For a kid out of the backwoods of the Eastern Cape and plucked out of a school in Cape Town, apprentice Khanya Sakayi has made the most of his opportunity at the South African Jockey Academy. He has hit a purple patch, the likes of which is the envy of all in the weighing room, including his seniors.

He scored his first three-timer at Scottsville a month back and since then has been getting them home regularly but going one better at Greyville yesterday as took his tally of wins to 28 with a winning four-timer.

Sakayi started by surviving an objection call on Sea Urchin in the Pinnacle Stakes. The protest was lodged by Mark Khan, rider of Royal Armour, who claimed interference in the latter stages.

Khanya Sakayi (Candiese Marnewick)

The protest didn’t faze seasoned rider and trainer Garth Puller who hardly blinked when put the question. “We came from behind that horse. I don’t think there was anything in it. It will be over-ruled in my opinion.”

He proved correct as Sea Urchin notched the fifth success of his career. “He’s seven-year-old but he’s brave and does his best. He fought his way through.”

The Yogas Govender-trained Lickerio was next up for Sakayi in the first of the three-race apprentice challenge races where Luke Ferraris looked to pinch a lead on Sentido. But Sakayi had plenty of horse under him and they went to the line unchallenged.

As he showed on Sea Urchin, not only is Sakayi tactically sound, but also a difficult man to master in a finish as he fought off all rivals on the favourite Itdawnedonme for owner, trainer Duncan Howells.

As if to confirm that opinion, Sakayi rounded off a superb afternoon as he out-duelled fellow apprentice Ferraris in a desperate finish to the last race on the diminutive filly Just Rap, fittingly for Puller and winning all three of the apprentice races.

Earlier, favourite for the third, Bulleting Home, was a tardy starter, unusual for a horse ridden by Anton Marcus, and from there on was never in the race.

Marcus was aboard favourite Sorceress in the previous event but his mount was under pressure early and never featured. In contrast, Sweet Mary Lou gave apprentice Ferraris a dream ride as she quickened up smartly in the straight to win as she liked. “I was a case of switching her off so that she would see out the mile, but she quickened very well,” said Ferraris.

Dennis Drier has more depth in his stable then probably all of his colleagues at Summerveld combined and he turned out another smart winner in the card opener as Holy Land put his opposition to the sword.

“I thought Dennis had lost it a bit,” quipped Nick Jonsson, tongue-in-cheek. “He kept on telling me that we have a nice horse here but he was not showing it on the racecourse.”

Gelding appears to have done the trick and Holy Land put it in all the way to the line yesterday.

“This horse was bought on sentiment,” said Jonsson. “He’s the great grandson of a smart filly that my father owned, Old Rituals. I saw the pedigree at the sales and just had to have him.”

Sometimes sentiment works in you favour. Mostly it doesn’t, but Holy Land appears to be one of the exceptions.

A smart tactical ride on Stelvio gave Drier the double as Sean Veale pinched the race at the top of the straight. Favourite O’Keeffe, bidding for a hat-trick, got going late but Stelvio stuck to her guns to narrowly hold the challenge.

Drier took the wraps off a smart filly at Scottsville on Wednesday with Golden Chance putting seven lengths over her rivals and Star In The Sky was equally impressive in the seventh. After two forward showings over shorter, the daughter of Silvano out of a Galileo mare, Star In The Sky was bred to go every metre of the 1900m maiden and she did it in style, leading the procession by six lengths from the luckless Little Audrey who in turn was three lengths clear of her nearest rival.

By Andrew Harrison

The South African Jockey Academy is the envy of world racing and on Sunday and the current crop of apprentices get to showcase their talents on the Greyville poly track.

Three races on the eight-race card, are exclusively for apprentice riders and Serino Moodley, who comes out of his time at the end of this year, could get the ball rolling aboard Garth Puller’s runner March Preview.

Puller’s yard is in mustard form of late and March Preview has shown up well in his two starts back from a lengthy break, blinkers seemingly the key to his recently improved performances. He should be at his peak come Sunday.

