Racing made a welcome return to Scottsville yesterday and with the turf in pristine condition trainers took full advantage with every field on the card close to maximum. The result was that punters had to search long and hard for winners with a few long-shots making it tough going in the exotics.

One of the few favourites to oblige was Rebel’s Champ. Not for nothing is apprentice Lyle Hewitson national champion jockey as he rode a pearler on Paul Peter’s gelding to turn the tables on his Golden Loom conqueror Captain’s Girl.

I’m Free (Candiese Marnewick)

With a furlong to run and a wall of horses across the track in the Itsarush.co.za Pinnacle Stakes, commentator Craig Peters was hard pressed identifying a likely winner. But at the last second, Hewitson extracted Rebel’s Champ out from behind Sunset Eyes and in the blink of an eye got up to claim victory.

Procal Harum made a cracking return to the track after a break as he snatched second ahead of the game filly Captain’s Girl. Procal Harum is an entry for the Gr2 Merchants at Turffontein on December 1. Rebel’s Champ ducked in shortly after the line, dislodging Hewitson, who escaped unscathed. Rebel’s Champ was a R10k buy at the CTS Two-year-old sale and yesterday took his earnings to over the R500k mark

Apprentice Jason Gates, currently facing a seven-day suspension for careless riding, was on his best behaviour as he got Storm Ruler home for a second successive victory in the Rockefellers Restaurant Handicap over 2400m. Gates had Alyson Wright’s gelding neatly placed behind pacemaker Lucius Fox and went for broke at the top of the straight. Riding a powerful finish, Gates kept Storm Ruler straight and hard to his task to hold off Hewitson on Big Si.

Hewitson got his afternoon off to the best possible start, and that of Wayne Badenhorst, as he kept the temperamental filly, I’m Free, racing in ear-muffs, going long enough to hold off Amra and African Angel.

Johan Janse van Vuuren seldom heads back to the Highveld without a scalp or two but it required all Anton Marcus’s expertise in the second to get Lady Jackson home ahead of Daryl Moore’s first timer Woodstock Festival who has been well backed to make a winning debut.

There is every likelihood that Luke Ferraris could follow in the footsteps of Hewitson as he has just five winners to go before losing his claim in just his second year of his five-year apprenticeship. It was winner number 55 yesterday as he had little more than a steering job to do on the Sean Tarry-trained Tierra Del Fuego in the third.

By Andrew Harrison

Ashburton-based Louise Goosen has a handful of quick fillies in his yard and three of them will be up against each other in a hotly contested Pinnacles Stakes when racing returns to Scottsville on Sunday.

The course has had a two-month break for spring treatment and Goosen, ever professional, did an inspection on Tuesday and declared himself satisfied that the track is in top nick.

Of his three fillies, Captain’s Girl boasts the best recent form. She paid her way on a trip to Turffontein earlier this month, taking on a smart field of sprinters in the Golden Loom, beating all but Riverine home.

Wynkelder (Candiese Marnewick)

That was a top effort and with apprentice Jabu Jacobs claiming his 4kg on Sunday, it may be enough to see her go one better.

But it will not be easy. Many trainers have been waiting for the Scottsville turf and they have lined up in numbers. Included in their ranks is visiting Paul Peter who saddles Rebel’s Champ, a fast-finishing fourth in the Golden Loom. He started 5-1 favourite for that race which is an indication of what punters were up against. He has a steadier of 62kg on his back but with Jacobs’s claim, it seems unlikely that he will be able to turn the tables on the filly.

Wynkelder is a course specialist, as is the smart London Call who finished two lengths behind him when last they met.

Hashtag Strat and Effortless Reward are both quick while Sunset Eyes and Procal Harum are the ‘class’ runners in the race but both have been pencilled in for the Merchants at Turffontein on December 1 so this is a likely warm-up run.

Lenny Taylor, who died recently, was a maverick trainer but one of the true characters of the sport and it is fitting that the fifth is named in his honour. The Lenny Taylor Memorial Handicap is a bit of a puzzle but Gavin van Zyl is sure to be looking for a better effort from Affranchi. Bought out of Tony Nassif’s yard after finishing a close-up second to Perfect Peter, he was well supported in the market for the KZN Guineas Trial. However, he ran no sort of race and was upstaged by lesser fancied stable companion Stream Ahead.

The blinkers go on and if Affranchi runs up to his previous form he could prove difficult to peg back.

The dangers could lurk among the bottom three in the handicap where the consistent Roy’s Magic makes most appeal.

Lowly handicaps over ground are often a recipe for an upset and with a maximum field of 12 lining up for the Rockafellas Restaurant Handicap over 2400m it looks right for baking. There are a number of seasoned handicappers in the race including multiple winners Rawedge, Hyaku and Storm Ruler but they may all have to get past recent maiden winner Banjo On My Knee. Before his last run there was little in his Cape Town form to recommend him. But he obviously revelled in the step up to 2400m and hacked home ahead of the luckless Belfry. He is lightly raced and an obvious improver taking on some well exposed opposition.

By Andrew Harrison

The Turffontein Inside track stages a low key nine race meeting but there could be some fair opportunities for punters.

In the first race over 1200m Without Limits was prominent from the off in the R1 million Maiden on Charity Mile day and she then stayed on well for a decent 4,1 length sixth. This is a much weaker field so she will be hard to beat from pole position under Gavin Lerena. Seventh Light found some support on her debut over 900m at Kenilworth last December but weakened and has not been seen out since. The first-timer Super Fine is by Duke Of Marmalade and is a half-sister to the two-time winner Inga who reached a high of a 79 merit rating but who is a miler to middle distance sort.

