The Rider Cup Inter-Provincial Jockeys Challenge took place at Scottsville today and the three teams of four fought to an exciting conclusion.

The teams entered the final of four legs with the Cape Eagles and Highveld Hawks locked together on 102 points and the defending champions the KZN Falcons also right there on 99.

The 1200m handicap then produced a blanket finish with the Chris Erasmus-trained Jason Argo, ridden by Eagles captain Grant Van Niekerk, pipping stablemate Panza with Hawks captain S’Manga Khumalo up. Karl Zechner of the Hawks was third on Shogun. However, more drama followed as Khumalo objected. The subsequent upheld decision proved crucial to the outcome of the inter-provincial.

The Highveld Hawks had thus emerged victorious on 139 points to the Eagles on 133 and the Falcons on 132.

In the first leg Aldo Domeyer of the Eagles converted favouritism on the Duncan Howells-trained Gordon’s Cungee. Corne Orffer and Khumalo earned second and third-placed points on the Mark Dixon-trained pair Honorary and Dundrum respectively.

Anton Marcus then got one back for the Falcons, who were captained by Anthony Delpech, when the Mike de Kock-trained two-year-old Very Vary proved too good for a weak maiden field over 1200m. An objection by third-placed Kimberley, ridden by Van Niekerk, against second-placed Escovitch with Zechner up was unsuccessful.

The Eagles led at this stage on 79 points with the Hawks on 70 and the Falcons on 53.

In the third leg Marcus converted favouritism again on the Dennis Drier-trained Wealthy, although the runner up Silver Rose with the Falcons’ Keagan de Melo up was baulked for a run and possibly unlucky. However, with Starret City earning third-placed points for the Hawks’ JP van der Merwe, an exciting conclusion was assured. The other jockeys competing were Muzi Yeni (Falcons), Andrew Fortune (Hawks) and Teaque Gould (Eagles).

David Thiselton

Medical marvel Jeff Lloyd surged further ahead in the Brisbane jockeys’ premiership yesterday. The 55-year-old former South African, who collapsed after suffering a stroke in 2012 and doubted whether he would ride again, claimed a winning quartet at Doomben.

Lloyd’s fabulous foursome on Snow Fields, Dream Choice, Dame Destiny and Angel Dancer took him to 71 metropolitan winners for the season. With six metro meetings to go in the season, it stretched Lloyd’s lead over apprentice James Orman (66) and last season’s riding champion Jim Byrne (65.5).

Lloyd has ridden more than 5000 winners around the world, including 95 Group 1s, and his comeback from ill health has been nothing short of remarkable.

But it wasn’t even close to Lloyd’s best day in the saddle. “My best effort was to win seven races in a day, on two occasions in South Africa,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd isn’t counting his chickens just yet in the jockeys’ premiership and insists he wants to get a bigger lead before the premiership winds up at the end of the month.

He has never won the Brisbane title and is keen to keep the young guns at bay. “It is always good to ride winners and I just want to keep riding more and more winners,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd is renowned for getting the best out of his mounts and trainer Chris Munce was full of praise after Lloyd won on two-year-old Snow Fields. Munce, who had his own health battle when he beat cancer, has forged a strong friendship with Lloyd.

“Jeff is a good rider and when he gets in the right groove there is no better,” Munce said. “He gets horses running well, they travel well for him and he is always strong at the finish. I am happy he is leading the premiership because he deserves success. He works hard and rides well.”

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Picture: Newscorp Austalia

Anton Marcus (Liesl King)

Anton Marcus has drawn some plum rides in the popular Rider Cup Interprovincial Jockey’s Challenge at Scottsville today where three teams of four riders representing their provinces will go head-to-head.

Marcus has a plum ride on Wealthy for Dennis Drier in the seventh and although the gelding took some time to get out of the maidens he has run two crackers since and is likely to be in warm order for the KZN Falcons.

However, Wealthy could be up against it in the form of recent maiden winner Starrett City. Put over ground for the first time, Alyson Wright’s charge simply cruised home. That was on the Greyville poly and he does not have the best of draws here but there was plenty to like about that win and JP van der Merwe could be on the board for the Highveld Hawks.

