Former SA Champion jockey Andrew Fortune leaves Mauritius this week and will return to South Africa. Fortune captured the imagination of the passionate local racing public , and the stipes, in his short stint on the Indian Ocean Island paradise.
From 42 rides Fortune rode 7 winners with 10 second places, 9 thirds and 4 fourths. His win strike rate was a healthy 16.7 percent. The Stipes gave him a send off when slapping him with a Rs 25 000 fine for his ride on Count Emmanuale on Saturday.
Writing on his Facebook page, Fortune indicated that he had enjoyed his stint. “I just want to thank you all for a great experience in your wonderful country. I loved your racing, the passion and the crowd that comes with it, and loved the friendliness of your people too, the beaches and the warm baguettes. I loved that I could bring smiles to some of your faces. “These are moments that I’ll treasure. I am glad you got to see me – Andrew Fortune – because what you saw is who I am as a person. I will sadly be leaving on Thursday morning but will love to come back in the near future. Cheers for now – dresser partout! Xx”
There are only three meetings left of the 2013 Mauritius Racing Season, with the annual Jockey International bringing the curtain down on Saturday 30 November and Sunday 1 December.