The race among trainers for the R20 000 first prize in the Golden Horse Weekend Witness Charity Challenge is at a critical stage with five conditioners in the running and just two meetings left in which to accumulate points.

The KwaZulu-Natal Chapter of Gold Circle has put up R35 000 to be shared by the three trainers whose runners score the most points in the competition, irrespective of the distances over which they race. The trainer whose horse accumulates the most points in the qualifying races receives R20 000, second place gets R10 000 and third place R5 000.

And, a trainer also has the opportunity to scoop the pool if his runners fill the first three places at the end of the qualifying races.

The Golden Horse Weekend Witness Charity Challenge finals, over 1 200 metres, 1 600 metres and 2 000 metres, will be run at Scottsville on December 5 but the last of the qualifying events will be run today (November 17) and on Sunday, November 21.

At this stage, the log leaders are Mark Dixon’s Smithy’s Last and Doug Campbell’s Tilt The Turf but they are under severe pressure from Paul Lafferty’s Jungle Jive, Pat Lunn’s Mystic Charm and Tony Rivalland’s Ramp Model.

Ramp Model and Mystic Charm are carded to run at Greyville today (Wednesday) and Jungle Jive and Mystic Charm are down to compete on Sunday.

The Golden Horse Weekend Witness Charity Challenge races will be the main events on the card for the charity day at the Pietermaritzburg track where seven of the Capital’s welfare organizations will be hosting their guests in marquees and a special programme of entertainment and top-class racing will be staged.