A competitive card faces punters in the inside track at Turffontein today with a number of riddles that they will have to solve.

The first leg of the PA is one such race. Although only six runners are due to line up, it is a useful field of fillies, all six in with chances.

Palace Of Dreams has some smart form but does look a tricky ride and Diego de Gouveia, back from a short stint in Mauritius, takes over from Callan Murray on Mike de Kock’s runner. Earmuffs suggest that Palace Of Dreams is a tricky ride and the fact that Murray has opted for stable companion Virtuosa, a maiden winner last outing, adds to the puzzle. Take into account that neither Murray nor De Gouveia can get anywhere near the 52.5kg required of the third De Kock runner, Mabella, and you have another piece to fit in.

Virtuosa was a very easy maiden winner after a string of good showings in the maidens and jockey bookings suggest that she is the preferred stable runner but Mabella was sent out an odds-on favourite last start but never threatened. Add Geoff Woodruff’s filly Wild Date into the mix, who is way better than her last showing, and you have an equation that even Sheldon Cooper of the Big Bang Theory would have trouble deciphering.

In the opening leg of the Pick 6 Gary Alexander appears to have a smart filly in Mount Laurel, unbeaten in three appearances and has improved with each start. Alexander has stepped her up gradually from 1000m on debut to 1200m and 1450m, winning easier every time. The extra furlong should suit. She could feature as your Pick 6 banker on a tricky card – at least you would know your fate early. Dangers are Youcanthurrylove, who has come good of late and Bohica whose last effort is best ignored. She has won over course and distance and can feature prominently.

From here on the going gets more difficult. There should not be much between Lone Survivor and Sea Air in the fourth but the latter is 1 kg worse off for a half-length beating. But Sea Air has recently been gelded and can come on from that showing and reveres the form. Captain Flynt has only been out of the money once in eight starts and with a light weight and a good draw, is not out of it.

Exion in the fifth can add to Paul Peter’s growing tally and young Luke Ferraris takes over from a suspended Warren Kennedy. Exion has been close up in all three starts, has drawn well and should make a bold bid. Crank It Up goes this trip for the first time which should suit and this is his third run after a break and should strip cherry-ripe. Blue Flute appeals as an upset chance.

The sixth is possibly a ‘field’ race for the exotics but Ikigai has shown up well in his to post maiden runs. He was finishing off nicely at his last start and Strydom should suit. Riverstown, Mawsool and Green Laser at top of a long list of possible winners.

Before the Dawn has yet to finish out of the money for Ashleigh Fortune and the daughter of Oratorio is re-united with apprentice Tajesh Jaglall who piloted her to her last two wins. Gallic Princess, Soul Of Wit and Tigermil are others to consider.

Miss Kalifa can round off the afternoon for Corne Spies. She came from a long way back for second She has been in fair form since her last win but the drop in trip is a concern. Rosalina has found market support at her last two and has a chance in a difficult race while Black Tie met much stronger last run. She had shown some promise before that. Add Cosmic Mist two your list and you have another tricky hurdle to jump.

By Andrew Harrison

From desperately dry to desperately wet within a week. The weather patterns in KZN are so changeable these days that a senior weather forecaster has admitted that even three-day forecasts can be dodgy.

Racing is scheduled for the turf at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday but punters are advised to keep an eye on the weather as a switch to the poly track is a distinct possibility should any more rain add to the 119mm recorded over the past week.

The wet will also have affected training schedules but the Summerveld poly track will have been in high demand this past week.

Mark Dixon holds three high cards for the Pinnacle Stakes that heads the programme where Silent Crusade can confirm that she is a contender for South Africa’s Champions Season that starts in May next year.

Dixon has gone easy on the daughter of Crusade, as she has only her ninth start in two seasons, but she has kicked off the current term on the right note, although Keagan de Melo may disagree.

Parting company with Silent Crusade at Hollywoodbets Scottsville last month will still be fresh in De Melo’s mind. It was a fearful fall and a miracle that he escaped serious injury.

De Melo was back on board the filly at her next start where he rode a cracking finish on the favourite. Tracking the pace, Silent Crusade shifted into top gear 400m out but didn’t look at all comfortable as she hung out and seemingly not too keen to go on with her effort. But De Melo kept hard at her and she gamely held off a charging phalanx headed by Generous Lady and Exclusive Quantity.

That was only her second outing since a break and given the weights and some further improvement she does rate the horse to beat.

Generous Lady will be in opposition again and she followed up that outing with a close-up seventh in a tough handicap against males, beaten under two lengths by GG’s Dynasty.

However, she is 0.5kg worse off with Silent Crusade and although she has the better draw, she does look held.

Michael Roberts, who shares a ring at Summerveld with Dixon, will know exactly what he is up against as he saddles Statute, the fill sister to Vodacom Durban July winner Legislate. The daughter of Dynasty is in good form of late and with a light weight should be competitive. The Dixon-trained She’s A Dream got it all together with a tongue-tie last start. She has ability and also has a light weight.  Apprentice Ashton Arries comes out of his time shortly and a win will boost his confidence before he faces the reality of free-lance riding.

 Anton Marcus is back in the hunt for the best rides after a lengthy spell on the sidelines and he was quickly on the phone to Duncan Howells for the ride on High Voltage in the first.

At first glance the form may looks a little patchy but if one takes into account that he has some useful feature company form and is still a maiden, Marcus appears to have picked another plum even though Howells is of the opinion that the 1000m may be a touch on the short side.

By Andrew Harrison

Aldo Domeyer has a real chance of starting what should be a rewarding day with victory in the first three races at Kenilworth tomorrow.

He starts off with Academic Gold for Andre Nel whose horses are in tremendous form and whose Cape Town strike rate of 15.9% is bettered only by Brett Crawford and Dennis Drier. 

