It's not about insects, and it only involves racehorses. It's the epic battle for South Africa's jockey championship between Anton Marcus and Anthony Delpech.

A handful of winners has separated the two aces for weeks and, with 10 days left in the season, the showdown is a humdinger.

It has been a while since we have had such a close-run title race, and the fact that the antagonists are two of the best riders the country has produced adds extra spice.

Punters have had a big bonus with the two Ants booting home hatsful of winners - shortening odds on anything they ride, but significantly upping the likelihood of the critters winning.

Both jocks normally have high winners-to-rides ratios, but this competition has given them extra oomph.

"These chappies are riding like men possessed!" exclaimed my pal Colonel Machinegun, noted punter and bon vivant.

Also cashing in are owners and trainers, with booking agents for two exceptional pilots frantically vying for engagements on any in-form nags - though it is rather hard cheese for other jockeys who lose out on promising mounts.

The frenzy of the title chase is curious as there is no financial incentive - the prize is just an Equus Award gong and one's name in a history book. And both jockeys have been South African champion before, Delpech twice and Marcus three times; both have ridden successfully on bigger stages abroad, and each has won four Julys - Delpech getting his fourth earlier this month on Igugu.

You would expect them to be blasé. Yet we're seeing an old-fashioned sense of honour surfacing.

Delpech, retained by top trainer Mike de Kock, but who also rides freelance on the Highveld and in KwaZulu-Natal, had seemed to be coasting home in mid-season. But then Marcus, the reigning champion and also a Jo'burg-Durban frequent flyer, started hauling him in.

Delpech reluctantly took to travelling to Port Elizabeth on Fridays to ride and try to keep his lead. Two weeks ago, he bagged four there and went six clear. But Marcus hit back the next day with three at Turffontein. And so it went, through the week, as both flashed by the 200-winners mark.

On Monday, Marcus snatched three more on a surprise visit to Kimberley - a place the national champ is not wont to frequent.

They're both in Port Elizabeth today, then go head-to-head at Turffontein tomorrow and Scottsville on Sunday. The script is for a denouement at the Gold Cup meeting at Greyville next Saturday, but the duel might spill over to Sunday in Johannesburg and the last races of the season.

One bookie this week offered odds of 12/10 Delpech, 18/10 Marcus and 3/1 a tie.

The apprentice jockey championship is a one-horse race, with JP van der Merwe's 92 wins being more than twice the tally of his nearest rival.

TURFFONTEIN TOMORROW: PA - 4,14 x 1 x 1,4 x 4,7,15 x 14,16 x 2,4,11 x 2,5 (R144).