The Cape Town jockeys are supporting Alistair Cohen in his battle against cancer almost to a man with most of them sporting shaven heads at Kenilworth on Saturday.

“The biggest thing in this is to stay positive and we want to let Alistair know that our prayers are with him,” said Richard Fourie who appeared in the winner’s box without his helmet to underline his point.

Donovan Dillon (Supplied)

He won the last on the Glen Kotzen-trained Sylvanite but it was after his victory on Dawn Rising for his sponsor Drakenstein that he relayed the message. Justin Snaith also spoke of his support for the star commentator who would have been fascinated by how the Trippi filly has tested the trainer’s abilities to the limit.

“Her muscle-enzymes were too high and her blood showed bruising of the muscles,” he explained. “! decided to take a chance and cut out all the excess energy by changing her onto a low-energy diet. I felt I had to get her out of the maidens or I would have been obliged to suggest another trainer! But it worked and we put her down as a Pick Six banker on our website.”

Grant van Niekerk dominated much of the rest of the card with a double for his old boss plus the first in his new Plattner Racing stable jockey role. He was uncharacteristically short of breath after scoring on Sister Soozie, even though he was able to stop riding before the line.

“Jesus,” he exclaimed. “I’ve been in the gym and I thought I was fit but when you’ve been off for six weeks this is not an easy game. We jocks should get paid more!”

He led throughout on Come On Sonny and repeated the performance on the second Candice Bass-Robinson winner Oh Behave. “His first day back in Cape Town and he’s out like a bullet,” said the trainer, seemingly not at all convinced that the tactics were right. “I was a bit worried that he had gone too hard but the track is riding fast.”

Corne Orffer & Son (Supplied)

In truth the Oh Behave ride was vintage Van Niekerk, throwing convention to the winds and riding on instinct. From a furlong out, though, his advantage was dwindling all the way to the line with his pursuers bearing down on him with all the agonising inevitability of a man drowning in quicksand. But the jockey refused to admit defeat, kept asking for more and his mount dug into reserves that even he cannot have known he had and scraped home.

Smokey Affair, many people’s idea of the bet of the day (including the writer’s), totally failed to fire in the 1 400m handicap and was afterwards found to be coughing. Fourth was as closest as she could get to the one-eyed 18-1 shock Hanabi on whom Lucien Africa made all to reward Eric Sands’ Grooms Racing Trust (“They work very hard and they deserve it”).

The stipes inquired into the improved form after Fire Walker – backed from 35-1 to 13-1 – ploughed a lone path up the inside rails under Craig Bantam in the 1 000m maiden. Glen Puller explained that his horses had a virus when this one last ran on New Year’s Eve but first time blinkers were obviously a significant factor.

Joey Ramsden seemed to have as high an opinion of fourth-placed newcomer Dynasty’s Blossom as the winner Rose In Bloom in the two-year-old race although Donovan Dillon reckoned he had a fair bit more up his sleeve – “She won easier than the half-length margin would suggest. I had a lot in the tank.”

By Michael Clower