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

Crome Yellow could be the answer to a complicated-looking Settlers Trophy at Durbanville tomorrow. The Andre Nel-trained five-year-old has won his last two, is suited by the trip, was only raised 2kg for his last success and has one of the best jockeys in the business. His present 9-2 price looks attractive.

The obvious danger is early favourite Belgarion because he possesses a touch of class and just might be better than his present handicap mark. Third in the Politician in January, he was reported by his rider to have choked in the Cape Derby but he shrugged aside a seven month absence to score over a mile only three weeks ago.

The gelding was raised 4kg for that but he is favoured by many of the statistics – four-year-olds have won four of the last five runnings, Justin Snaith has won three of the last four and Richard Fourie is bidding for his fourth Settlers. As against that favourites have a shocking record – Magnificent Seven 12 months ago was the first to win for ten years.

However what has happened in the past may not prove quite so relevant this time because of the curious decision to chop two furlongs off the race’s traditional 2 400m. It’s not as if it had not been attracting enough runners – the field size averaged ten over the last five seasons and that is one more than tomorrow’s line-up.

The shorter trip is all against the Winter Derby winner Dharma (15-2) even though he has been laid out for this. He appeared to need 2 400m to bring out the best in him.

Elusive Silva, third in last year’s Durban July, has to give weight all round and no winner has carried more than 58kg since Just Like Al successfully shouldered 59kg nine years ago. Fellow Snaith-trained 9-1 shot Platinum Prince is 2kg better with Crome Yellow for nearly three lengths and it is worth noting that he lost a fair bit of ground at the start that day.

Gyre, though, could pose a real threat. The 17-2 shot was only beaten three-quarters of a length by the selection in that last race and – in theory at any rate – he should reverse the placings on a kilo and a half better terms. American Landing (6-1) was fifth of six that day but is weighted to get into the shake-up but Cape Derby third Herodotus (11-1) has been off for three months.

Computaform Sprint winner Pacific Trader is a warm favourite for the Interbet.co.za Pinnacle but this is his first race since and it won’t be easy to overcome an eight draw over such a short trip. Celestial Storm looks a better bet at 5-1.

By Michael Clower

Like a raiding Viking chief, Mike de Kock has orchestrated a ‘hit’ on Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday and by the fourth race could be headed home with a sack-full of spoils.

De Kock’s first strike comes in the second and although there are many first timers to keep an eye on Perfectly Putt makes the long trip from the Highveld to race on the poly. He has drawn well and should feature prominently in what has stacked up into a modest field. His biggest threat could come in the form of Arianos Spinner who takes on males but was much improved at her second start. With a 4kg claimer up she only has 50kg to shoulder.

Arnica Montana is the second of the De Kock raiders and should get the Pick 6 off to a solid start. The gelding has failed narrowly in his first two starts and should be a solid bet in this line-up although you are not going to get rich at likely cramped odds.

Of the balance, Rasputin’s Remedy has not been far back in two sprints and should much prefer this trip while Dutch Alley has put in one good effort so far and is re-united with Stuart Randolph. A repeat of that run should see him competitive.

Given the betting, Al Ragnar was not a typical De Kock runner, drifting from an opening call of 14-1 to 33-1 after finishing with just two behind him on debut.

But the addition of blinkers brought out the best in him and the line came a stride too soon as Gimme The Fire clung onto his lead. There should be no mistakes here. Charlie Mccreevy has been disappointing since a plunge three runs back where he was decidedly unlucky, the victim of a mid-straight traffic jam. Lezeanne Forbes’s runner has held form since and should feature in the money. Ice Baron and Querari’s Cowboy both step up in trip and could prove dangerous.

The fifth is a wide-open handicap but top weight Room At The Top was narrowly beaten in his third local start by Favour. He has the best of the draw and is 1kg better off with his rival this time around. Al Jackman comes from a very much in form stable and was a close-up second last outing and Viento is also 1kg better off with Favour and is seldom too far back of late.

The handicappers have taken the plunge and dropped Arianos Shadow five pounds since her last run on the poly and although she carries top weight in the Jonsson Workwear Handicap she looks more competitive off her new mark. Frank Robinson saddled the filly in a strong Pinnacle Stakes field last run and the extra 400m this time around should be to her benefit.

The dangers! Escape Club appeared to be badly in need of her last start after returning from a lengthy break. Her form before that was excellent and from a good draw, she will have a big chance if near her best. Petra is useful on her day and has been consistent but also gets a three-point drop in ratings and her best recent effort has been over course and distance.

By Andrew Harrison