The filly has already been backed from 3-1 to 19-10 favourite and she was unlucky not to win last time. She was beaten only a fifth of a length after becoming unbalanced when she and American Prayer bumped 100m out.

American Prayer finished 2.3 lengths farther back and it was her first run so she might well have come on enough to reverse the placings. She rates the main danger and is a big price at 7-1, particularly with Bernard Fayd’Herbe in the irons.

On Captain’s Side (13-2) is the highest-rated of the four that have been given a mark but Queen Of Quiet (28-10) has been knocking at the door and represents the blistering form of the Justin Snaith-Richard Fourie combination. Also worth noting is the Drier-trained 6-1 shot Two For Tea who finished first in a barrier trial at Scottsville and started odds-on when fourth on debut there. Newcomer Sing Out Loud does not seem particularly fancied at 17-2 and, being by Dynasty, she might need a bit further.

The next three of Domeyer’s rides are for his old boss Candice Bass-Robinson whose horses are taking time to hit their usual form this season but the stable has averaged almost a winner a meeting over the last six and many of the runners are beginning to have a should-win-next-time look about them.

That certainly applies to Turn It Up Harvey in the A Whole New World Maiden. This gelding has been second in his last two and is rated ten points clear of the three other rated runners. Unfortunately some punters have already had a bite at this particular cherry and he has gone from evens to 13-20.  Tillieangus (4-1) would need to have improved and the Nel-trained 11-2 newcomer Warrior Bling rates the danger.

Domeyer’s mount Joy Maisha is 17-10 favourite for the Ain’t Misbehaving Maiden (how refreshing to see a new approach with the race names) and her last run was better than the bare form might suggest because she was tightened for galloping room shortly after leaving the pens. According to the handicappers, who have taken the interference into account, the Argentinian-bred filly is no better than Snaith’s Whisky Tango and only half a kilo superior to her own stable companion Reef Knot. But Domeyer may make the difference.

Our old pal General Franco goes in the next after being dropped three points for that lacklustre effort in the Cape Classic. Some punters are still waiting for him to go off in front but here he looks too short at 4-1 and is best watched.

By Michael Clower

The World Sports Betting International Jockey Challenge, supported by Sun International and Air Mauritius, takes centre stage at Turffontein this weekend. The big names such as Dettori and Moore may be missing but the international team is made up of some tremendous riders who have proven themselves in the international arena.

Brazilian-born João Moreira was a relatively unknown when still riding in Singapore and part of the visiting International Team of that year, but rode tremendous races on some decidedly moderate horses to help the internationals to their first win. Any anyone who took notice will have made a bundle on Moreira in his first season in Hong Kong.

Given that the four challenge races are lowly handicaps, punters should be wary of the likely outcomes, but the riders will be giving it their all and with the internationals having nothing to go on besides the formbook and trainer’s instructions, their professionalism will be to the fore. There is the old maxim, of “good jockeys don’t need instructions and bad jockeys don’t listen anyway,” so we are in for a great afternoon’s entertainment.

The first leg of the International Jockey Challenge – good riders and not so good horses – could see the visitors off to a big start. Gelding appears to have been the key to Mike and Adam Azzie’s Al Borak who made good improvement first up after the unkindest cut of all. Although drawn wide, Haley Turner can get the internationals off to a flying start along with Fran Norton on What A Joker and International captain Rab Havlin on Jackman.

In the next leg, Starlight Express is a dangerous front runner and is much better drawn than in her last two and seasoned international Martin Dwyer rides for Geoff Woodruff. Local riders could come to the fore with Kirkconnels Lass. She does not have the best of the draw but S’Manga Khumalo has been riding like a man possessed of late. Seven Seas, with South African captain Muzi Yeni aboard, showed up well in his handicap debut when taking on stronger. He is lightly raced from a strong from a strong stable.

The third leg is a wide-open handicap. Bockscar is not the easiest ride but is having his third run after a lay-off and was doing his best work late last time out. The blinkers go on to an old soldier and Gavin Lerena can record the first win for the SA team. Biggest threat could come from the Fran Norton ridden Barron Rooney although this is a seriously difficult handicap to sort.

The final leg of the International Jockey Challenge is another puzzle but St John Gray looks to have a live contender for Haley Turner who is no stranger to the Turffontein winner’s circle. At Hand is in the right space, three runs after a lengthy break, and can get the better of the De Kock’s runner Hellofaride that obliged second time out. He should be progressive in a modest field but it is never easy first time out of the maidens.

The first two juvenile races of the current season make up the first two races on the card where the betting could prove your best guide, while the R1 million Monaco Sprint for maidens kick’s off the Pick 6 but wily trainer Mike de Kock appears to have saved a plum for the winner’s cheque and Battleoftrafalgar looks the ‘right one’.

By Andrew Harrison

Aldo Domeyer could be the jockey to follow at Kenilworth on Saturday particularly if – as expected – the extra sharpness he showed on his brief visit here in the Hong Kong close season in July is repeated.

The former Cape champion rides in seven of the eight races and his mounts include three Candice Bass-Robinson trained favourites – Turn It Up Harvey, Joy Maisha and Constable – as well as two second favourites.

Richard Fourie is also on three favourites – Queen Of Quiet, Sleeping Single, and Bayberry – and he rides for Justin Snaith in every one of the eight races. Bernard Fayd’Herbe also has a full card and, while Dynastic Light in race five is his only favourite, he also partners three second favourites.

Anton Marcus has taken five rides and, although none are favourite in the early betting, Proclaimer and Quintay are both second favourites. Quintay, trained by his nephew Adam, is the only non-Ridgemont-owned of the quintet.

By Michael Clower