Older runners, especially those with mileage on the clock, often show improved form on the poly track and Highveld trainers Gary Alexander and Dorrie Sham are raiding the Greyville poly this evening with some seasoned campaigners.

Alexander starts his evening in the fourth where he saddles the mare Musette. She has patchy form but her last run was an improved effort and she did find some long shot support. The poly track and first-time blinkers could bring the best out in her but she does face a competitive field. Roman Courtesan was touched off over course and distance at her penultimate start and she was far from disgraced last time out behind the progressive Duke Of Spin. After Sunday’s Greyville meeting, Shane Humby will be shutting up shop for the next few weeks with his entire stable having their AHS vaccinations so he will be keen to make hay before the break.

Roman Cortesan (Candiese Marnewick)

Expresso Martini and Quakeshake are others to consider.

Alexander’s other runner comes in the sixth where Zeal And Zest faces a tricky assignment although his recent Vaal form is solid. He has had a turn on the poly, finishing just over two lengths back to Bank The Cash and winning next time out. He has a handy weight advantage over likely favourite Hero Quest. Brett Crawford’s runner returns from a short break and is back in handicap company after taking on feature company, including champion stayer It’s My Turn in the Gold Vase. Another likely contender is Stream Ahead. Gavin van Zyl steps the colt up an extra three furlongs this evening and if he can carry his current form over the extra he will have plenty of supporters.

Sham has a mixed bag but her best chance of a winner should come in the seventh where she saddles top weight Baahir. The six-year-old has some solid Highveld form and has plenty of early toe that should suit the poly. Sentido and Fieldmarshal Fenix are obvious dangers.

By his own admission, Dennis Drier has one of the best crops of young horses that he has had in a long time as his winning strike-rate bares testimony. Drier’s filly Leanna should be in warm order for the card opener after making a smart debut. She is certain to enjoy the extra furlong and the opposition form looks a little thin.

Belfry has a busy weekend ahead with an engagement in the second and again on Sunday should he miss out on his maiden win tonight. He was beaten a long way out when starting favourite at Scottsville recently and although consistent his form is not inspiring. That’s not to say he can’t win but Dirty Harry and Thomas Jefferson look better propositions. Thomas Jefferson has blossomed since Mike Miller has put him over ground while Dirty Harry also appears to have come to hand and should appreciate the step up in trip for Yogas Govender.

By Andrew Harrison

Aldo Domeyer returned to South Africa yesterday after being crowned victor ladorum against all the odds in Tuesday’s PGI Jockeys Challenge South Africa in Singapore and said his experience out there had been different to anything he had expected.

He also reckoned he had turned the corner as a jockey and believes he can now compete against any rider without being concerned.

He said, “We see Singapore racing but we don’t hear about it. They are years and years ahead of us. Everything is efficient and disciplined and everybody is doing their bit to sustain the level. It is a different world, They are moving forward together and have a fluid way of running things.”

The Kranji turf course was in perfect condition with just a little bit of “sting” out of the ground.

Aldo Domeyer

Domeyer said by common consensus he had the worst rides of any of the jockeys on the night.

He said, “Lyle (Hewitson) said to me ‘I know you don’t have the best rides but just try and beat a few home.’ I replied ‘I’m going to do some magic out there tonight.’”

Although his response was said in a jestful tone, inside he was determined not to be one of the also rans.

He said he had always loved riding in fast paced races on fast tracks and also pointed out his high rate of success in previous Jockeys Internationals. In his winning ride over 1200m his mount Safeer was always travelling well just behind the leaders. He then got the necessary extra out of him by riding him vigorously all the way to the line.

Out in Singapore all eyes are on the legendary Joao “Magic” Moreira both on the course and in the stands. So it was no mean feat to have got the better of Moreira in that race, considering Domeyer was only on the fifth most fancied horse. However, he did admit having no weight of expectation on him had helped.

The win added to an earlier third place and that was enough to win the victor ladorum.

