WELCOME TO NELSON MANDELA BAY MAIDEN PLATE (For all Maidens)

THE STARTER REPORTED: a) CHASING CHEETAHS (M Mjoka) jumped inwards. b) JACK IN THE BOX (C Habib) was bumped leaving the stalls. c) COUP ROYAL (*P Mxoli), BADGE OF HONOUR (JP van der Merwe) and STEPDANCE (X Ndlovu) were slow into stride. THE STIPENDIARY STEWARDS REPORTED: a) After leaving the parade ring correctly shod, OPENING CEREMONY (R Munger) cast its right front shoe on the way to the start which had to be replaced. b) HORSEY (K Minnie) pulled hard in the early stages. c) When questioned regarding his riding of ADMIRALS CHANCE Jockey S Khumalo told the Stewards that from the widest draw, he elected to ride the colt to the lead as soon as the gates opened. He added that the fitment of the blinkers had made his task easier and that he had been able to clear the runners on his inside with relative ease. As the colt had natural pace in the early and middle stages, he was able to sustain a position in advance of the field until the closing stages when ADMIRALS CHANCE had commended to tire and had changed stride markedly on two separate occasions near to the 400m and the 200m. He added that when the colt had come under pressure, it had commenced to show a tendency to hang out and he was only passed by the other place-getters in close proximity of the finish. When it was put to Jockey Khumalo that he had used his crop on the colt until the concluding stages, he replied that as the colt had come to the end of its run, he elected to keep him balanced and to ride with his hands and heels until the finish. Mr Khumalo was advised that his report would be recorded and the Stewards had requested the veterinary surgeon examine ADMIRALS CHANCE to confirm if the colt had changed strides because of its early exertions and that it had come to the end of its run or if there was any other reason for it doing so. d) Jockey C Habib reported that he felt something amiss with JACK IN THE BOX. The veterinary surgeon was requested to examine this gelding. e) Jockey M Mjoka reported that CHASING CHEETAHS did not stride out freely in running. The veterinary surgeon was requested to examine this gelding. f) SURYAVARMAN, the winner, was selected for the taking of specimens for analysis. Trainer SB Kotzen, was advised. (SP) JOCKEY AND/OR EQUIPMENT CHANGES: a) DANI BOI raced with blinkers (declared 14h47 on 20220905) RACE CARD CHANGES / OTHER a) Nil THE VETERINARY SURGEON REPORTED: a) JACK IN THE BOX - examined post-race. Lame right front (2/5) b) CHASING CHEETAHS - examined post-race. Post-race distress c) ADMIRALS CHANCE - examined post-race. Nothing obvious detected d) BADGE OF HONOUR - coughing SCRATCHED: a) THE LAST BELLE - nasal discharge. Rule 53.5 applies (declared 06h22 on 20220909)