The South African All Stars Series for 2006/2007 is in full swing and already indications are that the competition among the jockeys and the tipsters is going to be fierce.
The opening events in three of the five categories of the Turfstar competition for owners and trainers have taken place with Jay Peg (SA Triple Crown Category), Sun Classique (Triple Tiara Category) and Pocket Power (Golden Mile Category) having each scored 12 points as winners of the Bloodstock SA Cape Guineas, Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas and L'Ormarins Queen's Plate respectively.
On six points in the categories are Emperor Napoleon, Festive Occasion and Silver Mist.
The Topstar competition for jockeys is headed by Jeff Lloyd with 32 points in spite of not having ridden in the first leg, the Gommagomma Summer Cup. He has quickly made up for it by winning both the Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas on Sun Classique and the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate on Pocket Power for trainer Mike Bass. He was also second in the TBA Paddock Stakes and fourth in the Bloodstock SA Cape Guineas.
Anton Marcus is currently in second place on 15 points for his win in the Bloodstock SA Cape Guineas on Jay Peg for trainer brother Basil Marcus and earned another three points for a fifth and a fourth in two earlier legs.
On 12 points for a win in the GommaGomma Summer Cup is Brett Smith and Richard Fourie is also on 12 points having won the TBA Paddock Stakes.
The Tipstar competition for media tipsters has seen some lively competition and after five races it is Hannes Schoeman of Kaap Se Son who heads the log with 48 points. The Beeld newspaper is in second position on 46 points, four ahead of the Gold Circle Racecard tipster.
Joint fourth place in 40 points each are Henk Steenkamp of Die Burger, Phile Drake of The Witness and the Sporting Post racing paper.
To view the full logs visit www.tabgold.co.za .
Another competition for jockeys racing in KwaZulu-Natal is the KZN Bookmakers Get Out Stakes competition.
Here again it is the “Guv” Jeff Lloyd who heads the table on 24 points with Glyn Schofield and apprentice Keagan Latham in joint second place on 20 points. MJ Byleveld is doing well on 15 points ahead of Ian Sturgeon (13) and Weichong Marwing (11).