The Highveld Hawks retained the Rider Cup at Greyville yesterday as their team of Muzi Yeni, Raymond Danielson, Craig Zackey and Ryan Munger edged out the Cape Eagles – the last leg of the Cup proving crucial.

Cape Eagles rider Aldo Domeyer almost snatched it for the Western Cape team as he brought home Miss Ferris with a telling late run to win the final leg of the challenge, but Ryan Munger’s second place ensured a win for the Hawks who were also victorious last year.

But it was not all doom and gloom for the Cape Eagles as Domeyer, with two victories, finishing well clear of his two closest rivals, Warren Kennedy of the KZN Falcons and Muzi Yeni of the Highveld Hawks.

It was also an afternoon where the smaller Ashburton-based yards held sway in the Cup races with all of Lola Crawford, Paul Gadsby and Julie Dittmer supplying the ammunition.

Domeyer kicked off his Cup quest with a fine win aboard the Tony Rivalland-trained Show Me Your Rosie before stand-in rider Raymond Danielson scooted home on the Crawford-trained Silver Cent. Danielson was a late replacement for Lyle Hewiston who was injured in a fall at Fairview on Friday.

Keagan de Melo was on the board for the KZN Falcons in the third leg of the Cup, getting home aboard Paul Gadsby’s filly Expresso Martini to deny Greg Cheyne on Into The Groove.

The competition was still anyone’s call come the final leg of the Cup but Miss Ferris was not to be denied and she finished with a wet sail to seal the Victor Ludorum for Domeyer.

The lightly raced Love To Boogie may not be off to stud as yet but Andre Nel’s filly ran out a comfortable winner of the (Listed) Off To Stud Stakes that was the feature race of the afternoon. She kept on strongly under Domeyer to hold off the attentions of Final Judgement and Heaps Of Fun.

It was a profitable weekend for Domeyer who returned to Cape Town with a further three winners to his brace on Saturday and a season’s tally of 124 winners.

By Andrew Harrison

Turffontein Inside stages a low key nine race meeting tomorrow and the best way to go appears to be the exotics.

In the first leg of the PA over 1200m Rocky Night has a good draw over a step down in trip which should suit and this scopey gelding by Seventh Rock has a chance in his second start for the Ashley Fortune yard. He only beat his stable companion Winter Storm narrowly over this trip at the Vaal on May and the latter was making his debut that day and showed pace so is likely to have come on from the run.

Winter Storm has a nice big action, so was not surprisingly sent over 1400m last time and he once again showed good pace but didn’t find any extra, so is back to 1200m. There will not be much in it but Rocky Night is selected due to the better draw as Winter Storm has to jump from draw six. Gunston does not have as much scope as the former pair but does have a lot of pace and sticks to his task so he warrants consideration especially with Hewitson now up. However, his draw of eight is going to be against him.

The first leg of the Pick 6 delivered a surprise last weekend over a staying trip and this week the 2000m event could do the same so the suggestion is to include the numbers 1,2,3,4,5, and 6, all who of whom could have a case made for them.  Stormbourne Thunder went close over 2400m last time and now has blinkers on over 2000m with Hewitson keeping the ride so she can be included in the PA along with Lana Turner, a scopey sort who was closing late in that aforementioned 2400m race and was only beaten half-a-length by Stormbourne Thunder.

In the first leg of the Jackpot over 1800m Jet Start has 4kg claimer Luke Ferraris up from a plum draw over an ideal trip and looks to be the one to beat. Invincible Lady is an up and coming sort and has a good draw over a step up in trip she will relish being by Captain Al out of Jet Master SA Oaks runner up First Power who has produced the useful stayer Jay Power. New Zealand looks to have been given a lenient 73 merit rating after her hard-knocking maiden form culminated in a 7,75 length win over 2000m in a workrider’s maiden. She has regular pilot Hewitson up but does have another wide draw to overcome. Gottalottaluv has a touch of class and has Strydom up over an ideal trip although she also has a wide draw. Emerald Bay can’t be ignored over a suitable trip.

In the sixth race over 1200m the up the progressive Copper Jay can follow up on his last win being just three points higher, but he does have a tricky draw to overcome. Concealed Spirit is drawn well off a one point lower mark and will be staying on strongly. Vulcan is interesting running fresh with first time blinkers on from pole position as he has plenty of natural speed and stays further.

Dame Kelly looks the one to beat in the next with Ferraris up over an ideal course and distance. The talented Make Me Happy bounced back last time and has a plum draw.

The eight race over 1450m is a minefield but the principles should be O Lucky Man, Kings Cup, Lock Him Up, Front Rank and Starcraft Prince.

In the last race over 1450m Hungry Heart stands out but ran yesterday (Thursday) and Norland is the other eye catcher but has a tough draw. Hideaway is well dawn but has a stamina doubt. Therefore it could pan out well for the well drawn pair King And Empire and Nottingham Forest, who have dropped down to competitive marks.

By David Thiselton

Tevez should make it win number ten when the gallant eight-year-old races for the 48^th time at Kenilworth tomorrow.