With Sean Tarry hunting his 200^th win of the season, four to go before yesterday, In The Moment should not be discounted after winning over the course and distance last time out albeit at odds of 33-1.

Aldo Domeyer can get the Cape Eagles off to a winning start when he partners Gordon’s Cungee for Duncan Howells. Muzi Yeni’s ears were burning after the ride he gave the filly last month when barrelling off to the front and one can expect a more measured effort from Domeyer in the opening leg of the Challenge. Howells is expecting a win but Domeyer will no doubt be given stiff opposition from his father representing the Hawks who drew the mount on Power Horse and who looks the main threat to the likely ante-post favourite.

Marcus has the ride on the Mike de Kock-trained Very Vary in the second leg of the Challenge, fifth race on the card, whose form has been boosted by Zodiac Ruler. Very Vary was beaten four lengths by the subsequent Gr2 Golden Horseshoe winner and runner-up that day, Mr O’Neill, looks promising.

Two-year-olds could feature prominently here with both Kimberley and Founding Father showing promise and take on a field of modest older runners.

In the eighth, Black Tractor got his career off to a good start which earned him a lofty merit rating. He has since proved consistent but has never really threatened and it has been well over a year since that win. He is still high in the ratings but has dropped three pounds since his last start behind the useful Bunker Bill and with Marcus aboard again from a plum draw he should at least be competitive.

This being the final leg of the Jockey Challenge, Brett Crawford’s stable rider Corne Orffer has the mount on what looks to be Black Tractor’s most likely danger. Joey Ramsden’s charge Macduff has not been out since December last year but is hardly likely to have made the trip from Cape Town to sample the Durban air.

However, he does shoulder a welter burden and he may well be being primed for a race on Super Saturday at the end of the month.

Singh Is King is something of a dark horse. He shed his maiden at long odds and was then tossed in at the deep end by Kom Naidoo which on the face of it appears to have been a mistake. However, his comeback run delivered some promise and with Andrew Fortune in the irons Singh Is King may be worth including in all exotics.

Possibly the most interesting race on the card is the sixth and not part of the Challenge where a pair of promising three-year-olds take on older runners on handicap terms.

The Summerveld dogs are barking Saint Marco from the Garth Puller yard but although the son of Antonius Pius has a two from three record with short heads a common denominator, he has not been out since November last year.

Puller is a master horseman but Saint Marco faces some race-fit rivals and New Hampshire could prove more than a match. Drier has booked useful four-claiming apprentice Deago de Gouveia for the ride – successful on the gelding last time out but in doubt after a fall at Scottsville mid-week – and 6,5kg is a lot of pudding to give away.

On the down side for New Hampshire supporters, Anthony Delpech and Saint Marco have drawn on the inside of the apprentice so there won’t be any prisoners taken.

However, the pair face some salted opposition and if they fail to run up to expectations then the consistent Cat In Command and Mountain Master will be there to pick up the pieces.

Andrew Harrison

The talented five-year-old bay gelding – one of the best-fancied runners – cantered home with a bloody nose in last Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July. After the race Kannemeyer, owner Lady Christine Laidlaw and Jehan Malherbe, racing manager for her Khaya Stables, discussed the matter and decided to retire Solid Speed.

Said Kannemeyer: “He ruptured blood vessels in both nostrils. He was travelling exceptionally well at the 1200m but was suddenly off the bit. Jockey Stuart Randolph started pushing but finally just put his hands down.

“Lady Laidlaw is absolutely passionate about her horses and, given Solid Speed has had issues before, we all felt strongly he had done enough. He has been very good to us.

“We fancied him in the Durban July, but unfortunately these things do happen.”

Solid Speed (left) & Mambo Mime at the VDJ Gallops (Nkosi Hlophe)

Solid Speed will be staying with Kannemeyer to become schoolmaster to his babies and in the paddock. “I love all my horses, but he’s a stable favourite,” said the Cape-based trainer. “I don’t think he knows how to kick or bite – but he certainly knows how to run. He’s a magnificent, big, beautiful horse. He’s a special one.”