Domeyer spoke of mixing it with some of the best jockeys from around the world, “It is not everyday in one jockey’s room you have the like of Hugh Bowman, Joao Moreira, Kerrin McEvoy, Hayley Turner , Aldo Domeyer …”

On a more serious note he commented on how all of the best jockeys both overseas and at home had a common demeanour. He used Hugh Bowman, the regular rider of the world’s best racehorse, Winx, as an example, describing him as so composed it was as if he was “floating on a cloud.”

This season Domeyer will be aiming to win as many big races as possible as he felt he had not yet left his mark on Cape Town as strongly as he would have liked to.

He then aims to start early next season and go for the championships as that is when “doors really open for a jockey.”

He said, “They say you need 10,000 hours before you start understanding your craft. I have been listening to my father (Andrew Fortune) for a long time and had been kind of getting it but also kind of not and last season everything just clicked. I think a lot of it is just trusting your instincts and listening to yourself. The last thing you want to be doing is questioning yourself. So now I am no longer thinking of the big names I’m riding against, I’m just riding against myself. It is all coming together and I know what I am doing.”

By David Thiselton

The unbeaten Pleasedtomeetyou could step up to seven furlongs for his next start as he possibly heads towards the Cape Guineas in December.

Andre Nel said: “While I am not yet sure where he will run next I am going to nominate him for the Cape Classic (October 28). He relaxes well enough at home to suggest he will get the 1 400m.”

Nel added that the colt “has taken his last race well.” This is good news considering the accusations levelled against Bernard Fayd’Herbe of giving the colt an unduly hard race in the Sophomore Sprint.

Fayd’Herbe has been metaphorically hanged, drawn and quartered by his critics, most of whom were not even at Durbanville that day. Nor was I (on holiday overseas at the time) but I do know that the jockey will have been hurt and upset by the criticism. He has long prided himself on his love and understanding of the horses he rides, qualities which he believes he possesses more than most riders.

Andre Nel

True, he sometimes does appear more forceful than many of them but this is at least partly because he is a fair bit taller than they are.

Significantly stipes Nick Shearer, Cecil van As and Tarquin Norval did not consider that he was guilty of any offence and, even  more significantly, nor did they when the NHA drew their attention to the criticism and invited them to look again.

It is an unfortunate aspect of racing life that most thoroughbred horses, despite being bred to race and wanting to do so, will not give their all without the whip. For many it is enough just to see it but others will not quicken unless they actually feel it.

Fortunately the whips permitted today are a lot kinder than the old criss-cross leather covered whale bone which could both mark and hurt. The manufacturers of today’s whips claim that they do not hurt (although I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end!) and that it is the noise that stirs the horse to maximum action.

Perhaps it is time for the NHA to take the lead here because the noise sounds frightening to the public, let alone the horses, and it is in danger of giving racing a bad name. The media room at Durbanville is adjacent to the 50m marker and when the horses reach this point it sounds like a volley of machine gun fire. If the crowds were bigger there would be cries of cruelty from the uninformed.

The authorities might also consider reducing the length of the whips. In Scandinavia this is barely half that of our whips and, while they are derided by the rest of the racing world, a reduction would have a corresponding increase in the inability to hurt.

Elusive Trader, beaten less than a neck in the Sophomore, is not certain to race again before the R2.5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run at Kenilworth on November 18.

Greg Ennion said: “He was unlucky in running in the Sophomore, and also he was in front both shortly before the line and just after it. However he was shin-sore afterwards. If he does run before the Lanzerac it would have to be in a plate race. I am not going to run him in a handicap.”

Magnificent Seven, winner of four of his last five starts, is already odds-on for the Settlers Trophy at Durbanville on Saturday. World Sports Betting yesterday opened the Snaith-Fourie hope at 17-20 with the Candice Bass-Robinson trained Benjan (Greg Cheyne) second favourite at 4-1. The Billy Prestage-trained Red Peril, who sprang a 14-1 surprise 12 months ago, is the 20-1 outsider of the party this time.

By Michael Clower

Bloodstock South Africa were sad to learn of the death of world-renowned auctioneer Clive Gardner recently.

Clive, who had previously been involved with many BSA sales, died on Monday night at the age of 71. He had remained active on the rostrum until shortly before his sad passing.

