“Professional, professional, professional,” that’s how Dennis Drier summed up Anton Marcus after he had made all the running on the Drier-trained Flying Rock in the first at Greyville yesterday.

Touching 8-10 in the market, Marcus galloped the favourite to the start in an effort to shake this mount up and it didn’t go unnoticed. There was 15-10 available by the time the field jumped but Marcus had all under control as he bounced his mount out of the gate and led most of the way.

“Going down the chute and to the start I thought we would finish closer to last than first. He went down like he had never had a person on his back,” said Marcus.

“Professional,” reiterated Drier. “I’ve never seen a jockey go down to the start like that on one of my horses.”

Drier was back in the winner’s box two races later but was less complimentary of stable rider Sean Veale’s handling of the first timer Supreme Vision. “Mr Drier was not happy with the way I rode her but I had to use her up early. It was only greenness and the number is in the frame,” said Veale in defence.

“I was not that happy the way Sean rode her but she won a bloody good race,” said Drier. “No doubt the second filly was a bit stiff but she came back at her to win.”

Veale did not agree. “I know they thought the other filly was unlucky but even if she had got to me earlier my filly would have fought her off.”

Second-placed Baby In Black stumbled out of the gate losing valuable ground. She challenged strongly in the finish, briefly heading Supreme Vision, but the winner came back to take a short-head decision.

Drier was back in the winner’s enclosure for the third time with Roy’s Winter Patch landing the sixth and giving apprentice De Gouveia a memorable double. “The kid rode an excellent race,” complimented Drier.

The regally bred Cape Fling, making his debut as a four-year-old, proved more than a match for the field in the second. A wind op delayed the gelded son of Epson Derby winner High Chaparral’s first appearance and the win wasn’t entirely expected. “He hadn’t shown us much at home,” said Barbra Badenhorst, assistant to Dean Kannemeyer. “He really surprised us today.”

“The way he won he should go on and win more races,” said Delpech. “I didn’t hear him make any noises so the op must have worked.”

Perseverance paid off for Ashburton-based Des Egdes as the temperamental Speedjet came home strongly under apprentice Diego De Gouveia in the fourth. The lightly raced mare is not the easiest of horses to handle but was on her best behaviour yesterday. “She is usually a nightmare to saddle at the races,” said Egdes.  “But she was calm and behaved herself today.”

“She had knee chips and other niggles and problems but that’s the way racing goes. You are dictated to by the horse.”

“Niggles and problems” prompted Gavin van Zyl to urge the owners of Just Ask Me to retired the gelding six months ago but they called for one last try. It paid off with the chestnut making all under Billy Jacobson to win the fifth although punters were not so happy with the winner paying R35 and the well supported Catkin second and favourite Tripandie third, both runners having every chance.

Stable companion to Just Ask Me, Budapest, lived up to the last four letters of his name as he refused to load and was scratched at the start.

Trip To Rio is another that proved a handful at the gate, but eventually coaxed in for the seventh he got home narrowly to put another nail in the exotic bets coffin. Given an excellent ride from apprentice Lyle Hewitson, Trip To Rio was produced from the back of the field to get up close home to deny the grey French Revolution and Double Clutch in a tight finish.

Andrew Harrison