It is aiming for as high a ratio of winners to runners as possible and this is standing at 28% following Kenilworth on Saturday when Saltire narrowly justified favouritism in the opener.

Manager Craig Carey explained: “We put the trainers under no pressure to run and we make a lot of use of chiropractors and physios [to ensure the horses are right when they do so].”

Talk Of The Town (Liesl King)

To make things simpler for all concerned, and to enable them to monitor the strike rate, all the runners now race under the joint banner of ‘C & R Kieswetter & Ridgemont Racing.’ The fillies race in the dark green, blue sleeve colours while the male horses carry the dark blue, white crosses made famous by Whisky Baron.

Aldo Domeyer, on 37 winners after a Candice Bass-Robinson double, has shorted from 28-1 to 20-1 for the championship but, at the start of yesterday, he was five behind current champion Anthony Delpech (3-1) and seven adrift of leader Lile Hewitson who is a 9-2 chance with World Sports Betting. Gavin Lerena remains favourite at 13-10.

Also in double form were Paul Reeves and wife Charmaine who celebrated their 29^th wedding anniversary a day early by winning the last two races with Saint Donan and Sunshine Lady.

The former was winner number 43 for Akshay Balloo who finishes his apprenticeship next month and faces a decision on whether to stay in South Africa or return to his native Mauritius.

Joey Ramsden, the father of three daughters with the arrival of Ruby, struck with Talk Of The Town on whom Bernard Fayd’Herbe scored convincingly in the Betting World Maiden.

Ramsden said: “His first run was smashing but I possibly ran him back a bit quick last time. I thought he did well to shrug off Risky Rambo who never left him alone.”

The stipes ordered a veterinary examination on Know The Ropes after the day’ s supposed good thing finished last but one behind 17-1 rank outsider Wedgwood in the Supabets Handicap. Nothing showed up but the filly lost valuable ground coming out of the pens and never fired.

By Michael Clower

Relying on charity when riding in a horse race is tantamount to sporting suicide as Anthony Delpech found out to his cost aboard favourite First Crusade in the Business Woman’s Association Maiden Plate at Greyville yesterday.

Anthony Delpech (Liesl King)

Social media was fired up over the ride, basically accusing Delpech of negligence, but in fairness to the champion jockey it was a case of dammed if you do and damn if you don’t.

Arch rival Anton Marcus has a grin all over his chops as he steered Lucky Veil over the line for Ivan and Darrel Moore, more because he has persuaded the grandfather and grandson combination to run the gelding rather than having put one over arch rival Delpech.

“I didn’t want to run the horse from a wide draw,” said Moore the younger post-race, “but Anton persuaded me. He’s a master at what he does.”

However, it may have all turned out differently had Muzi Yeni had let Delpech through a tight gap. It was there for the taking a furlong-and-a-half out but Yeni’s mount rolled out, shutting the door on Delpech who was sitting with the proverbial handful on the favourite.

By the time Yeni had switched his stick and rolled back on a straight course, it was a case of race-over for First Crusade who cut the deficit to a neck at the line that came four jumps too soon.

The stipendiary stewards called for a race review but First Crusade was victim of circumstance rather than any wrong doing on the part of Yeni which was how the stipes viewed the incident .

Delpech was booked off after the race and Stuart Randolph took full toll as he steered Gadget Man to a comfortable victory in the Mitras Amenities Handicap for Dean Kannemeyer whose horses have come to hand with a vengeance of late.

Meet The Logans looked the best bet on the card and duly obliged with a bloodless victory in the card opener but Liberty Market brought all back to earth as she obliged for Pat Lunn at her 42^nd time of asking in what quite frankly was a desperate maiden.

By Andrew Harrison

Argentinian Gr1 Guineas winner Hat Puntano was being written off as a lemon after fluffing his lines on his local debut but a change of bit made all the difference.

“Horse make fools of every one but today he showed his true worth,” commented an emotional Mike Azzie after the colt silenced his critics with a stunning victory in the Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile at Turffontein yesterday.

Azzie gave all the credit to Bomber Nel, who specialises in making bits for horses.

Mike Azzie

“He (Hat Puntano) was always hanging and giving us a hard time,” said Azzie. There was plenty of advice from all sides but Azzie eventually called in Nel who spent two days in his yard working with the colt. “He said we were racing him in the wrong bit and training him in the wrong bit. When we changed on Bomber’s advice, the horse settled and started running straight.”

Carrying joint top weight with race favourite New Predator and ridden by Cape jockey Grant van Niekerk, the colt got his mind on the job and gave notice that he will be a contender for the Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and possibly the Gr1 Sun Met.

Earlier Via Seattle put a major spanner in the exotics.

“I’m racing here with a few of my mates and we never even put her in the Pick 6,” confessed part owner Braam van Huyssteen after Port Elizabeth raider put the skids under a high-class field of fillies in the Gr3 Princess Charlene Starling Stakes. “You hope but you don’t really believe,” he said of the 66-1 outsider who was given a copybook ride by apprentice Lyle Hewitson.

Hewitson, who has replaced Anton Marcus in the South African team for the Jockey’s International Challenge, showed just why he cracked the nod.

He sat comfortably off the pace before making his move as Folk Dance and Silver Thursday battled it out for the lead. Just as Folk Dance gained the upper hand in that duel, Hewitson slipped Via Seattle up the inside fence to win going away.

Purple Diamond

Big Bear, one of a trio saddled by Sean Tarry in the Chris van Niekerk silks in the R2.5 million Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup, underlined his credentials with a smart victory over the game filly Brave Mary.

It was possibly one of the strongest Ready To Run fields in the history of the race with Brave Mary a Gr1 winner and Purple Diamond a Gr2 winner on July day in the line-up.

