Keagan de Melo rides at Durbanville for the first time in his career on Saturday when he has mounts in six of the eight races – five for Glen Kotzen and In The Jungle for Piet Steyn in the Tabonline.co.za Handicap.

“Glen asked me to come down for the day,” said De Melo yesterday. He went into yesterday’s Greyville meeting with 15 winners this term and is noted for being a particularly stylish jockey – “I haven’t set out to be that but it’s just the way I have been brought up to ride.”

He steps in for in-form retained stable jockey Ryan Munger who is not riding on Saturday but who is third on the national log with 40 winners. Cantata (race two) and Merkaba (race seven) are De Melo’s best chances according to World Sports Betting who had Cantata as 7-2 second favourite and Merkaba as 7-2 joint favourite when the firm posted up its prices yesterday.

Greg Cheyne, fifth with 33 winners after landing the first four at Fairview on Tuesday, rides in every race except the sixth. The Justin Snaith-Richard Fourie combination has the favourite or joint favourite in half the races.

Fourie, who won the 2006 Cape Classic on Jay Peg, will ride the lightly-weighted Clipper Captain in Saturday week’s Kenilworth Grade 3 and Snaith has also accepted with Seventh Sea (Robert Khathi) and Clouded Hill. In the Western Cape Fillies Championship on the same day Fourie partners Juniper Spring for Snaith. The filly is a full sister to last year’s winner Snowdance.

By Michael Clower

The Grade 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile, which is one of the most important stepping stones into the GBets Summer Cup and will be run at Turffontein Standside on November 3, has attracted an entry of 45 horses and the joint-highest rated among them is last year’s winner Hat Puntano.

Hat Puntano

This 118 merit-rated Mike Azzie-trained Argentinian-bred subsequently ran ninth in the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and was then laid off for nine months until a recent outing in the Grade 2 Jo’burg Spring Challenge over 1450m on the Turffontein Inside track where well beaten.

The other 118 merit-rated entry is the Robbie Sage-trained Coral Fever, winner of the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Challenge. He also made his reappearance in the Jo’burg Spring Challenge and ran a good 3,4 length sixth with topweight.

Liege, last year’s Summer Cup winner, is among 12 Charity Mile entries for Sean Tarry. Liege and Matador Man on 108 are the highest rated of Tarry’s entries.

The two horses at the top of the Summer Cup boards, Noble Secret and Cascapedia, are among ten entries for Mike de Kock. It is unusual for three-year-olds to run in the Charity Mile but De Kock has entered his two young stalwarts Soqrat and Alyaasaat. However, they are also entries in the traditional three-year-old race on the day, the Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m.

The only out of province entry is the Frank Robinson-trained Roy Had Enough who has won two Listed races over a mile.

By David Thiselton

One of racing’s true characters Lenny Taylor passed away suddenly on Tuesday reportedly from a heart attack.

Taylor was born into the racing game as his father was a breeder who also trained a bit. His first experience of the sport was at the Darling Gymkhana where, incredibly enough, he was riding in races when he was about five or six years old. He was unable to control a racehorse at that age so they used to lead him to the start and at the finish people would wave plastic bags at the horse to stop it.

Taylor started training in the Cape in 1971 and had some good horses like Horatius, who was a Grade 2 winner and finished second in the Cape Guineas to Bold Tropic and second in the Met to Foveros, Supreme Sovereign, who won the Grade 2 Clairwood Gold Vase, Bless My Soul, who finished second in the Queen’s Plate to Foveros, Free Enterprise, who did the Grade 2 Merchants and Grade I Cape Flying Championships double, Bold Messenger who won the EP Derby and Condorman who won the Winter Challenge at Kenilworth.

Taylor bought a number of value horses back then and Supreme Sovereign cost only R300 while Horatius cost just R1000.

Taylor left for Australia in 1994 and had about 40 winners out there.

He had a country-training license in Geelong.

One of his highlights was sending out a horse called Pride Of Pyrmont to run second in a Listed event on Melbourne Cup day. He also won a race at Moonee Valley with a horse called Regal Ruler from the very outside draw.

