Highveld Hawks swoop on Cup
THE Highveld Hawks retained the Rider Cup at Greyville yesterday as their team of Muzi Yeni, Raymond Danielson, Craig Zackey and Ryan Munger edged out the Cape Eagles - the last leg of the Cup proving crucial.
Cape Eagles rider Aldo Domeyer almost snatched it for the Western Cape team as he brought home Miss Ferris with a telling late run to win the final leg of the challenge, but Ryan Munger’s second place ensured a win for the Hawks who were also victorious last year.
But it was not all doom and gloom for the Cape Eagles as Domeyer, with two victories, finishing well clear of his two closest rivals, Warren Kennedy of the KZN Falcons and Muzi Yeni of the Highveld Hawks.
It was also an afternoon where the smaller Ashburtonbased yards held sway in the Cup races with all of Lola Crawford, Paul Gadsby and Julie Dittmer supplying the ammunition.
Domeyer kicked off his Cup quest with a fine win aboard the Tony Rivalland-trained Show Me Your Rosie before stand-in rider Raymond Danielson scooted home on the Crawford-trained Silver Cent. Danielson was a late replacement for Lyle Hewiston who was injured in a fall at Fairview on Friday.
Keagan de Melo was on the board for the KZN Falcons in the third leg of the Cup, getting home aboard Paul Gadsby’s filly Expresso Martini to deny Greg Cheyne on Into The Groove.
The competition was still anyone’s call come the final leg of the Cup but Miss Ferris was not to be denied and she finished with a wet sail to seal the Victor Ludorum for Domeyer.
The lightly raced Love To Boogie may not be off to stud as yet but Andre Nel’s filly ran out a comfortable winner of the (Listed) Off To Stud Stakes that was the feature race of the afternoon. She kept on strongly under Domeyer to hold off the attentions of Final Judgement and Heaps Of Fun.
It was a profitable weekend for Domeyer who returned to Cape Town with a further three winners to his brace on Saturday and a season’s tally of 124 winners.