Gareth van Zyl could only be acknowledged as champion after the very last race of the season, so closely was the championship fought. (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
The KZN Trainers Championship went down to the wire today.
There was just one win separating Gareth van Zyl and Alyson Wright before the eight race poly meeting held on the last day of the racing season.
However, both trainers had blanks meaning Van Zyl regains the title he lost to Garth Puller last season.
Wright had the favourite in the last race, Sweet Julia (What A Winter), and this consistent 1000m specialist delivered a promising looking challenge from a handy position under Rachel Venniker.
However, the Louis Goosen-trained Drive By (Rafeef) had come from last and was going best of all.
Drive By duly got up by half-a-length under 4kg claimer Brevan Plaaitjies.
The title would have been shared had Wright won that race as there is no count out system in place like there is in Hong Kong.
38-year-old Van Zyl took out his own license in 2016, with his first runner on October 28 of that year being a winner, so he has risen meteorically.
That is especially in light of his initial chief owner departing less than a year after he had taken out his license, meaning he had to virtually rebuild from scratch.
