Kearsney College matriculant Lyle Hewitson was crowned winner of the Workrider’s Challenge series at Turffontein on Saturday after a thrilling tussle with Charles Ndlovu that went right down to the wire. Hewitson earned R20,000 as the overall winner of the three-legged Challenge series. Samuel Mosia earned R5,000 for being the leading rider in Saturday’s third leg meeting.

Hewitson rode a double in the first leg of the Challenge series on October 23 last year at the Vaal and rode a memorable four-timer in the second leg on February 3 at the Vaal. However, he still entered Saturday’s final leg six points behind Ndlovu, who was very consistent.

The points system had 10 points for first, seven for third, five for third an three for fourth and Hewitson ensured there would be a monumental struggle for supremacy throughout Saturday’s meeting when reducing the gap to one by riding the winner of the first race, the Mike Azzie-trained favourite Hot August, to Ndlovu’s third place finish. Hewitson then took a two point lead when riding a fourth place finish in the second race.

Two races later Hewitson won on the Gavin Van-Zyl-trained favourite Rascality to open up a seven point lead, as Ndlovu finished third in that event. However, Ndlovu kept the heat on Hewitson by finishing fourth in the next race to close the gap to four points. Both riders scored blanks in the sixth and seventh races, so the Challenge outcome hinged on the result of the last race. However, both Hewitson and Ndlovu failed to find the frame again leaving Hewitson the overall Workrider’s Challenge Series winner. Mosia won the last race to complete a double and his 32 points on the day were enough to be leading third leg rider. Hewitson scored 88 points in the series. He has ridden 14 winners this season at an incredible strike rate of 33,33% so thoroughly deserves the title of Champion Workrider. He will receive an award for winning the Challenge series at the annual Racing Association Highveld Feature Seasons Awards.

– By David Thiselton

The Joey Ramsden-trained The Conglomerate burst into the Vodacom Durban July picture with his impressive win in the Gr 2 KRA Guineas at Greyville on Saturday under Anton Marcus and kept up the fine recent run of Australian-breds in South African feature races.

The bookmakers have suspended betting but are likely to shorten him from his previous price of 20/1.

Ramsden chose the colt at the Australian sales together with Markus Jooste’s racing manager Derek Brugman and said, “We are lucky we were able to buy the one we wanted, we both fell in love with him.”

Ramsden was also grateful that he was allowed to take his time with the slow maturing colt and said that after this win the plan would now definitely be the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and the July.

Ramsden had believed beforehand that the 1600m trip would be far sharper than ideal for The Conglomerate and wasn’t expecting him to win so was glad to have got the strong pace set by Riff Raff that played right into his hands.

He continued, “The KRA Guineas was not part of his plan, but there were no other races for him and we had to start him somewhere. The mile is the bare minimum trip for him.”

The Conglomerate is by the brilliant eleven-time Gr 1-winning Australian hero Lonhro, nicknamed “The Black Flash”, who won his big races from six up to ten furlongs.

Two outsiders, the Weiho Marwing-trained Mac De Lago and the Glen Kotzen-trained Light The Lights, stayed on well for second and third respectively. Light The Lights is a July entry and enhanced his chances of getting into the big race field.

– By David Thiselton

The Brett Crawford-trained Dynasty filly Alexis proved herself suited to a mile, despite her speed, when winning the Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas in fine fashion under Corne Orffer on Saturday and it was a second big race win in the space of five weeks for owner Delma Sherrell.

Crawford won this race last year in similar style with Maybe Yes and wasn’t tempted to go for the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 on that occasion. However, he was leaving his options open with Alexis. Considering the way she won, settling well, quickening superbly and then running all the way to the line, she could possibly get the 2000m trip.

Second-placed Inara ran well in her comeback race and will come on for the effort and Ataab stayed on gamely for third, while One Fine Day was probably the hard luck story as she was too far back in a slow-paced race after missing the break.

Delma Sherrel now owns Alexis outright and also has a share, among others, in the Crawford-trained Captain America, who won the Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein on March 28.

Her son Lance, the former Springbok flyhalf who was selected for the tour to New Zealand in 1994 at the expense of subsequent World Cup hero Joel Stransky, represented her on course on Saturday and was full of smiles.

He revealed that being involved in horseracing was a continuation of a legacy left by his father, who owned the Gr 1 Cape Derby winner Impressive Style among others.

Lance spoke about the thrill of watching a family-owned horse win a big race. “It is more exhilarating than lining up a kick in a big game, it is proper goosebumps and it’s also very addictive!”

Crawford heaped praise on his assistant trainer Barry Donnelly who has being taking care of his Champions Season string at Summerveld.

– By David Thiselton

Roy and Gladys Meaker are two of the most loyal supporters of KZN racing and their stalwart Silvano gelding Ice Machine gave them a deserved big win on home soil when winning the Gr 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m, a race he had finished second in two seasons ago behind the brilliant Beach Beauty.

Charles Laird, the third trainer to have worked with the problematic gelding, has done a fine job in bringing him back from a long layoff and this was just his second start for the yard.

Previous trainer Dean Kannemeyer also delivered a Gr 2 victory the second time he sent Ice Machine out and his win on that occasion in the Gr 2 Green Point Stakes over 1600m, beating champions like Beach Beauty and Capetown Noir, showed his true potential.

Ice Machine had virtually been forgotten when reappearing at Scottsville after a nine month break just over a month ago, but the rest and recuperation he had been given by Laird had done the trick and he ran an eye-catching second to his useful former stablemate Power King.

Ice Machine looked to have a huge chance on Saturday after the shock scratching of Legislate as he runs well fresh and the Greyville 1400m is tailor made for him because of his electric turn of foot.

The Meakers, who owned the 1977 J&B Met winner Bahadur, have been patient with Ice Machine and it paid dividends on Saturday. However, Laird’s post-race comment that he hoped the gelding would pull up sound speaks volumes of how difficult a horse he is to train and his future can’t be planned too far in advance.

– By David Thiselton

Picture: Ice Machine (John Lewis)

Ice Machine was yesterday slashed from 100-1 to 20-1 for the Vodacom Durban July following his impressive win in the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes.

KRA Guineas winner The Conglomerate was the other big mover. He was backed from 33-1 to 20-1 before Saturday’s race and Betting World yesterday cut him right down to 8-1.

The country’s biggest bookmaker shortened favourite Majmu from 33-10 to 3-1, eased Legislate from 7-1 to 8-1, marked out King Of Pain from 33-1 to 50-1 and Heartland from 55-1 to 200-1.

– By Michael Clower