On paper at any rate he has a straightforward task in the Lyall Morgan & Associates Pinnacle Stakes. With the exception of Milton (who would prefer further) he has a minimum of 5.5kg – or four lengths – in hand on ratings and he showed his wellbeing by producing a devastating burst of acceleration to take a similar race over a furlong less five weeks ago. He should be suited by the extra and he is drawn on the faster side of the course

Aldo Domeyer

Regular partner Aldo Domeyer, who preferred third-placed Dutch Philip last time, regains the ride from Bernard Fayd’Herbe and both the betting and that last run suggests that 33-10 chance Nasty Harry could be the main threat to the 19-10 favourite.

Corne Orffer’s mount was beaten a length and a quarter that day but he renews rivalry on the same terms and there seems no logical reason why he should reverse the placings.

Milton (17-2) is a smart sort who frequently makes the frame. His fondness for making the running suggests he just might have enough speed for this but, significantly, he has not raced over such a short distance this season or last.

Olympian (6-1) was beaten a length and a half when fourth on these terms in last month’s Pinnacle and you could argue that he is marginally better suited to this distance. Valbonne (17-2) narrowly won a handicap over course and distance last time but has a fair bit to do at the weights.

However the intriguing one is 15-2 shot Power Grid. The four-year-old’s unfortunate deformity doesn’t stop him galloping and he has managed to win five of his 20 starts including a handicap under top weight over this distance only a week ago.

He has been a bit in-and-out at times but Andries Steyn believes that this is because he always wants to race near the inside rail. When he is not drawn on that side he hangs towards it. Significantly he was drawn one last Saturday and he again has the inside berth here.

Ready To Rumble is short enough at 6-10 in the opening Craig International Work Riders’ Maiden but the Carl Burger-Riaan van Reenen colt is hard to oppose.

Elusive Trader may just confirm previous form with the consistent Shadowing in the CK Coachworks Motor Group Maiden, Captain Of Tortuga should land the odds in the Guthrie. Colananni Attorneys Maiden and Miss Plumcake makes most appeal in the Holland Insurance Maiden.

By Michael Clower

Pearl Glow can get back on the winning trail when she lines up for the fifth at Greyville this evening, the meeting rescheduled from Wednesday because of a combination of rain and a blocked highway.

This will be her third outing back since a three-month break and should strip pretty much at her peak which should be enough for her to master this field.

Relatively lightly raced, Pearl Glow looked to be going places after winning first up out of the maidens and following up with a close second to the useful Ideal Winter.

Pearl Glow (Candiese Marnewick)

Sent out favourite for her next start at Scottsville, she disappointed behind Parabola after which she was examined by the vet and subsequently rested for three months.

Dean Kannemeyer has brought her back slowly and from an ideal draw should make her presence felt.

With less than a fortnight to run to the end of the season, Dennis Drier has his nose in front of perennial rival Duncan Howells for the KZN Trainer’s Championship and will be looking to extend his seven-winner lead with Breaking Barriers who could prove the biggest threat to Pearl Glow.

The change of dates put paid to Fabian Habib’s first KZN raid, all three of his intended runners scratched, including Jubilee Line, likely favourite for the sixth.

Jubilee Line’s defection has left the way clear for Brighteyebushytail and a chance for Howells to keep the pressure on Drier. The stable holds the lightly raced Dynasty gelding in high regard but he does have his problems as can be deduced by the seven months off since his last start.

He trialled well enough behind Wednesday’s winner Double ‘O’ Eight and will much prefer this trip. Fit and well he could prove more than a match for the opposition. If not, then things get tricky.

Gunner rounded off his three-year-old career with victory in the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes to give first season sire Gimmethegreenlight his first stakes winner.

It has been tough going since as he has not managed to fins the winner’s enclosure since that day, almost a year ago.

Paul Gadsby was hopeful of Gunner breaking his seasons duck last time out but Gunner was left with too much leeway to make up and was beaten into third behind the front-running Savuti.

Savuti is in opposition again today but is 1.5kg worse off and unlikely to be given a soft lead.

Sean Tarry sends out Riptide in the seventh and with apprentice Lyle Hewitson riding with supreme confidence of late, this could be another winner added to an already impressive total.

Riptide was touched off in a 1200m sprint last time out. She steps up to a mile this time around but does have a plum draw and highest rated runner Silver Prancer a non-starter.

Biggest danger could be Bold Beauty who had the worst of the draw last time out and looking set to make big improvement.

By Andrew Harrison

Dual Cape Merchants winner Tevez has been installed 19-10 favourite to follow up last month’s Pinnacle Stakes success in the Lyall Morgan & Associates Pinnacle at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Nasty Harry, beaten a length and a quarter by Tevez last time, is 33-10 second favourite with World Sports Betting which goes 6-1 Olympian and 7-1 Power Grid who beat Tevez in this race 12 months ago. Premier Trophy winner Milton is an 8-1 chance.

Aldo Domeyer, who regains the ride on Tevez from Bernard Fayd’Herbe, rides two other favourites on the card – Elusive Trader (race two) and Strawberry Fire (eight).

The early betting suggests that he and Richard Fourie could dominate as the latter also rides three favourites – Captain Of Tortuga (odds-on in race three), Sommersonne (four) and Hotel Cipriani in race five.

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: Tevez (Liesl King)