintay, who has cost punters dear in his last two starts, tries again in the opening maiden with Greg Cheyne riding for the first time – and Adam Marcus is optimistic that the grey will return to the form he showed when a close second on his first two outings.

Marcus explained: “The ground was very heavy on his third run (August 13 when he was odds-on) and Warren Kennedy said the horse wasn’t happy on it, even going down to the start. Last time (September 4 with Kennedy again in the irons) he was drawn wide and couldn’t get cover.”

Incidentally Marcus reports that Brave Move – winner of six consecutive races last year including the Ladies Mile and the Final Fling – has been retired to James Armitage’s Sandown Stud where she was bred and will be covered by What A Winter.

The jockeys race, such a popular feature in recent years, will again be run over 50m after the last on Saturday and local jockeys chairman M.J. Byleveld is confident that there will be no repeat of the rule-breaking that turned the event into a farce both last year and the year before.

Although pointing out that he has little involvement in the organisation this time, he indicated that Richard Fourie and Anthony Andrews are two likely to take advantage of the absence of Aldo Domeyer who was unbeatable in this event and recently took the Hong Kong equivalent.

The Barn Market, missing from recent Durbanville meetings, will be back on Saturday with around 100 stalls including five devoted to food.

Going back to last Saturday, Kannemeyer’s hopes for Seventh Gear remain high even though the R4.75 million purchase was beaten into third behind Path Of Choice – admittedly giving the winner 4.5kg.

Kannemeyer said: “Things didn’t really go his way up the straight on Saturday and he didn’t get a clear run but he is a big brute of a horse and this will have tightened him up and brought him on. I don’t want to make excuses but I would love to have got another gallop into him because he was blowing a bit afterwards. He is a horse of potential.”

By Michael Clower

Planning programmes for individual horses between all the compulsory vaccinations is not one of a trainer’s favourite occupations but in the end it’s a case of ‘crack on’.

With the Highveld spring season fast approaching Sean Tarry will be turning the screws a little tighter in anticipation and Mythical Bolt could be one of his principal flag-bearers this season.

Mythical Bolt promised much last season but never really lived up to expectations, scoring a single victory in just nine outings, while knocking at the door.

After running Van Halen to a neck in a feature on Vodacom Durban July day, the vet was called in three weeks later and Mythical Bolt steps out at the Vaal tomorrow two stone lighter and the ante-post market suggests that he could be the one to beat. The lay-off is something of a concern but he does show a touch of class and gelding could make all the difference.

Capetown Affair also races as a gelding for the first time and with apprentice Jeff Syster giving 4kg relief in the saddle from a good draw in a small field, Ashley Fortune’s gelding could prove the biggest threat to the 12-10 favourite.

Mythical Bolt could provide Pick 6 punters with a possible banker on what is another tricky mid-week card but PA punters should have their perms cut to six legs with Machali a firm favourite in the opening leg. Candice Dawson’s filly has not been out since July but has shown enough to suggest that if not winning, she should definitely be in the first three.

In the third, the five-year-old mare Piccadilly Square is a weak market leader but Brett Webber’s mare has been consistent and was narrowly beaten last outing. She has a plum draw and but could have most to fear from the lightly raced Rachel. Paul Peter’s filly returns from a fair break but does have some scope and could be worth following.

The fourth is a tricky handicap. Irrevocable Dream has yet to finish out of the first two and appears to have some scope. Lucky Houdalakis gave him a break after winning second time out and his colt made a promising seasonal debut when going down late after making most of the running. Second run after a lay-off could come into play but he has a good draw which will help his chances.

The eight-year-old Hidden Agenda has been ultra consistent of late and with a 4kg claimer up he will be very dangerous while the Mike de Kock pair of Fired Up and Ashbaal will have their supporters.

In the fifth, the 5-1 about Ancient Spirit in the ante-post market looks tempting. Johan Janse van Vuuren’s mare won well on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly last run and that form has been well franked with the runner up, Wildly In Love, having won twice since. Early 22-10 favourite is Florida Quays who has not been out of the first two since joining Paul Peter after the untimely death of Stanley Ferreira but it will get harder now although she has a strong chance of a hat-trick. Abelie is another with consistent recent form and made all to win last her last start.

It will be all hands on deck for the final two races on the card but in the seventh, El ‘Zara made a winning debut for her new stable and had useful KZN form before that and could be the right one here. Try Charm shed her maiden in Kimberley but was not far back in feature company last time out while Fly Away showed promise in her first two starts but was reported not striding out in the SA Fillies Nursery. That was back in early May so the lay-off is a concern but she does appear to have a touch of class.

The last is a punter’s nightmare, with past form having little more than a length separating many of the fancied runners and if you are still running in the exotics, I hope that you have loaded up.

Claremorris, Phillydelphia, Queen Of War and Celestial Fire are al must inclusions although the list of possible winners does not stop there.

By Andrew Harrison

Pacific Trader will take an unconventional route towards the Betting World Cape Flying Championship after making light of a difficult draw in the Interbet.co.za Pinnacle Stakes at Durbanville on Saturday.

The 18-10 favourite was impressive. Despite not having raced since his Computaform Sprint victory almost five months ago he was in front after a furlong and Corne Orffer  had no trouble in holding the strong-finishing Vincente by a comfortable half length. Celestial Storm, three-quarters of a length away third, had to steady off the heels of the winner in the closing stages but she would not have won even if Grant Behr had been able to ride her to the line.

