ANDREW HARRISON

FORMER champion jockey Mark Khan’s lengthy riding career has been punctuated by many injury-induced lay-offs and he recorded his first winner back from his latest setback with a hard-fought victory aboard the Duncan Howells-trained All The Way Up at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday.

Paying R63.50 a win on the tote it was not a popular result for punters but for Khan, who has been riding plenty of work for Howells in his effort to get back to race-riding fitness, it was a welcome return to the winner’s enclosure for both jockey and trainer.

One had to delve back in All The Way Up’s form to realise that he was a horse with potential but as Howells eluded to in his post-race interview, the stable was badly hit by a virus and not all the affected horses had come back to form.

A two-month lock-down break and a big drop in his handicap rating and blinkers saw All The Way Up back to his best as he fought on gamely to hold a hard-charging King Julian and replacement rider Keagan de Melo.

In this age of a battling economy and a huge reduction in stakes, it is not easy for trainers to find new patrons, let alone keep the ones that they have, but Suzette and Basie Viljoen, relatively newcomers to racehorse ownership, have been exceptions with well over 50 horses in training spread amongst a variety of trainers.

They were in the winner’s box twice yesterday as Gavel Strike made short work of the opposition in the third followed by an equally facile win by Good Rhythm in the seventh. Gavel Strike for Lezeanne Forbes and stable rider Serino Moodley and Good Rhythm for Louis Goosen under an inspired ride from apprentice Kyle Strydom.

There was also a double for Gareth Wright. Anmer Hall made a winning local debut for Andre Nel in the second with the imported filly making short work of her opposition and Wright followed up with a similar ride on the Wendy Whitehead-trained Twice As Smart as she rocketed away up the home straight to show her opposition a clean pair of heels in the sixth.