Fayd’Herbe will thus win his first cap for South Africa and said, “It is a privilege and I am happy, it will be good to represent the country.” The 33 year old Fayd’Herbe, who grew up in Madagascar, joined S’manga Khumalo (Captain), Piere Strydom, Richard Fourie, Muzi Yeni and Anthony Delpech.

The sixth member of the International team is still to be announced.He or she will join James Doyle (Captain – UK), Martin Harley (Ireland), Adam Kirby (United Kingdom), Andreas Helfenbein (Germany) and Selim Kaya (Turkey).

The Challenge is often viewed by the racing fraternity as perhaps a “good fun” event for the jockeys, but this view ignores the mindset of the professional sportsman and Fayd’Herbe confirmed, “Any competition is intense for me, I thrive on it and wouldn’t be where I am today without that attitude. Also the better the competition the better you become.”

Fayd’Herbe’s big match temperament has often earned him the title “Big Race Bernard”, so there could hardly have been a better choice by the selectors. Fayd’Herbe has also earned widespread admiration for the arduous sweating, exercise and diet regime he has had to undergo just to make it to the races.

He was the Western Cape champion jockey in the 2012/2013 season, an amazing feat considering his riding weight of 58kg. His current training program had seen him winning the battle against his weight and he is also getting a lot of support from some of Cape Town’s top yards.

He said, “Things are looking good, I have some exciting horses to look forward to and will be disappointed if I don’t have a good season.” He is retained by one of Joey Ramsden’s biggest owner families, the Kieswetters, and otherwise freelances. In the latter capacity he receives good support from the like of Ramsden, national champion trainer Justin Snaith, his long-time guv’nor Mike Bass, Mike Stewart, Neil Bruss and others.

On Saturday Fayd’Herbe rode the Australian-bred four-year-old Danehill Dancer filly Acrostar from the Snaith yard to an impressive victory as she surged past the very promising Ramsden-trained three-year-old Grey Light in a Progress Plate for fillies and mares over 1400m and won with ease. Acrostar looks to be a progressive type and has won her last two over that trip, so could be a sprint-miler to follow in minor features.

However, Fayd’Herbe’s favourite horse at present is the highly progressive Bass-trained Trippi mare Hammie’s Hooker. The term “brilliant” is usually reserved for Gr 1 winners, but Hammie’s Hooker would probably have earned that accolade by now if it were not for her nemesis Beach Beauty. The latter is now retired, so a lot of the big fillies and mares mile events should be at Hammie’s Hooker’s mercy and as a five-year-old the 1800m of the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes might also now be within her range.

Picture: Bernard Fayd’Herbe (Liesl King)

Firstly it will give him a base from which to target the big races in Johannesburg. Secondly, it will alleviate a problem of importing horses. The arduous journey horses must undergo when being exported from South Africa, due to African Horse Sickness (AHS), has been viewed as one of the country’s biggest horseracing problems, but Cape Town trainers also face a problem importing. A direct flight to Cape Town solves the problem but can only be done at enormous expense.

The alternative route is via Johannesburg. Upon arriving horses have to be given AHS vaccinations and then complete one month of quarantine.A horse can only enter the Western Cape’s AHS Controlled zone 60 days after the last vaccine. Hence, it is usually about three months before an imported horse destined for the Cape can reach its destination.

The normal route is via Port Elizabeth, where horses need to stay for about two months. Snaith’s new yard should help alleviate this problem.

Meanwhile, Snaith’s Vodacom Durban July winner Legislate has been doing “very well” and will be ready to gallop soon. He added, “The July took a lot out of him and he has recovered completely (from both the exertion and the lameness in his near fore), but it took months. The Dynasty colt’s main targets this season are the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and the J&B Met.

Marwing has been given 40 boxes and will likely move gradually over the next few months, as the Highveld Spring Season is just getting into full swing. Expect more detailed coverage of the relocation next week.

Meanwhile, Gary Rich is expecting to have his trainer’s licence officially renewed by next week. He has been allocated 20 boxes at Ashburton and currently has six horses there, with another two on the way and he will be attending the Ready To Run Sales in Johannesburg in an attempt to increase his numbers.

Gary is the son of Des, who trained the 1977 Durban July winner Lightning Shot. Gary had just left school at the time of Lightning Shot’s famous victory and was working for his father, although he started his national service the following week. Gary took over the reins from Des in 1989 and kept his license until the year 2002.

He then took up a position at the South African Jockey’s Academy as a riding master. He worked at the Summerveld Academy for three-and-a-half years before moving to Port Elizabeth, where he held a Riding Master and management position for another three-and-a-half years.