Brett Crawford said: “Pacific Trader was rated to win this – it was just a question of whether he was ready – and I needed to run him to get his fitness up. There is not a lot for him between now and the Cape Flying – I don’t want to run him beyond five furlongs – but I have to keep him on the boil so I will run him in whatever is in the programme in the way of pinnacles etc. “

In Flat racing the job of the stalls handlers is, arguably at least, even more dangerous than that of the jockeys. True, being pitched at over 50kph into a sea of metal-tipped pounding hooves, each one delivered with the force of half a tonne, is a recipe for injury and occasionally even death but the handlers come into contact with the end that kicks in every race – and those watching the on-course close circuit TV for the Betting World Maiden were confronted with a horror show.

The Crawford-trained newcomer Shiny Shoes took fright in the pens and handler Alfred Mzondi climbed up into the metalwork to take hold of the horse’s head and so calm him down. Somehow he got knocked over into the horse’s stall and fell beneath his hooves. He was kicked mercilessly and repeatedly before managing to crawl under the front gate.

The stipes’ TV, which shows everything far more clearly and in close up, revealed a horrifying scene of the terrified horse on his back, all four legs flailing, and Mzondi – too badly hurt to get to his feet – crawling on hands and knees all the way across to the safety of the rails. The race was delayed while the paramedics took him to the doctor in the weighing room. He was, understandably, still considerably shaken when he got there. He also had a nasty cut on his cheek and he was taken to the Durbanville Mediclinic for a scan to make sure that there was no head injury.

The unfortunate Shiny Shoes had cuts on his shoulder and his quarters. It will be a long time before he forgets his introduction to racing. The race itself went to his stable companion Golden Tractor, brought fast and late by Orffer.

Justin Snaith and Richard Fourie, successful in maidens with all-the-ways scorers Yucatan and Maravilloso, also took the Settlers Trophy with the Fosters’ homebred 9-10 fav Belgarion who had been off between disappointing in the Cape Derby and winning early this month.

Snaith, winning his sixth Settlers and his fourth in five seasons, said: “There was nothing wrong – we just decided to put him away – and I will do so again if he gets punished by the handicapper for this. We will see what he gets and then decide where we go.”

Eric Sands is aiming Driving Miss Daisy at the Western Cape Fillies Championship (October 26) and the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas after she made up ten lengths in the final 300m of the finale to score with Donovan Dillon easing up.

Sean Veale, deputising for the bronchitis-hit M.J. Byleveld, was fined R2 000 for using his whip more than the maximum permitted when landing the Tellytrack.com Handicap on the Vaughan Marshall-trained Path Of Choice.

Azores quickened well to lead 100m out under Stuart Randolph in the mile maiden and Dean Kannemeyer believes he will make up into “a nice staying sort.”

By Michael Clower

WSB Fillies Guineas winner Front And Centre was confirmed a runner in the Diana Stakes at Durbanville on Saturday after impressing in a work-out on the course last Thursday.

Brett Crawford said: “She galloped very well over 1 300m so she will run on Saturday.” The four-year-old is favourite at 15-10 ahead of this morning’s declarations with Santa Clara next on 5-1.

Crawford continued: “Undercover Agent also went well on Thursday and Search Party put up a nice gallop so both will run in the Matchem. But Charles will miss the race – I don’t think he is ready yet – and he has been gelded so I want to give him a bit more time.”

Undercover Agent is 33-10 favourite with One World and Twist Of Fate on 4-1 but Sun Met third Head Honcho, next best on 17-2, will not run.

Andre Nel said: “Head Honcho runs instead in an 1 800m pinnacle at Kenilworth on October 15. Pleasedtomeetyou (Anthony Andrews) runs in the Matchem.”

By Michael Clower

Charlie Mccreevy was the subject of an inspired punt three runs back but ran into more traffic than in a Jo’Burg rush hour, getting out too late to land the gamble.

He disappointed at his next two starts but enjoyed better fortune in the Karatbars International Maiden at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday. Short-priced ante-post favourite Al Ragnar was withdraw on the morning with a swollen joint which eliminated the one major obstacle and Mark Khan took full toll on Lezzeanne Forbes’s gelding although it was not all over until the final 50 m as Charlie Mccreevy finally shook off the attentions of Ice Baron to deny Dean Kannemeyer a quartet of wins on the day.

Perfectly Putt started Mike de Kock’s raid on a high note as the odds-on favourite landed the Baker McVeigh Maiden. The gelding missed the kick but was given a confident ride by apprentice Luke Ferraris who got the favourite home where it counted.

Matthew de Kock, saddling for his father, indicated that this would not be the first raid by the stable, De Kock having closed up his Summerveld yard some three season’s back. “There are some nice maiden races here. And with the draws and draw-bias tracks (on the Highveld), we will keep our options open.”

Arnica Montana looked a safe bet for a De Kock double, but De Kock junior’s words, “I hope he’s not a tea-leaf” after his previous interview, rang disappointingly true as the 1-3 favourite could only manage a well-beaten third. Given every chance, Arnica Montana was closing late but it was left to Dutch Alley to snatch the spoils from long-time leader Self-Mastery.

Dutch Alley was the second of the Kannemeyer winners after Williams Land made short work of the opposition in the first. Williams Land, making his local debut after two modest efforts in the Cape, finished with a flourish to put four lengths of daylight between himself and second-placed Kingston Rock.

Muzi Yeni and Warren Kennedy are trading punches at the top of the national jockey log and it was all square on the day with Kennedy scoring on Williams Land and Yeni having a tougher time on Favour for the same stable in the Colesdale Estate Handicap.

From gate 15, Yeni was forced to look for cover early and turned for home seemingly out of his ground with commentator Sheldon Peters calling for wings.

The wings didn’t sprout, but Favour did finish with a flourish for his third straight win and Kannemeyer’s fourth.

By Andrew Harrison