Big Bear, prominent throughout as stable companion Wonderwall cut out the early fractions, kept finding to win impressively, his third victory from just four starts.

Bred by Summerhill Stud, whose boss Mick Goss pioneered the Ready To Run concept in South Africa, Big Bear has a stout pedigree that should stand him in good stead if Tarry decides to chase the Triple Crown.

By Andrew Harrison

Know The Ropes can make it four off the reel and give weight all round in the Supabets Handicap at Kenilworth tomorrow.

The Andre Nel four-year-old has shrugged aside problems to go from strength to strength this season and last time she led over a furlong out to win by two and a quarter lengths quite comfortably. Indeed she won in the manner of a horse that will follow up next time even though the handicapper has raised her up six points.

Andre Nel

“I thought that was a bit harsh,” says Andre Nel. “She is unsound but she ploughs through that and I think she can win again.”

She has been installed 2-1 favourite with World Sports Betting but she has some stiff opposition to contend with, notably 4-1 chance Sequined who was only beaten three and a half lengths when seventh in a good progress plate at Durbanville last time. Those who finished immediately in front of her included Magical Wonderland, Rose In Bloom, Too Phat To Fly and Oh Susanna who occupied four of the first five places in last Saturday’s Western Cape Fillies Championship.

Then there is Still I Rise (5-2) who was good enough to win first time even though she swished her tail each time her rider touched her with his whip. She subsequently refused to load in the Durbanville handicap won by Lindleys Lane (5-1) who is weighted to confirm the placings with Rings And Things (13-2) and Double Black (7-2).

Wedgwood was beaten almost four lengths by Know The Ropes last time but is 4.5kg better so the Woodruff mare could go quite close despite her 16-1 price.

Flower Of Carmel was only just over a length behind the more experienced Saltire on debut so you would expect Aldo Domeyer’s mount to reverse the placings in race one but Brett Crawford’s horses are in great form so Saltire is taken to win.

Whatever their fortunes in the opener Domeyer and Candice Bass-Robinson should win the next with What A Winner even though the three newcomers are also from top stables and therefore command respect.

Finally Emerald Gal could be worth a few rand each way in the last, particularly if she starts anywhere near her present 8-1. She flopped at Durbanville last time and was found to be coughing but she made the frame six times on the trot before that.

“A lot of horses cough at this time of year when there is a high pollen count,” says Dan Katz. “Also she didn’t like Durbanville but this is the right race for her and I think you will see the form she showed previously.”

By Michael Clower

It is one of Turffontein Standside’s big race days on Saturday and punters will be looking to capture a slice of the big exotic pools.

The Grade 2 R1 million Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile is the headliner and New Predator could retain his crown.

New Predator

Last year he finished close up in the Jo’burg Spring Challenge in his pipe-opener and has done the same going into this year’s race. He is off a six point higher merit rating this season and has to carry topweight of 61kg, as opposed to 58,5kg last year. However, this year’s field is not nearly as star studded as it was last year and he jumps from a plum draw. He wore blinkers in his penultimate start in the Grade 1 weight for age Mercury Sprint over 1200m at Greyville and this allowed him to be up with the pace from the off before staying on for an excellent 1,1 length third. However, he has never worn them before over this trip, so them being declared it is a slight concern. However, his regular pilot Gavin Lerena should be able to keep him settled. Bella Sonata is also full of class and can be switched on and off, so she should be able to overcome her wide draw. On a line through Bela-Bela there is very little between her and New Predator.

The officially worst weighted horse in the race is Social Order, who is 4,5kg under sufferance. However, he caught the eye flying home after encountering severe traffic problems in the Grand Heritage and was not suited to the tight Inside track last time over 1600m. He will relish the Standside track with its long straight and has a plum draw under national log-leading jockey Lyle Hewitson. Hermoso Mundo has class and can use his big action to pass horses in the straight running fresh over a trip short of his best. The joint topweight Hat Puntano won two Grade 1s over a mile as a two-year-old in Argentina in the first half of last year and nothing went right for him in his SA debut, so he can be given another chance. Classify sneaks into the handicap with bottom weight and looks likely to relish the course and distance. Go Direct is capable of a strong finish and will be coming into his own being by Go Deputy.

Mac De Lago

French Navy, Mac De Lago and Tilbury Fort have the class to be involved, but all are making their seasonal reappearances. Irish Pride also has some class and is now one point lower in the merit ratings than his last win. Tahini stayed on well for third in the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes over course and distance and can’t be ignored. Finchatton looks a touch high in the merit ratings. The 2014 winner Bezanova has his third run after a layoff and has pole position. Forest Fox would prefer 1400m and Top Shot has a tough task at the weights.

They are selected in the order mentioned.

Big Bear is the selection for the R2,5 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup over 1400m. He impressed last time over 1450m on the Inside track and this big, galloping, progressive type will prefer this track and has a good draw. Surcharge has been most impressive in his last two starts over this trip at the Vaal, but is drawn 17 in his first start around the turn. Takingthepeace has shown a fine turn of foot in sprints and should enjoy the step up in trip. Wonderwall is best in at the weights on official merit ratings but will find it tough from a wide draw in fast going considering his front-running to handy style. Tammany Hall is a progressive galloper who should stay on resolutely from a draw of two. Purple Diamond has his seasonal reappearance but is a Grade 2 winner over this trip. Vicomte is an eye-catchingly long-strider and is the dark horse.

In the Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m Hakeem has caught the eye before and will relish the course and distance, although Flying Free, Galactic Warrior, Zen Arcade and Kahal’s Legacy also have the class to contest the finish and Missouri is a dark horse.

By David Thiselton