Champ challenge for Matsoele

Mongqawa has picked up some promising rides.

- Jack Milner

Will work rider Tshepiso Matsoele be able to achieve something that the likes of Piere Strydom, Gavin Lerena and Muzi Yeni have been unable to do - get Dylan's Champ into the No 1 box.

In his eight starts so far, the three-year-old Rafeef gelding was placed six times, four of them being second place finishes. In all of those runner-up spots Fabian Habib's runner has not been beaten by more than 0.30 lengths.

Today he lines up in Race 1 at the Vaal in a Work Riders Maiden Plate over 1300m, and once again he has been priced up an odds-on favourite to finally shed his maiden tag.

Dylan's Champ has been costly to follow so his current odds of 4-10 do not look attractive but it is not the strongest of fields and this does look the kind of race that could give this gelding a boost of confidence.