There were angry scenes in the weighing room at Kenilworth on Saturday when several senior jockeys refused to ride – and accusations of intimidation when junior riders, booked to take their place, reneged on their commitments.

Rain started to come down about an hour before racing and continued, almost unabated, for the rest of the afternoon. After half the ten races had been run a delegation of jockeys went to the stipes and said the course was unsafe.

“The riders protested in the presence of trainers but an initial decision was made to continue the meeting,” said Nick Shearer, acting senior stipe and himself a former jockey. “We did our best to keep it going but the vast majority of jockeys were of the opinion that the track was unsafe and so the rest of the meeting was then abandoned.”

Those attempting to keep the show on the road included fellow stipe Cecil van As and apprentice riding master Terrance Welch who booked less established riders to replace the big names – no easy task when trainers had also to be consulted. But their efforts were thwarted when a number of those accepting rides announced that they had changed their minds after returning from the jockeys’ inner sanctum – and a presumably hostile reception.

A few of the trainers promptly gave vent to their annoyance, and it is easy to understand why. Getting a horse ready for a race takes weeks, if not months, of hard work and to have it thwarted by the last man in the chain must be infuriating. They were faced with replanning everything and explaining to the owners footing the bill that it could be many weeks before there is another suitable race.

Jockeys refusing to ride when conditions underfoot turn nasty is nothing new in Cape Town even though, curiously, it is much rarer in the wetter parts of Europe where they frequently ride on atrocious ground.

That said, it is the jockeys whose necks are on the line and who are in the best position to judge whether the weather and the ground are making their job even more dangerous than usual. Riding a highly strung thoroughbred at speeds of up to 60 kilometres an hour calls for guts of a special kind and, if jockeys believe that conditions are increasing their chances of being pitched into a deadly sea of flailing metal-tipped hooves, their views have to take priority over all else. If any of them were killed or paralysed, after being put under pressure to ride, South African racing would never be allowed to forget it.

Aldo Domeyer won three of the five races run, and has now scored on half his last 22 Kenilworth rides, but it was Piet Botha who stole his thunder.  The 40-year-old, medically boarded with supposedly-permanent nerve damage, rode his first winner for seven years when springing a 50-1 shock on Jay Rock and two races later he did it again on the appropriately named Dreaming Big who started at 66-1. He must have thought he was dreaming – certainly the bookmakers did.

Both winners were for Glen Puller who has had a tough season and who has done so much to help the rider with his return to the fray. “I didn’t think I could come back and it was my 12-year-old son Adrian who pushed me into it,” Botha related. “I have really been wanting my first winner and now I have got two. My days are really busy. I spend the mornings on the racing work and the rest of the day on my coffee machine business. I have invested a lot of money in that so I want to keep it going.”

By Michael Clower

Brett Crawford is having the winter of his life and the dream may not have ended at Greyville yesterday when Captain America powered home in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

Crawford saddled the winners of both the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 last weekend. Captain America’s victory took him to three Gr 1 victories in the space of just two weeks and he has the Vodacom Durban July on the horizon.

Vijay Maharaj & Brett Crawford (Nkosi Hlophe)

Captain America is an accomplished miler and in the absence of his nemesis Legal Eagle, who had his measure in both the Gr1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes last term and the Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate in January, he made short work of a high-class field yesterday.

“When he quickens he gets a good couple of lengths on his field,” said regular pilot Corne Orffer. “He’s a very honest horse.”

Always handy from a wide draw, Captain America quickened up the inside rail in a matter of strides and had the race in the bag crossing the subway. Trip To Heaven and Bela-Bela chased hard in the minor placings but the winner was never seriously challenged.

Trip To Heaven, denied in the stewards room last year and a notoriously slow starter, ran true to form missing the break by a good couple of lengths but rattling home for second.

The filly Bela-Bela was also doing her best work late. Justin Snaith was more than happy with the showing of his filly but confirmed that she will not be taking her chances in the Vodacom Durban July. “Garden Province” he said, adding that, “unfortunately we will have to take on Just Sensual,” who an hour earlier had run out a comfortable winner of the Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes. “A pity she’s not in the July,” he added wryly.

Disappointment of the race was favourite Marinaresco who was up with the pace for much of the race but failed to fire and finished with just one behind him.

The result of the Gr3 Cup Trial will have given the July selection panel further headaches although winner Elusive Silva did cement his place in the line-up with a courageous victory over Crowd Pleaser and stable companion Black Arthur.

