Alec Forbes – cracking five winners at Greyville for a career best performance
With the focus on the International Jockey Challenge at Turffontein on Saturday, 38 year old KZN jockey Alec Forbes grabbed the limelight on the national stage when he booted home a career best five winners on his hometown track of Greyville.
The quietly spoken Forbes, known as ‘Al’ to many of his friends, was in dazzling form and could do little wrong, winning on 5 of his 8 mounts, of which 2 were pick-up rides.
The Greyville polytrack meeting had been brought forward from Sunday and with many riders having Johannesburg commitments, Forbes was fortunate to nab a prized extra mount or two along the way.
He scored a double for two yards.
He won the second race on Gemini Gold (22/10) and the sixth on Cherry Tripper (3/1) both for Dennis Bosch, the fifth race on Red Rover (8/1) and the eight race on Blizzard Belle (4/1) for the Alastair Gordon stable and the seventh on Wendy Whitehead’s Lady Carter (15/2).
That is number five! Alec Forbes drives Blizzard Belle home to win the last
Mike De Kock’s former apprentice rode his first winner at just his eighth ride on Don’t Blame Me for Snowy Reid and has developed into a thinking, powerful jockey who has notched 7 Gr1 winners to date in a career that has seen him ride close on 800 winners.
Forbes, like any jockey, has had his highs and lows and has been associated with the great sprinters Val De Ra and Via Africa. He has also enjoyed stints riding for some of the top stables in the country.
The Manchester United supporter is married to KZN trainer Lezeanne Forbes and surely ranks as one of the most underrated jockeys in the country today.
Well done Alec!