March Preview (Candiese Marnewick)

The biggest threat to his chances could come in the form of Lickerio. Yogas Govender’s gelding was a recent maiden winner but has shown early promise. The step up in trip should suit and apprentice Khanya Sakayi, who is riding with supreme confidence of late, takes a bonus 2.5kg off his back.

Sakayi has picked up a plum ride on Itdawnedonme for Duncan Howells in the Loving Life Stables Handicap and he could be hard to beat. Duncan Howells was confident of a big run last time out but Itdawnedonme found one to good on the day, run out of it late by Tommy Grand.

Itdawnedonme shed his maiden on the poly and given his last showing he rates a strong chance and a possible exotic bet banker.

The School of Management Excellence Handicap has a wide open look about it and it may prove prudent for punters to load up in this leg of the exotics.

O’Keeffe has taken to the poly track, winning her last two to remain unbeaten on the synthetic surface and she can go in again. But Andre Nel’s runner does give weight to the majority of the field. Lezeanne Forbes saddles the mare Tanami at the bottom of the handicap and she has shown up well in two outings since returning from a lengthy break. Mark Khan will be aboard again and Tanami must rate a big chance.

The Duncan Howells pair of Roy’s Vogue and Queen’s Plain are others to consider while Roy’s Stingray is a lightly raced import who has only been out of the money once in six outings and must also be a big runner.

Little Audrey and Star In The Sky should dominate the Investec Handicap where the form of the balance of the runners is not much to write home about. Little Audrey was a touch unlucky when going down to Purple And Gold last time out and has improved with every outing. However, Star In The Sky has given notice that she has a future after two prominent showings over shorter. She should take the step up in trip in her stride and Dennis Drier has declared blinkers.

The final event of the afternoon is another difficult handicap. Path To Glory is something of a course and distance specialist and although she ran out of luck when beaten last time out, she had previously reeled off a hat-trick of wins. Talented apprentice Ashton Arries retains the ride for Mike Miller. Girl In Gold, Breaking Barriers and Just Rap warrant serious consideration but it is a race where the advice is to load-up.

By Andrew Harrison

Olympian, so often the bridesmaid, can come up the aisle in front in the Supabets Pinnacle Stakes at Durbanville tomorrow.

The Vaughan Marshall seven-year-old has finished in the frame in all his five most recent starts, four of them Pinnacles, and he might have been bit closer last time had his rider not dropped his whip 100m out. Even so he has the beating of 11-2 stable companion Vincente on that run and he has already been backed from 15-4 to 28-10 favouritism.

Vaughan Marshall

If you ignore 33-10 shot Tevez, who has not been running up to his rating on his last two starts, there is only 3.5kg between the best in (Fifty Cents) and the worst (Cuban Emerald and Rock Of Africa). It is just possible that the country course will rejuvenate Tevez but that is not something you would want to stake much on.

Fifty Cents (33-10) ran well in a 1 000m Pinnacle in June but he is more of a 1 400m/mile horse while 17-2 chance Rock Of Africa is suited by this trip and has been running well in Durban.

Horizon, who needs further and has been off for seven months, has understandably drifted from 7-1 to 11-1 while stable companion Bernie, disappointing over a mile last time, looks too short at 5-1.

Trippi’s Express divided the highly rated Pleasedtomeetyou and last Saturday’s impressive winner Trip To The Sky in that hot Kenilworth maiden four weeks ago and looks nailed on for the opener. Unfortunately the bookies take the same view and World Sports Betting has already shortened him from 15-20 to 6-10.

Green Jacket was fourth in that Kenilworth race, only three-quarters of a length behind Trip To The Sky despite losing ground at the start. The 7-2 chance looks best in race two, or at least he would but for being drawn one from the outside.

That is normally the kiss of death over 1 400m on this course but, curiously, all the other major form fancies have also been hit with bad draws – notably All In Line, Run To Denmark and Nao Faz Mal. Just about the only one with some sort of form chance who is drawn well is 7-1 shot St Vladimir.

