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Mhlabeni has been a soldier for owner and trainer Duncan McKenzie (Pauline Herman Photography) 

Duncan “Skrik Vir Niks” McKenzie is grateful to his stable mainstay Mhlabeni for helping pay the wages and rates him with a chance tomorrow in the fifth race on the Fairview turf, a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1600m.

He said, “He beat a fair field last time and he’s taking on a good field again, but I’m expecting him to run well. He has been the soldier in my yard. He has won me six races and I don’t know how many places.”

Duncan quipoed, “When I need to pay wages I run him!”

Mhlabeni does not have an easy task tomorrow facing the like of Grazinginthegrass, Brendan James, Cherry Ano, Bush Tracker and Perfection.

Duncan concluded, “He’s drawn widest of all but it’s not a big field (8 runners). He’s well in himself, so let’s hope.”

Mhlabeni won at odds of 50/1 last time in a 1400m event with the blinkers put back on after they had been taken off for about four runs. They are on again tomorrow and Keanan Steyn retains the ride.

The six-year-old gelding had Bush Tracker behind him last time by 0,80 lengths, but he is now 1,5kg worse off with that one.

However, four of Mhlabeni’s six career wins have been over 1600m, so he will enjoy the step back up in trip.

He led from a wide draw of eleven out of 14 last time and stayed on resolutely.

Over this longer trip he will hopefully get to the front more easily.

Mhlabeni is well bred being by Elusive Fort out of Silvano filly Field Flower, who won the Gr 1 Cape Fillies Guineas at odds of 50/1 back in 2009.

Mhlabeni was one of the many horses who were sold or moved out of Cape Town when proving to be not good enough in that strongest of centres.

One of Cape Racing’s targets when Greg Bortz and his team took over was to stop this drain of horses away from Cape Town.

Bortz said back in July, 2022, “We are going to be holding lots more races for lower-rated horses, widening the appeal, adding to the programme – without taking anything away from our offering for the best horses.”

Bortz was true to his word, as usual, and the effect of this is being felt in the East Cape.

Duncan admitted there were less horses coming from Cape Town and bolstering the East Cape yards, which has made it tougher.

However, he is a Bortz fan and wished out aloud that he would one day take over East Cape racing.