Marcus looking to close the gap

WITH ten meetings to go and lying nine winners behind Tony Cruz, Basil Marcus looks set to pull back some of the deficit with a strong book of rides tonight.

Etoile D'Or, Golden Chance and Classic Warrior could easily land the South African with a winning treble. He also has modest claims with On The Double in the first race and Limelight later on the card.

Cruz, who last won the jockeys' title in 1986 is desperately keen triumph again, but looks set to play second fiddle to Marcus tonight.

It is also the last equitrack meeting of the season, and no one rides better than Marcus on the synthetic surface, so what better chance to put some pressure on Cruz.

Classic Warrior could easily be the one to round of a good night for Marcus in the last event on the card over 1,600 metres.

The David Hill trained four-year-old has only struck the surface once before which was two starts back, and also over the mile trip.

Although there may have been some doubts about going into that race, he quickly dispelled those thoughts with a top run and only went down by a neck in a bob of the heads at the finish to run second.

Significantly, House Honour and sea Diamond who finished just behind him that day, have both gone on to subsequent wins, albeit on the turf.

It may be argued against him that he is to carry 140 pounds and is still a Hongkong maiden, but he shouldered the same weight under similar conditions two starts back and having run three close seconds already this season, is overdue for a change of luck.

Local Colour, trained by Neville Begg and ridden by Robert Thomspon looms as the major threat to my selection.