Four-time champion Anton Marcus, for so long first jockey to Markus Jooste and his Mayfair Speculators team, will be retained by Ridgemont from the start of next season. The expanding operation already retains Greg Cheyne whose contract will be continued.

Ridgemont’s Craig Kieswetter, still best known for his cricketing prowess- he was a member of England’s T20 team until injury ended his career, said: “Bringing Anton on board is another step in the right direction. We have an exciting crop of young horses entering the training yards and having both Anton and Greg on our team provides us with invaluable experience and expertise.”

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: Anton Marcus (Liesl King)

The prolific-scoring Brave Move warmed up for her showdown with Fresnaye in the Final Fling Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday with an impressive piece of work yesterday.

Adam Marcus said: “It was her final work before the race. She went beautifully and I couldn’t be happier with her.”

Aldo Domeyer’s mount has been installed 11-10 favourite with World Sports Betting which has Fresnaye on 22-10. The latter’s stable companion Dynasty’s Blossom is on 5-1 and it’s 10-1 and upwards others.

By Michael Clower

Scottsville is a happy hunting ground for Summerveld-based Mark Dixon and he went home a contented man after scoring a treble that could so easily have been a four-timer yesterday.

Galaxy Tunes upset in the card opener as the gelding fought out a tight finish with stable companion and long-time leader Peacock Alley with short-priced favourite Kingdom Come a disappointing fourth.

Kingdom Come was reported to have got his tongue over the bit so he is sure to make amends.

Galaxy Tunes (Candiese Marnewick)

Galaxy Tunes was bred by Nothemba Nlonzi who has a fledgling stud outside of Howick in the KZN Midlands and is slowly gathering a band of choice bred mares.

Dixon missed out on a quick double as the Belinda Impey-trained Swift Move out-gunned Asiana in the second, but a more satisfying win came in the fourth were the ever-game Isingamoya out-pointed a tough Pinnacle Stakes field, scraping home ahead of Anneline and an ever game Lunar Rush.

Unbeaten since being tried in blinkers, this was the mare’s eighth win. “She’s bloody game,” said Dixon while singing the praises of jockey Brandon Lerena. “He really gets behind them,” he said. “I don’t know why more people don’t use him.”

Dixon rounded off a fine afternoon’s work as Admiral’s Guest got the better of Captain Courteous in the seventh.

In a sport where all are quick to criticise without first confirming the facts, it was heartening to see the jockeys come to the party after a ‘sink-hole’ was fortunately discovered at around the 1500m mark before the first race.

Peacock Alley stepped into the hole while circling behind the gate and Brandon Lerena reported it to the relevant authorities.

After an inspection by jockey representative Warren Kennedy, the area was cordoned off and the meeting continued without further incident.

Initial inspection of the area indicated termites having attacked the grass root system but the track will be thoroughly inspected before the next meeting.

By Andrew Harrison

The Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600m represents a chance for a banker in the Pick 6 at Saturday’s big Gold Cup meeting as it all points to Soqrat.

The Australian-bred colt has a big reputation and ran on well for a narrow second in a strong Grade 1 Golden Horseshoe field over 1400m. He is now drawn in pole and is odds on favourite in the ante-post market. On the close up pedigree there must be a stamina doubt as his sire Epaulette won two Group 1s and a Group 3 over 1400m and his dam by Hussonet was kept to sprints and won one over 1000m and one over 1200m. However, Epaulette did finish third in a Group 1 in his only attempt at a mile and Soqrat’s dam is a three-quarters sister to a Group 2 winner over 1500m. Soqrat certainly ran all the way to the line in the Golden Horseshoe and has a nice length of stride and also appears to have a good temperament.

Soqrat (JC Photographics)

Stablemate Alyaasaat is of the progressive sort Mike de Kock excels with and having thrashed a field of moderate older maidens last time he will enjoy this step up in trip, but does have a tricky draw.

Cirillo showed a good turn of foot at Turffontein Standside over 1400m on July day and won comfortably. His dam was a maiden by sprinter Lake Conistion, but his sire, the July winner Pomodoro, should provide him with the necessary stamina. He relaxes well in the running but his draw of ten is tricky.

Twist Of Fate, an impressive specimen by Master Of My Fate, showed a fine turn of foot in the Somerset Stakes over 1200m at Kenilworth in early May, He did the same in the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion at Scottsville but his effort then petered out and he was not persevered with. His dam by Counteraction won a Listed race over this trip so he should stay and he has a nice middle draw of seven.