He then left in July 2009 to become the assistant to private KZN midlands trainer Adam Kethro. He was with Kethro until January this year. Rich said there had been “many highlights” in his career but none had yet matched Lightning Shot’s July win.

The race was the first time the Greyville turf had been used this year and the jockeys commented that it had stood up quite well but was about three weeks away from being perfectly ready. Bold Inspiration was caught without cover briefly after the start, but still ran on strongly in the straight before holding off the strong-finishing Zhivago, and he looks likely to relish the galloping Turffontein Standside track.

At Fairview on Friday the classy Glen Kotzen-trained Western Winter gelding Light The Lights was well weighted in the Listed RA Stakes over 1600m and duly won easily under Greg Cheyne.

To cement his chances he has called on the services of crack rider Piere Strydom, 12 short of 5000 career winners, who will partner ante-post favourite Arion. The four-year-old was bottled up over the winter after his fast-finishing third behind stable companion Legislate in the Investec Cape Derby and has been specifically aimed at this race.

In his comeback run after nearly seven months off he was well beaten over 1300m at Durbanville but the race amounted to little more than a blow-out. He has shown good form over ground and with a plum draw, a light weight and a good sprint-up under his girth he could prove difficult to peg back.

Disco Al took advantage of the switch to the poly track to win last year’s race, albeit narrowly, but that has been his last success. However, Ramsden appears to have primed him nicely for another crack and he looks a serious contender.

So too Tribal Dance. The six-year-old has proved to be a length short of really top class but is never far off the best. He too has had a good warm-up and although he gives weight to all but Astro News he also strikes as a very big runner.

The Western Cape is gearing up for their summer season and it all starts in earnest at Kenilworth this afternoon where the Gr3 Cape Classic takes centre stage. The majority of runners will be using this outing as a stepping stone into the CTS Cape Guineas so one doesn’t quite know what to expect but the race has attracted a high class field and just how they all fair will be watched with more than just passing interest.

While the Classic takes centre stage there will be a lot of sentiment attached to the return of Jet Explorer to the racetrack in the HP Security Pinnacle Stakes. His preparation for the J&B Met was punctured by injury sustained in the pre-race gallops and his journey to the Vodacom Durban July was abruptly terminated when he and jockey Richard Fourie took a crashing fall in the Gold Challenge at Clairwood.

Fourie is still suffering the side effects of his injury but Jet Explorer, who shattered his jaw in the fall, is back to full health thanks to the dental skills of vet Ralph Katzwinkel.

However, Jet Explorer is very unlikely to be fully wound up for this race and stable companion Readytogorightnow looks the pick of the Snaith runners.

Vaughan Marshall’s runner Mljet was the ‘talking horse’ during Champions Season in KZN after reeling off two emphatic victories. However, his luck ran out in the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes where a killer wide draw over the Greyville ‘mile” claimed another victim. After a sluggish start, MJ Byleveld found himself amongst the back markers turning for home and then ran into traffic.

Mljet makes his seasonal debut off a rating of 108 and if the handicappers have their sums correct then today’s outing should be little more than a formality with Act Of War (95) conceding 4,5kg and facile debut winner Heartland earning a mark of 89.

Picture: The Vaughan Marshall-trained Mljet should take some beating when he warms up for the CTS Cape Guineas in the Gr3 Cape Classic to be run at Kenilworth today. Stable jockey MJ Byleveld has the ride.

Heartland, full brother to Gr1 winning Jackson now retired to the paddocks of Highlands Farm, made light work of the opposition on debut but that form has proved suspect and Justin Snaith’s runner will face a more searching test here.

Snaith believes he has a decent horse on his hands but has expressed reservations about the colt’s fitness after having been given nearly three months off after his maiden win. “We asked to gallop him at Kenilworth and they wouldn’t let us. I’ve got to find a race for him and I’m using this as a gallop rather than going for glory. I want to see him running on at the end and then have him ready for another day.”

Langerman winner Act Of War has to give weight all round and he hasn’t raced for three months. “He is pretty fit although not fully wound up but it’s a very stiff task,” says Joey Ramsden.

Of the balance, Glen Kotzen’s yard has come good in recent weeks and sends out Zingaro who disappointed last time out at Durbanville. However, the country course with its sharp top turn can often catch runners out so it may be better to judge the colt on is facile maiden victory.

On debut he was touched off by Prince Of Eden, also an entry this afternoon, so there should not be very much between them. Kotzen is quietly confident of a decent run so there may not be much between these two.

BEST BETS

Kenilworth Saturday

Race 7: (2) Mljet

Turffontein Saturday

Race 1: (10) Ride Of Honour

Fairview Sunday

Race 5: (5) Oreo Shake