Captain America (Nkosi Hlophe)

A touch worrying was the way Elusive Silva had his head turned to the side and drifting in under pressure before being straightened by Richard Fourie but he did enough to get up on the line to collar pacemaker Crowd Pleaser. “He ran green and was hanging in,” commented Snaith. “He’s a big strong horse and was always going to quicken even though they didn’t go a good pace.”

Snaith was batting for third-placed Black Arthur, close to the top of the betting boards for the Vodacom Durban July but until yesterday not certain of a place. “You don’t want to leave it this late,” he said. “But you can’t leave him out.”

Anthony Delpech, aboard Black Arthur, was up-beat. “I thought I was going to win it. He just lacked that little bit at the end. This was his second run after a long lay-off and he ran a great race.”

Crowd Pleaser did everything but win it. Keagan de Melo dictated the pace to a nicety on the instruction of Johan Janse van Vuuren and although giving the winner 4.5kg he was only collared one jump from the line. Master Switch, Nebula and Trophy Wife may well have seen their chances of making the July field out of the window.

Cape Fillies Guineas winner Just Sensual sharpened her pencil for the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes with a cracking win in the Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes although Anton Marcus was not altogether impressed with the performance of Joey Ramsden’s filly. “Halfway up the straight I gave her one and she shot away, but having said that I was a little disappointed. I thought that she would win a little easier than that. But she’s ready for the Garden Province. In the end I’m just happy to have a winner.”

Second-placed Nightingale finished best of the rest with Anna Pavlova running on nicely up the inside fence for third.

By Andrew Harrison

Aldo Domeyer, successful on eight of his last 17 Kenilworth rides, can start with a winner at the Cape Town course tomorrow when racegoers should note the uncharacteristically early start (11.20am).

Casual Diamond has been showing steady improvement and should win this Juvenile Fillies Maiden with her jockey in such irresistible form. The obvious danger is Pumeza who went close on her first run despite starting at 45-1 and on whom Marco van Rensburg has his first Kenilworth ride of the season.

Aldo Domeyer

Indeed Domeyer looks set for another good day. He doesn’t have many rides for Dean Kannemeyer but he gets an SOS for Cossack Guard in race three because this gelding has a serious dose of seconditis. He has been runner-up in each of his last five starts and even jockeys of the calibre of Piere Strydom and Alnthony Delpech couldn’t persuade him to put his head in front where it matters.

For those punters who wouldn’t touch a horse like this with a financial barge pole Counting Stars is suggested but Cossack Guard’s form reads better and even he may be carried along by that inspired driving of an in-full-flight Domeyer.

Time To Think, bumped three times when starting favourite last time, looks easier material for the jockey-in-form in the next and should prevail over the lightly raced Bring Me More whose last run was good.

With so many Cape Town jockeys in action at Greyville, riders have been summoned from far and wide. Luyola (known as Louis) Mxothwa is a relative stranger to Cape Town but he is equal fourth on the Fairview log this term with 29 winners and he should go close on Above Eleven in the Soccer 6 Maiden Juvenile Fillies (race two).

Public Prosecutor could be another for Domeyer here – the running of Pumeza in the first will be a good guide to the Snaith filly’s chance as she was fourth when Pumeza was third – but the vote goes to Capaill who had some useful sorts behind when a five-length plus second to Oh Susanna on debut.

Promising two-year-olds Cyber Law and Spectra Force take on the older horses in race five but preference is for Off Broadway who was odds-on last time when she just failed to peg back Pergola who managed to slip the field.

Colorado Rose (another who suffers from seconditis) and stable companion Sandy Bay take each other on for the third race in succession in the Racing Association Maiden. There was precious little between them last time but maybe the Marwing magic can do it for Colorado.

By Michael Clower

The Vodacom Durban July pointer, the Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m, heads an eight race card on Turffontein Standside on Sunday.

Sean Terry will attempt to qualify Liege for the big race. He last ran in the Summer Cup, where he stayed on for fourth from a handy position. He looks likely to prefer this slightly shorter trip and is sure to be fit enough. Flying Ice should be cherry ripe to deliver having now had enough time and races to fully acclimatise to the Highveld and over an ideal trip her sustained finish makes her ideally suited to this galloping course. The Elmo Effect has always caught the eye but was always considered to be a stayer until winning an 1800m event in March. That prompted a July entry and he now attempts to qualify from a good draw.