Crown Guardian also showed a good turn of foot from behind in the Somerset but was beaten 3,2 lengths by Twist Of Fate, despite receiving 2kg. However, he then stayed on well in the Golden Horseshoe after being held up from a wide draw and, finishing fourth, was only four lengths behind Soqrat. He now has a good draw of five and this Gimmethegreenlight colt will enjoy the step up in trip.

Master Thief by Just As Well won his maiden well from the front over this trip at Scottsville and with Strydom up from a draw of six can’t be discounted as that was a fair field he beat and the time was good.

Confessional plugged on gamely in the Golden Horeshoe but was beaten eight lengths by Soqrat and four lengths by Crown Guardian.

Bold Eagle needed his last run over 1400m when beaten 5,9 lengths by Cirillo over 1400m. He was giving the latter 4kg and on pedigree will relish this step up in trip. However, he has a tough draw to overcome and Cirillo did win that last race with ease.

Checkpoint Charlie by Brave Tin Soldier is an impressive specimen and won very well over 1400m on the poly. He showed speed that day, not surprisingly as he is out of a Grade 3-winning sprinter by Muhtafal. However, he is a half-brother to a horse who won twice over this trip so he could go to the front from a wide draw and is one of the dark horses.

Cyber Special was beaten 4,2 lengths by Soqrat over 1400m last time. He has a tough task here as Soqrat toyed with them that day.

Play Another Tune and Ovation Award have tough tasks on formlines, considering how easily the subsequent Golden Horseshoe winner Barahin won the Gatecrasher Stakes.

Whitehaven wore down the opposition to win over 1200m last time and should stay the trip. On 1200m form he is alongside Alyaasaat but the latter looks to have more scope for improvement.

The more one looks at this race the more Soqrat stands out as top class and he is going to be hard to beat. Cirillo, Crown Guardian and Alyaasaat should be thereabouts and the dark horse is Checkpoint Charlie.

By David Thiselton

Unbeaten since Mark Dixon decided on blinkers, Isingamoya returns to what is arguably her best course and distance when she lines up in the Pinnacle Stakes at Scottsville today.

The mare will be bidding for the eight victory of her career, five of which have been over course and distance and under the conditions of the race, is fairly favourably weighted.

She shows tremendous pace and plenty of intestinal fortitude as she displayed when holding off the attentions of Kiteecador on the Greyville poly last time out.

She appears much better suited to the turf track and Scottsville in particular and although she faces some seriously talent opposition, she has a lot in her favour.

Lunar Rush

The dangers are many but Lunar Rush, Too Phat To Fly and Statute look the most likely threats.

Lunar Rush has done her connections proud as victory today will see her earnings breech the R1 million mark. She is just below top class as her recent form suggests but Duncan Howells has been astute in picking her races and although she will shoulder top weight, her last win came at the expense of Isingamoya back in September last year.

Young apprentice Luke Ferraris has got his fledgling career off to a flying start and came within one race of riding the jackpot at Turffontein last Saturday. He partners Too Phat Too Fly for Glen Kotzen but will only be allowed to claim 2.5kg.

She was running on strongly in the recent Post Merchants, finishing three lengths off the winner Sniper Shot who is one of the fancied runners in Saturday’s Gr1 Mercury Sprint.

The lightly raced Statute has had a bit of and in-and-out career so far but she has twice won convincingly over course and distance. She is obviously talented and looks to be over her preferred course and distance.

Ferraris will be aboard Cumulus in the opening leg of the Pick 6 and Nathan Kotzen’s charge should make a bod bid. The gelding has yet to run a bad race and was just in need of his last outing when two lengths back to Unbelievable Lad. The latter is again in opposition but is now 2.5kg worse off at the weights, taking the apprentice allowance into consideration.

A bigger threat could be Amazon King who was a neck behind Unbelievable Lad in the same race and appears to have found his better form in blinkers.

Silvan Saint is due a change of luck in the fifth after finishing close-up in his last two outings where he started favourite. He has a plum draw and is taken to get home ahead of the giant Haddington and the temperamental filly High Altar who put her best foot forward to win last time out.

Rio De La Plata takes a drop in class in the sixth where he is way better than his last effort after finding traffic and can do better here. Season trainer Ormond Ferraris is giving his grandson Luke plenty of opportunities and American Indian makes the trip after finishing second in a strong handicap field at Turffontein and looks a serious threat.

Trojan Harbour and Baltic Amber have been scratched from the seventh where Captain Courteous can make amends from being a beaten favourite last run. Justin Snaith’s runner only got going late in that race and he can do better over this extended trip. The Ferraris’s team up again with Shogun who was an easy winner on the Highveld last time out. With a light weight from a good draw he can make it tough for Captain Courteous.

By Andrew Harrison