A popular face at many National Yearling Sales, he acquired international fame and recognition when a guest auctioneer at the Goffs Orby and November Sales between 1981 and 2012.

Among the many to pay tribute to Clive Gardner were Goffs’ Group’s Henry Beeby, who described the late auctioneer as a “wonderful friend and character.”

Bloodstock South Africa would like to send out condolences to Clive’s family and his numerous friends –he will be missed!

Neala, just short of a gallop when runner-up to Pata Pata according to Shame Humby, put her best forward in the Itsarush Pinnacle Stakes at Greyville yesterday. But it was a close-run thing as Captain’s Girl pressed her all the way to the line with the judges forced to resort to a photo to separate the pair.

Donovan Dillon rode a superb race on the winner, making almost all and hardly resorting to the stick as Captain’s Girl loomed alongside with Sherman Brown hard at work. Brown is a hard man to beat in a finish and Captain’s Girl appeared to head Neala a stride before the line. But one jump later she was a millimetre behind.

Louis Goosen has earmarked a Highveld feature for Captain’s Girl during their spring season and she will strip at her peak.

Favourite Kateecador, no slouch when it comes to speed, was seemingly outpaced in a race that was run in a tick under 57 seconds.

Neala (Left) & Captain’s Girl (Candiese Marnewick)

Anton Marcus is a past master on the Greyville poly track and is almost set in they way he rides it. Ping the gate, sit handy, swing to the outside off the turn and keep rolling as best he can.

Goosen had better luck in the card opener. The Ashburton-based trainer is wary of a deep draw on the poly, especially as regards front runners, but this did not faze Marcus. He hopped out Goosen’s grey Wendylle and made all the running to hold the heavily supported Opensea by a nearly two-length margin.

“I knew we would run well,” said Goosen. “But I was wary of all the money coming for the favourite, after all we were taking on a two-time winner – OK barrier trials – so I told Zane (Kirsten) to go softly.”

In the next, Marcus employed almost a carbon copy aboard Ultra Magnus as Brett Crawford’s colt kept finding extra to comfortably hold off the attentions of Global Exposure and the consistent Gordonstoun who finished a fourth successive third in as many outings. Favourite Walterthepeniless was a little one-paced, a short-head back in fourth and may be looking for further at this stage of his career.

Apprentice Khanya Sakayi is one of the most improved riders around and notched the 32^nd win of his career riding a particularly bold race aboard Craig Eudey’s outsider Kilvington in the fourth. He was up-side Marcus on the favourite Roy’s Novice turning for home and pressure his rival from the top of the straight with the younger filly responding well to Sakayi’s urgings.

Serino Moodley and Billy Jacobson were locked in a titanic struggle from a long way out as Spume and Zigi Zagi Zugi locked horns in the third. It was anybody’s call until the last few jumps as Spume got his nose in front for Frank Robinson.

Gunner, a Gr1 winner at the end of his two-year-old career, took two years to win another race and the fact that he was always hovering just behind the placed horses saw his handicap mark stuck in the late 70’s. “He was very precocious as a two-year-old and you have to be wary with those kinds of horses,” surmised Paul Gadsby. “I know he won a Group 1. He’s a good horse but he’s not a group horse but he’s come down in the merit ratings and is now competitive.”

Marchingontogether was all the rage for the fifth but the three-year-old was a little out of his ground turning for home and forced to barge his way through the traffic. Too late however, as Eric Ngwane had pulled the trigger early on Gunner.

O’Keeffe, only once beaten on the poly track and that by a short head, was back in the winner’s enclosure for the sixth. Helped by a strong gallop as Morne Winaar let Star Evolution stride freely up front, Gareth Wright was content to sit off the pace. Serino Moodley made an early move on the grey Kilmokea, hunting for his second win, but Wright was stalking patiently and let O’Keeffe loose at just the right moment, his mount quickening up nicely to win rather cosily.

Touched off earlier on Gareth van Zyl’s Zigi Zagi Zugi, Jacobson went one better for Van Zyl as Calvary was backed as if the result was already known in the last. And so it proved, as Jacobson hopped Calvary out in front and was never challenged, a timely win before Jacobson walks down the aisle on Saturday.

By Andrew Harrison