Captain And Master

The second race over 1200m is another uninspiring event and although Banana Republic is a battling maiden having his 17^th outing he does have a good opportunity to get off the mark here jumping from a good draw over a suitable trip. The first-timer Starlighttemptress from the Woodruff yard is interesting as she is by Seventh Rock out of a half-sister to the dam of Not Sulking, who did very well for the Woodruff yards in features a few years ago. Others to consider are Hit The Road, Jacko Boy and Kutamba.

In the third race over 1800m Myrrh was ridden handy from a similar draw last time over 1700m and plugged on well for second. He now has Gavin Lerena aboard and is the one to beat. Toastmaster is a big horse who has scope for plenty of improvement, so he could have benefitted from a 77 day layoff and will be a big threat, although he does have a tricky draw of ten under champion jockey Lyle Hewitson. Greatest Wish was not disgraced in the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup and can earn in this weaker field. He is by Var but his dam, Fisani by Kahal, won the Grade 2 Gerald Rosenberg over 2000m so he should stay the trip.

The fourth over 1800m could be won by Dunas Douradas as she finished well when stepped up to 1600m last time and has a fair draw. Viscount Vivien is not far off Duna Douradas and Fly Thought is better than her last start.

The fifth race over 1800m features some fair sorts and the consistent Hafla should enjoy this course and distance from a good draw. She was a late foal and has always struck as one who would improve with age so she should start coming into her own now. Noceur as a five-year-old is now fulfilling the promise she always showed but does have a tough draw to overcome. Pretty Ballerina, Cold Cash and Tammany Hall can’t be ignored either.

In the 6^th over 2000m Hokanui is another who has struck a one who could improve with age and he can follow up on his win last time over this trip, which followed a seven month layoff. Hakeem has dropped to an attractive mark but has to prove he stays this trip. Excalibur’s return goes for a hattrick and has to be included too.

The seventh race over 1450m has the day’s best bet, Captain And Master. He is full of class but can be headstrong, so he should relish the step down to this trip and is well drawn.

In the eighth over 1600m Strawberry Pavlova is a talented sort who should enjoy the step up in trip and Shelley can bounce back over a drop in trip she will enjoy. Invincible Lady, Lady Val and Guns And Roses are hard to ignore.

The last is an uninspiring handicap and Pale Lilac could outclass them despite jumping from a wide draw and having to carry topweight. Written over raced over 1800m last time so could be dangerous from a good draw over a drop in trip and All I Got is capable of popping up in a race like this at a big price.

By David Thiselton

Pleasedtomeetyou can prove to be just that so far as punters are concerned by defying assessment logic in the TAB Telebet Progress Plate at Kenilworth tomorrow.

The Andre Nel runner should finish with only one behind him on adjusted merit ratings but he has race fitness on his side and his running in last month’s Cape Classic points to his chance over this furlong shorter test.

He finished third in that race after racing prominently and failing to last home – “He had every chance but he didn’t finish the race. He ran out of steam,” said Nel afterwards. “But we now know where we are going – sprinting.”

Sand And Sea

Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who won the Sophomore on the colt at Durbanville two months ago, regains the ride and the three-year-old was 19-10 joint favourite with Sand And Sea in the books of World Sports Betting yesterday.

Sand And Sea has a big theoretical advantage over the selection because Anton Marcus’s mount only concedes a kilo whereas the official weight-for-age scale says he should be giving away five. However he has not raced since April and that is a major disadvantage.

Speedpoint, the other four-year-old in the field, is a 33-10 chance. He is officially the best horse in the race but has not been seen since finishing a creditable two-length fifth in the Mercury Sprint three and a half months ago. If race-fit he would be well-nigh impossible to oppose even if the Nel horse is as good as this scribe thinks he is.

Of the others Lanza (9-2) was a length behind Pleasedtomeetyou in the Cape Classic and looks held as does Clipper Captain (15-2) who was a further four lengths back after getting himself in a state in the pens. Run To Denmark, stable companion of the selection, is the outsider of the party at 15-1.

In the fillies Progress Plate (race five) Temple Grafin stands out after running a cracker in the Western Cape Fillies Championship, her first run since winning the Debutante at the end of last season. She started favourite and beat all except Clouds Unfold. She is also favourite here (at 11-10) and Anton Marcus again has the mount.

Diana Stakes runner-up Miss Katalin (5-2) is the highest rated but watch out for Nous Voila at 17-2. She has been beaten at odds-on in two of her last four but she failed to act round the turn in her last two races and this is why she is being put back up the straight.

In the first Kingston Rock can confirm placings with Dragon Power and possibly get the better of Fayd’Herbe’s mount Empire Glory who ran well last time.

By Michael Clower

The KZN Champion two-year-old male of last season Cue The Music has been sold to race in Hong Kong and will not run in South Africa again.

The Dennis Bosch-trained Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm-bred Oratorio gelding won his first three starts including the Grade 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m at Scottsville and he then only just failed to hold on when runner up in the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m at Scottsville.

He then disappointed over further when fifth in the Grade 2 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m.

His last run was in the Grade 3 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m on the Greyville turf and he once again disappointed but was clearly not himself and is better than that.

He is a half-brother to the brilliant Champion Sprinter Val De Ra and is as laid back as she was so should take the arduous journey well and is sure to make his presence felt on the racing mad island.

By David Thiselton