Durban-based Grant Harrison (alias Arheddis Varkenjaab) has won the third of six Saftote Champion Punter competitions this season in a canter. Harrison, Piere Strydom`s agent for rides outside the Highveld, led the field by only slightly more than R300 after the third weekend, but flattened the opposition on the final weekend with four winners from five bets. His three principal Win bets were R732 on Catalina in Race 6 at Durbanville (returned R2708), R700 on Hurricane Season in Race 8 at Turffontein (returned R3430) and R900 on Alcatraz in Race 9 at Turffontein (returned R1890).

It was all too much for the other punters and Harrison, disqualified from the first competition, finished with a balance of R9671. This was a whopping R6557 more than runner-up R and D Riders, while the Mal Syndicate finished third with R2580 after being in second place after the third weekend. R and D Riders were in eighth place going into the last weekend, but ran on strongly courtesy of an astute Swinger bet in the Cape Hunt race at Durbanville last Saturday, which returned R1994.

Malcolm Dixon was the strongest finisher. Out of the leading 20 after the third weekend, he won a R100 Swinger bet on Boomtown Girl and Presque Isle in the last race at Newmarket last Sunday, which rocketed his balance from R193 to R1833. Trainer and Tellytrack tipster, Joe Soma, finished out of the top 20 in the third Saftote Champion Punter competition, but leads the overall competition. He has participated in all three competitions and has an overall balance of R9858.

Arheddis Varkenjaab is second overall with a balance of R9672, but has completed only one competition. He must contest two of the remaining competitions to qualify for the grand prizes. Wackjack is third overall with R8080 and has competed in all three competitions to date.

The top 20 finishers in Saftote Champion Punter Competition Three:

Arheddis Varkenjaab R9671

R and D Riders R3114

Mal Syndicate R2580

Malcolm Dixon R1833

The Analyst R1595

Jayembee R1592

www.SAhorseracing.COM R1151

Lucky Seven Gang R730

Royal Punters R685 G.C. R650

The Gorilla Man R585

Peak Performance R459

Gottobeinittowinit R416

Neil Andrews R380

Bright R353

Cobobjohn R341

Muesli R332

Haydn R273

Enembee R248

Shunter The Punter R230