Eric Sands has put the unbeaten Winter Guineas and Winter Classic winner Rainbow Bridge into Saturday week’s Matchem Stakes even though he has not been able to get a race into the colt this season.

Rainbow Bridge (Liesl King)

Last year’s Cape Guineas winner Tap O’Noth has also been entered for the Durbanville Grade 3 and has to give weight all round– Vaughan Marshall’s previous winners of the race include Tales Of Bravery (2010) and Play Catch in 2004.

Our Mate Art, who scored for Candice Bass-Robinson 12 months ago, is also among the 14 entries while Justin Snaith, successful with Changingoftheguard six years ago, has already declared Fifty Cents (Richard Fourie), Copper Force (Robert Khathi) and Star Chestnut (Athandiwe Mgudlwa).

Snaith has also declared three for the Diana Stakes on the same card- Dynamic Diana (Fourie), Angel’s Trumpet (Greg Cheyne) and Miss Katalin (Khathi). The champion trainer has won three of the last nine runnings. Goodtime Gal, successful for Mike Robinson and Anton Marcus in last year’s race, is set to give weight to the other 13 entries.

Marcus, surprisingly, is as big as 20-1 with World Sports Betting for the jockeys’ championship despite being fourth in the log on 24 winners. Muzi Yeni, who heads the list on 33, is 5-2 favourite and Richard Fourie (28 winners) second favourite at 28-10 with Aldo Domeyer (14) next on 4-1. Current champion Lyle Hewitson and former champion Gavin Lerena are both 11-2 chances. Ryan Munger, third on the log with 27 winners, is a 14-1 shot.

By Michael Clower

Champion Jockey Lyle Hewitson’s first foray on the international stage ended in a suspension. Riding in Singapore on Sunday, ahead of today’s Singapore Raceday meeting, Hewitson was charged with careless riding after shifting ground and taking up the running at the winning post on the first time around, to a point where there was insufficient room for Golazo, resulting in that horse being severely crowded for room and eventually losing its rightful running.

Lyle Hewitson

Hewitson finished third in the race, the Gr3 $150,000 El Dorado Classic.

The stewards took into account his record, guilty plea, the degree of interference and carelessness and that he has been engaged to ride at the Singapore Race Meeting.

The commencement of the suspension was deferred to begin on Wednesday, October 3 until Sunday, October 7, both dates inclusive (two Singapore Race Days).  Hewitson was not alone as five other jockeys were charged with similar offences.

Muzi Yeni also managed a third in the $125,000 Flax 2012 Stakes over 1200m.

The two South African youngsters were making their debut in Singapore ahead of today’s Premier Gateway International Jockeys Challenge.

TAB will operate a special Pick 6 pool – boosted by a TAB bonus – on today’s Kranji meeting.

The pool will start with a R150,000 add-in from TAB and the total net pool is expected to be about R400,000.

The Pick 6 will be on Races 2 to 7 with Leg 1 at 12h55 South African time. Normal TAB Pick 6 rules will apply and any carryover will go into the TAB carryover pot used to create Pick 6 MegaPools on selected days.

Crown Towers, so impressive when winning on debut at Kenilworth at the beginning of the month, can go in again when he tackles handicap company in the 1 400m Interbet at Durbanville today.

The superbly bred Australian colt was bought pretty much ready to run out of Joey Ramsden’s stable at a Grant Knowles sale here two months ago and he looks well handicapped (in the view of Justin Snaith as well as the writer) off a mark of 85 – and he is particularly well drawn.

Anton Marcus (Liesl King)

He was the subject of rave reviews after scoring so well first time and the extra furlong is a major plus considering his pedigree – by Camelot out of a multiple-winning Galileo mare – and it was no surprise to see him odds-on at 8-10 with World Sports Betting yesterday.

Stable companion Green Jacket, who won over course and distance 17 days ago, is the obvious danger at 9-2 with top weight Sacred Arrow next on 11-2. But, in truth, there should only be one winner – either that or most of us need our eyes testing.

Trippi’s Express looks equally nailed on in the first. The Brett Crawford runner was second to Pleasedtomeetyou in that good maiden at Kenilworth in August when subsequent winners Trip To The Sky and Green Jacket were four and five lengths behind. The selection had to be withdrawn earlier this month because of an abnormal blood count but the patience shown that day should be rewarded here, albeit at a skimpy price – he was 9-20 yesterday.

Juniper Spring is proving expensive to follow – she was beaten at 5-4 last time and at 7-20 on her previous start – and she is odds-on for the TAB Telebet Maiden. But she has a good draw and stands out on form.  She could have most to fear from Spring Burst but she is well-nigh impossible to oppose.

Go Snow Girl Go with Anton Marcus in the irons looks tempting at 33-10 in race three but 16-10 favourite Silvano’s Pride ran well enough here first time a fortnight ago to suggest she can collect.

Whatever his fortunes in that race the four-time champion should win the mile handicap 35 minutes later on Love Supreme who is fully entitled to her position at the head of the market (11-10).

Valbonne is very much on the upgrade, as he showed when winning a Kenilworth Pinnacle on his last start two months ago, and Greg Cheyne’s mount can make it three off the reel in the Supabets Pinnacle.

By Michael Clower

With jockey Olivier Placais suspended, trainer Alwin Tan had been struggling to find a suitable replacement for Nova Strike in the $1 million Group 1 Raffles Cup (1600m) on Sunday, but the staging of an international jockeys challenge at Kranji next Tuesday has indirectly come to his rescue.

