The battle for the KZN Champion Trainer’s title is down to the wire and with just five meetings left to the end of the current season it is still touch-and-go between Duncan Howells and defending champion Dennis Drier. The title is decided by number of wins in the province. Howells currently leads on 68 with Drier a close second on 64. Third on 56 wins is Dean Kannemeyer.

Dennis Drier(Nkosi Hlophe)

Leading KZN trainer by stakes won is Sean Tarry on R5.56 mllion, just over R1million ahead of Howells who is R200k ahead of Drier.

Howells had edged ahead by five going into Saturday’s Greyville meeting but Drier cut that back to two with a treble on the day before Howells came back with a double.

Drier kicked off with Lady In Black in the first, another promising filly by Dynasty and now unbeaten in two starts, and Premier Dance cut the Howells lead to three. But the Ashburton-based trainer countered with Accidental Tourist winning the fourth.

Rocky Valley defied top weight in the sixth to give Drier a treble but Howells fired back with Russian Speed holding on narrowly to win the ninth.

Howells and Drier saddle eight runners each at Greyville tomorrow which adds some needle to the afternoon’s racing as Howells goes into the final fortnight of the season with a four-win lead hoping to clinch his second title.

By Andrew Harrison