Nastergal stands out in the Tabonline Maiden. True, she is drawn 11 but that shouldn’t be a problem with Anton Marcus on her back. Marcus has only one other ride and it’s not a Ridgemont horse. Mike Stewart has obviously been at his most persuasive but it could pay to go for Icon King in the Betting World Handicap, particularly at 13-2.

• Michael Clower’s selections at the last 11 Cape Town meetings are showing a profit of R223.60 to a R10 level stake.

By Michael Clower

The rescheduled Grade 3 Spring Spree Stakes over 1200m is the main race tomorrow on the Turffontein Inside track and it is a typically competitive sprint handicap.

Splendid Garden has proven his current merit rating is competitive. This seven-year-old by Black Minnaloushe is a half-brother to Soft Falling Rain and he over raced last time early on when the jockey restrained him from a wide draw over 1400m. Therefore, he should appreciate the step down in trip and in fact his last win was over this course and distance. He is off a three point higher merit rating now but he was drawn 12 out of 12 in that win and now has a plum draw of three.

Splendid Garden (JC Photographics)

Chimichuri Run is highly regarded and showed his class last time when cruising home in the Grade 3 Umkhomazi Stakes over this trip at Greyville. It does not matter how good they are destined to become, early season three-year-olds running off high merit ratings generally battle to beat toughened older horses and his merit rating is 108. However, he should still go close as it is not a vintage line up and he is well drawn.

Angel’s Power was runner up last year, albeit from a better draw than this wide one of 12. If the six point raise given to all horses in March is taken into account he is effectively five points lower this year and should be staying on. Talktothestars is a former Equus Champion Sprinter and is known for his toughness, so he might well have benefited from his six month layoff and can’t be ignored jumping from pole position, despite a tailing off of form in his last few starts.

Clever Guy won well from the front last time over 1000m with blinkers on and this might be the key to him. The blinkers stay on and he has a chance if able to find a handy position without using up too much energy from his wide draw. Tar Heel had a lot of pace in his heyday and should have come on from his last start, which followed a five-and-a-half month layoff, so he can make his presence felt from a good draw off a competitive merit rating. Premier Show is not finding his current merit rating easy although he could earn.

Mujallad has a wide draw and is off a tough merit rating but he should be staying on and could earn. Finchatton has a tough draw and it will be tough as he would likely prefer further. Wrecking Ball has a lot of pace but is usually found wanting in the closing stages. Mrs. O has come into her own but won’t find it easy against the boys. Just As I Said has pace but will find it tough returning from a three month layoff from a wide draw.

The first leg of the Pick 6 is a minor feature, The Non-Black Type Ladies Stakes over 1200m, and the promising Pretty Penny is the one to beat. She cruised in last time by 4,75 lengths over this trip. She was given the maximum eight point raise for that last win and looks to be running off a capped rating.

In the second leg over 1600m Bronx Bomber looks to be a promising sort and will relish the step up in trip so is the one to beat from a fair draw. Wonderous Climber and Volcanic Sunset are both well drawn and distance suited and have shown ability before so look to be the dangers.

In the next leg Shelly was a touch unlucky last time over course and distance and is well drawn again, but it’s a wide open event.

In the eighth race Unagi loves the course and distance and is the tip to beat the progressive Puget Sound.

The last leg of the Pick 6 is tricky but Goodness Me goes well for Piere Strydom so can beat the talented newcomer Afrostar and Believe Me.

By David Thiselton

Tevez, a beaten favourite or joint favourite in his last two runs, again heads the market at Durbanville on Saturday.

The nine-year-old has been installed 3-1 for the Supabets Pinnacle Stakes with World Sports Betting which goes 7-2 Fifty Cents, 15-4 Olympian, 9-2 Bernie, 5-1 Vincente, 7-1 Horizon, 8-1 Rock Of Africa, 25-1 Cuban Emerald.

Candice Bass-Robinson, trainer of Tevez, has two other favourites on the eight-race card: Nastergal (2-1 in race three) and Meraki who is 3-1 in race four. Brett Crawford also has three favourites: Trippi’s Express who is odds-on at 15-20 in the first, Gimme One Night 2-1 in race five and debut second Vascostreettractor who is 11-10 in the finale.

By Michael Clower