Team South Africa made up of Lyle Hewitson, Muzi Yeni and Aldo Domeyer are one of four squads doing battle in the inaugural Premier Gateway International Jockeys Challenge, but decided it would be nice to have a warm-up meeting two days earlier.

With their availability at the Raffles Cup meeting, the Springbok trio along with Australia’s Hugh Bowman have certainly helped plug the current dearth of jockeys, mainly through suspensions.

Muzi Yeni

Besides Placais, Alan Munro, Ryan Curatolo and Azhar Ismail are also out on Sunday while the other 13 Raffles Cup runners had already been paired with a senior jockey.

With Bowman already snapped up by Lee Freedman on Circuit Land, Tan had to pick among the three South Africans, and admitted he had heard precious little about the trio before.

After doing some research and going with the recommendation of a few connections familiar with South African racing, he plumped for Yeni.

“It’s been a tough job looking for a jockey for Nova Strike,” said Tan.

“At first, we thought of Franco Da Silva, who rode here at the KRA (Korea Racing Authority) Trophy meeting, but he told us he couldn’t confirm. In the end, he is riding Countofmontecristo for Michael Clements, but I did give him a ride on My Win in race two.

“There weren’t many jockeys left here with so many of them suspended. And then, I heard about the four jockeys coming up for the Raffles Cup.

“I didn’t really know them, but after checking their records, we decided Muzi Yeni would be a good fit. Nova Strike needs a strong rider and we saw from some of his past race videos how strong he was.

“The owners and myself are very happy to have booked him on Nova Strike.”

A 10-time winner, the six-year-old chestnut Red Giant has drawn seven and is up against an armada of big guns in the first Leg of the Singapore Triple Crown series, such as Jupiter Gold, Debt Collector, Circuit Land, Elite Invincible, Clarton Super, Elite Excalibur, Mr Clint, Countofmontecristo, Preditor, all proven Group winners, not to mention a South African Group 1 winner in the impressive Noah From Goa.

From Singapore Turf Club

The Turffontein Inside track stages a low key nine race meeting tomorrow and there look to be one or two opportunities for punters.

In the first race over 1200m the most interesting runner is the first-timer three-year-old Elusive Fort colt, Monopolize, who is a half-brother to his Paul Peter-trained stablemate Maximizer. The latter is an imposing, front-running sort whose six wins, including a Listed race, range from 1400m to 1600m. Monopolize is described by Peter as a decent sort and he faces an uninspiring field so looks the one to side with. Sean Tarry’s first-timers can never be ignored and he introduces a colt by Pomodoro, who is proving to be an exciting sire. This colt is called Riga D’Ora and although costing only R60,000 he is out of a four-time winning Doowlay mare who is a half-sister to a stakes winner, so he could well be in the mix. The best of those to have run could be the improving Hartleyfour.

Gold Dawn (JC Photographics)

In the second race over 1200m Pink made a fair debut over this trip at the Vaal and horses from the Lucky Houdalakis yard invariably come on slowly but surely. Furthermore, she is drawn in pole and looks to have some pace. Fly Thought is an interesting first-timer and although she will need a lot further she could have the class to compete. She is by Philanthropist out of Grade 1 Paddock Stakes winner Badger’s Gift and she is a half-sister to two stakes-winning stayers.

In the third over 1600m Vega Vox is by the hitherto disappointing sire Noble Tune. However, the latter’s progeny should improve with age and over further so as she did well last time over 1400m she can improve again from a good draw over 1600m. The form of her last third place has been franked and she does not face an inspiring field. She looks hard to beat. Early Bird will relish the step up in trip as one who has a rangy action who plugged on debut. However, her wide draw makes it tough.

In the next race over 1600m Indy Ice looks a fair sort and was a touch unlucky last time over this. He will be hard to beat from a good draw, although Perfect Pursuit, who is a full brother to the SA Fillies Nursery winner King’s Temptress, has a nice action and could pose a threat over a step up in trip which might suit.

In the fifth, a handicap over 1600m, Gold Dawn is hard to beat on the form of her last race when close up in an Assessment Plate where she was way under sufferance. This Await The Dawn filly has always struck as one who would be progressive and she is now fulfilling that promise as a four-year-old.

In the sixth race over 1800m Skiminac came back from a layoff strengthened and improved and can follow up on that easy maiden win. However, Endofmarch has to be respected as one with decent form in the strongest centre of Cape Town. Aranjeuz is coming into his own and could also be involved.

In the seventh over 1450m Orapa once looked a promising sort in the making and he has his third run after a layoff over a step down in trip which will suit and off a mere 70 merit rating which is now attractive. This good looking Tiger Ridge gelding is made the value bet of the day. Rocky Night looks a fair sort and is the danger despite being a young three-year-old who has to run off a tough 85 merit rating. Melchizidek could represent good place value as a scopey sort who over raced last time after being slow away and rushed. This time he is well drawn and if he settles with cover he can earn.

The eighth is a tough race and punters should go as wide as possible.

The ninth sees the improved Mademoiselle going for a course and distance hattrick off just a two point higher mark than her last win. Her wide draw should not be a concern as she jumped from similar draws in her last two wins. Hear The Trumpet improved in third time blinkers to win her maiden well and from a plum draw could be thereabouts again.

By David Thiselton