Liege (Nkosi Hlophe)

Fortissima looks fairly handicapped on her best form and has a plum draw and the class to earn over a trip short of her optimum. She should improve on her last start where she ran in steels. Bankable Teddy can win this race at the weights if reproducing his run behind Liege over 2000m last October, but he does have to bounce back to form. The long-striding Kitty’s Destiny is course and distance suited and should improve in his second run after a layoff. King’s Archer will be stretched by this distance but the going is fast at present and that might help him get home. .

The best bet comes in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1160m. Rivarine has his second run since returning from Cape Town and considering his speed and class he will be hard to beat over this fast course and distance.

In another Pinnacle Stakes race, for fillies and mares over 1400m, She’s A Giver is best in at the weights and should have come on from her run last weekend when going close against the boys. This is an ideal trip, although Wukkin’ Up runs well fresh and could be a threat.

The first is an intriguing affair as there is little to separate Whorly Whorly, So Var and Alfolk at the weights and they all look to have scope. Rebel’s Champ’s and Like Astair can’t be ignored either.

In race two the first timer Polar Vortex is by Western Winter and is a half-brother to last weekend’s Lonsdale Stirrup Cup winner Captain Splendid. Town Flyer looks the best of the raced horses.  In the third Zerodarkthirty performed well against two decent sorts in his first two starts, but Over Easy could improve and be a threat.

In the next race Shufoog is a speedily-bred Australian-bred and doesn’t face a vintage field.

In the last race Starret City looks to be a progressive type and might still be ahead of the handicapper.

By David Thiselton

There was no more than a neck separating Marinaresco and Captain America in the Drill Hall Stakes last month and there is unlikely to be much more in it when they clash in the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Greyville tomorrow. Toss in a few other distance specialists and you have the makings of one of the races of Champions Season.

Marinaresco is something of a Greyville specialist where his instant turn of foot is well suited to the relatively short Greyville home straight, well illustrated last season in both the Vodacom Durban July and the Mike and Carol Bass Champion Stakes.

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

More recent evidence was in the Drill Hall where he finished like a bullet to collar Victorious Jay with Saratoga Dancer, New Predator and Captain America in close attendance. Candice Bass-Robinson has indicated that the son of Silvano would be more at home over an extended trip but he was good enough to win over 1400m in the Drill Hall and tomorrow’s 1600m should be well within his compass – his turn of foot being a lethal weapon.

Captain America is arguably at his best over 1600m and is a ‘bull’ of a horse. He finished behind Marinaresco in the Greenpoint Stakes and ahead of him in both the L ‘Ormarins Queen’s Plate and the Sun Met before finishing at his girth in the Drill Hall.

What may just swing things in Marinaresco’s favour is his better draw and obvious liking for Greyville. At time of writing he was favourite at 5-2 but Captain America has found market support and 5-1 look good odds given the current form of the two.

Alongside Captain America in the betting is the grey Bela-Bela. Justin Snaith’s filly ran a cracker in the recent Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint behind Carry On Alice and has excellent form over both distance and course. She is currently seventh on the Vodacom Durban July log but takes on some crack male milers here and will need to be at her best to triumph.

Saratoga Dancer (Nkosi Hlophe)

New Predator put in a tremendous effort for Johan Janse van Vuuren when out to defend his title in the Drill Hall, finishing a close-up fourth. He has found some inspired market support but 14 is most often a coffin draw over the Greyville mile so he has it all to do.

Saratoga Dancer generally flies under the radar and many questioned his participation in last year’s Vodacom Durban July. He silenced his critics in the best way possible, touched off two short heads to finish fifth.

He had Marinaresco in his sights all through the running of the Drill Hall and ran New Predator to within a length in the November Handicap at Turffontein. Given his record and at around 16-1 he looks excellent value.

The front-running Janoobi has struck up an excellent rapport with Piere Strydom, winning both the Gauteng Guineas and the Daisy Guineas, but he has a much more difficult task this time around especially from a tricky draw.

The Gr3 Cup Trial will be a no-quarter-given affair with a place in the Vodacom Durban July at stake for most of the contenders. Black Arthur, Elusive Silva and Nebula are all among the fancied runners in the July market but far from certain of a place so it’s all on the line here.

By Andrew Harrison