Solid Speed, a gelded son of Dynasty, ran only 15 times in his career for eight wins from 1600m to 2400m, including the Grade 2 Betting World 1900 in May. His four places include a third in last year’s Grade 2 Gold Vase and a fourth in the stayers’ race on Met Day.

Kannemeyer also saddled Mambo Mime in the Durban July. He is happy enough with the colt’s 3.85-length 10th behind The Conglomerate. “It was a very good run, given the grey filly rolled on to him in the final 100m. Jockey Keagan de Melo said he thought Mambo Mime was coming through to win the race. Without the interference, he would have been closer.”

Mambo Mime might have one more run this season, in the Grade 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup over 1800m at Greyville on Saturday 30 July.

The Champions Cup is run on Gold Cup Day and Kannemeyer has two horses lined up for the country’s biggest marathon – Balance Sheet and Solar Star, who both ran in last Saturday’s 3000m Gold Vase.

Balance Sheet started favourite for the Gold Vase but finished second last, while Solar Star ran a “great race” in fifth behind the Mike de Kock-trained Quartet: Enaad, Smart Mart, Kingston Mines and Kinaan.

Kannemeyer said punters should “put a line” through Balance Sheet’s Gold Vase run. “He stopped to nothing but knocked himself and was a bit swollen the next day. He’s back to normal now.”

So, he could well recoup losses in the R1.25-million eLAN Gold Cup (Grade 2) over 3200m at Greyville at the end of the month.

TABnews (Nicci Garner)

S’manga Khumalo (Captain), Andrew Fortune, Juan Paul van der Merwe and Karl Zechner will represent the Highveld Hawks, while the Cape Eagles team comprises Grant van Niekerk (Captain), Aldo Domeyer, Teaque Gould and Corne Orffer.

The competition comprises two Maiden Plates, a MR 66 Handicap and a MR 80 Handicap.

To give all riders an equal chance of scoring points, the horses were seeded by a panel of experts into four categories, best to worst, and the riders from each team drew a horse from each of the four categories.

Points are awarded according to where the jockey finishes in the race: 1^st – 20; 2^nd – 16; 3^rd – 14; 4^th – 12 – 5^th – 10; 6^th – 8; 7^th – 6; 8^th – 5; 9^th – 4; 10^th – 3; 11^th – 2; 12^th – 1. A rider will receive seven points if he does not have a ride.

The Rider Cup kicks off in Race 4, a Maiden Plate, and those who side with the Cape Falcons should not go far wrong in this 1400m sprint.

Domeyer looks hard to beat on Gordon’s Cungee, even though Duncan Howells’ charge got pipped into fifth by Liberty Market in a race won by Gallic Fire last month. Liberty Market (Delpech) is 2.5kg worse off and should battle to confirm the form.

Gordon’s Cungee is way overdue to shed her maiden tag, having placed in six of 11 career starts. She is not that well drawn but should have enough in hand to win.

Power House (Fortune) could be second best, while Shrike (Gould) has scope for improvement in only her third career start and could also place.

Zechner could earn maximum points for the Highveld Hawks in Race 6, a 1200m Maiden Plate, in which he teams up with Escovitch. Trainer Kom Naidoo’s runner has been knocking on the door recently and could hold on this time. Very Vary (Marcus), Kimberley (Van Niekerk) and Founding Father (Van der Merwe) could fill the frame.

Team mates Marcus and De Melo could fight out the finish of race 7 over 1950m. De Melo on Andre Nel-trained Silver Rose get the tentative nod, but his mount is having his first run out the maiden ranks.

Marcus’s mount Wealthy got his first win on the board in April this year and has placed second in both starts since. He warrants utmost respect. Horses for the Quartet include In The Moment (Orffer), Starrett City (Van der Merwe) and Caprivi (Delpech).

Shogun is on the upgrade and could give Zechner and the Highveld Hawks another win in Race 8 over 1200m. The Dennis Drier-trained three-year-old won his second career start well and need only repeat that run to feature. MacDuff, Black Tractor, Albert and Panza are others worth considering.

There is a R200,000 Pick 6 carryover to this meeting and the pool could swell as high as R2 million.

Nicci Garner for TABnews