Taylor also trained standard-bred trotters in his time there.

He also spent a short time in New Zealand before returning to South Africa in 2003.

He renewed his training license in 2006 and trained from a Private Establishment in Mooi River that was formally used by Nick Robb.

He later managed a stud farm across the road, and helped in the preparation, breaking in and pretraining of another stud farm’s racing stock and helped transport horses to the races.

Taylor was a horseman through and through and his presence at the races in his cowboy hat will be missed by all in the racing fraternity.

By David Thiselton

Featured Image: Lenny, Marie, Nicole (SportingPost)

The weather forecast is good for tomorrow’s meeting on the Turffontein Inside track and there are some interesting horses turning out.

The first of them is Varsity Bourbon, a De Kock-trained Var colt who is bred in the purple and runs in race one over 1200m. He is out of Off To Dance, a National Emblem half-sister to the top racehorse and champion sire Captain Al. Off To Dance is also a half-sister to the Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas and Grade 1 Majorca winner Shadow Dancing (Fort Wood), who is in turn the dam of the dual Grade 1 winner Thunder Dance. On the other hand Varsity Bourbon was not very expensively purchased at R400,000. The yard said, “He will have an each-way chance if he does not need the experience.” He has a tough draw of ten to overcome.

Shogun

The tip to win the race is Game Theory, a Byword colt who has had two decent starts to date. He is not the most imposing sort so it is open to question how much improvement he has in him and he also has a tough draw of 12 to overcome. However, trainer Alec Laird usually brings them on slowly but surely and he does not have a lot to beat. Enter The Dragon does have some scope but would likely prefer a touch further. However, he should be staying on well from draw three with the same 4kg claimer who rode him to a staying on second place finish over 1450m last time.

In the second race over 1200m there are two interesting first-timers. Summer Afternoon is by Trippi out of a Pivotal one-time winning daughter of the great Ipi Tombe. She is tipped to win as she should have speed and is drawn in pole and Sean Tarry has a good record with first-timers. The Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Veritas is a R3 million filly by Captain Al out of an unraced Galileo mare who is a half-sister to dual Listed winner Ezima, the dam of European Champion filly Taghrooda. She has a tough draw of seven out of ten to overcome, but does have Gavin Lerena up so should be right there. This pair do not have a lot to beat and the best of the raced runners could be the battling maiden Tidal Tussle, who is having her 17^th start.

In the third race Mighty And Magic enjoyed his first attempt at 2600m and Lyle Hewitson will know a bit more about how to tackle the trip with him this time so from pole position he is made the best bet on the card.

In the first leg of the Pick 6, also over 2600m, Kiss And Angel should relish the step up in trip being by Await The Dawn out of a Galileo mare and she has a plum draw. Ration My Passion is by Cape Blanco, who won five Group 1s from a mile-and-a-quarter to a mile-and-a-half, and is out of a half-sister to an Australian Derby winner so he should relish the step up in trip on pedigree too. They should get punters through the PA and for the Pick 6 Building Bridges can be included as he stayed on well over 2400m in his penultimate start and Strydom rides from a good draw.

The next leg of the Pick 6 is tricky and any one of the eight runners could win. However, Gottalottaluv has always struck as one with some class and he should be fit and ready and jumps from pole position under Strydom. Noceur is coming into his own so is the other one to include and Chariot Of Gold is a decent filly who will relish the step up in trip having run unplaced over 1600m on Saturday.

In the sixth race over 1600m Helios has always struck as a decent sort and sneaks into the handicap with the minimum weight so could give Hewitson another winner. The Rising Legend has a fine turn of foot and will be staying on strongly from his usual last position. Orpheus can go close if repeating his fine last start over course and distance when a close second to Summer Cup favourite Noble Legend.

In the seventh race over 1450m Bockscar finished like a train the last time he tried this trip so has to be included, although Darkest Hour is tipped as he has been unlucky lately. King Of The Delta has improved and is interesting stepped up in trip as he has been staying on in his races over 1200m.

In the eighth over 1000m Wrecking Ball is the choice a she is talented but often just does not get home over the minimum trip. Her last three runs over further might have helped build her stamina and she could last home this time. Green Plains and Covered In Snow look to be the chief dangers.

In the last leg over 1200m the promising but temperamental filly Sally Called is taken to beat the Grade 1 winner Van Halen, who will likely need it. Green Haze, Xplosive Kiss and My Boy Caloi also warrant consideration.

By David Thiselton

Savea, a costly failure recently when sent out a short-priced favourite, can make amends when he runs in the second at Greyville today. Supported in to even money, Savea played up behind the gate and once loaded, showed pace before fading tamely behind outsider Big King.

Post-race he was reported to be hanging out and making a respiratory noise but even given the excuses, Savea can recoup some of his supporter’s losses.

Lightly raced, his form has been much improved since being gelded and from another good draw he should at least be concerned in the finish.

The danger could be Edge Of The Sun who was way out of his depth in a six-horse Progress Plate, where he finished a dozen lengths off winner Red Chestnut Road and stable companion Dawn Calling. Back in more suitable company he looks a likely threat to Savea.

Gunner

In the fifth, Gunner has come well since a reduction in his merit rating, winning his last two. He got a five-point raise for his most recent victory but Paul Gadsby has replaced non-claiming apprentice Eric Ngwane with 2.5kg claimer Khanya Sakayi so in theory Gunner races off the same mark as his recent victory. Gadsby has also dropped the gelding in class and although at the top of the handicap he looks decidedly well weighted and can go in again.

Apprentice Jabu Jacobs is battling for his first win and came within an ace of a maiden victory when Winter’s Coming was touched off by stable companion Q The Music over course and distance. That was a smart effort by Andre Nel’s runner and from a plum draw, Jacobs and Winter’s Coming can give Gunner a tough race.

Dean Kannemeyer’s stable is starting to turn the corner and The Sultan’s Bazaar is unbeaten in two starts on the poly. He does take a big jump in class here but with only 53kg to shoulder he is in line to keep his poly record intact.

Duncan Howells will have been way better than 10^th on the current National trainer’s log had he been able to convert all his second places – 21 so far for the current season – to go with his 12 wins. Queen’s Plain, who runs in the first leg of the Pick 6, was another statistic when she finished runner-up, beaten the width of a piece of paper in open company last time out, and Howells will be hoping she can break a frustrating run of form.

It won’t be easy in a competitive field where Sheik’s Storm and Mitra Music look pick of the balance. Sheik’s Storm has been knocking at the door for some time now and with a 2.5kg claimer aboard this time around, that relief from the saddle could be enough to see her home.

Mitra Music was a touch disappointing last outing but the stable has hit form and one can expect a better showing.

Frank Robinson has a knack of keeping older horses on the boil and his patience can pay off when nine-year-old Great Rumpus lines up in the first leg of the jackpot. He takes a five-point drop in the ratings and also a drop in class. Older horses also seem to find their best form on the poly track so Great Rumpus who steps out for the 64^th time in his career, looks to have a lot going for him.

Biggest threat could come from Mark Dixon’s runner Two Stroke who has not been too far back in some useful company of late. He has yet to run a bad race and should feature in a field of this calibre.

The sixth is a wide open fillies handicap where there are plenty of runners in with chances. However, when in doubt, go for the top weight and Karatage and Miziara could fit the bill. Anton Marcus stays with Karatage which is generally a good sign while 4kg claimer Xola Jacobs will be hunting his first win on the Howells-trained Miziara.

The final leg of the Pick 6 could rest between Sigismund and Paddingtons Luck. In his first run back after gelding, Sigismund found one too good for him in a sprint. Alistair Gordon’s runner should do better over this trip and is likely to start favourite again. Paddingtons Luck also found one too good for him last time out but obviously more was expected of him as he drops back to a mile and first-time blinkers. The pair are drawn alongside each other so it could be a case of cat and mouse from the jump.

By Andrew Harrison