S’manga Khumalo – has done his time
SA Champion Jockey S’manga Khumalo returns to Durbanville this afternoon after a nine year absence and renews his association with the powerful Snaith Racing Team at the final Durbanville meeting for many months.
Khumalo was given the boot by the top yard at the end of June after a shocker of a ride on their horse Captain Courteous at Fairview on 24 June.
The son of Captain Al was beaten into second, and subsequently won his next two starts.
“We cannot be associated with any form of unprofessionalism, and while we realise that the disciplinary processes must still run their course, we owe it to our patrons and the racing public to ensure our horses perform on their best merit and ability,” said Jono Snaith at the time.
Khumalo was subsequently charged with a contravention of Rule 62.2.1 in that he failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures from approximately the 450m to ensure that Captain Courteous had been given a full opportunity to win or obtain the best possible placing.
He sat out his sixty day suspension which ended on 7 October and is back for the Snaiths today with six top rides.
Bling has not ridden at the Big D since the 2006/07 season when he had one winner, two seconds and a third from ten rides.
He is in for regular Snaith stable rider Richard Fourie who was injured when his colleague Corne Orffer caused his mount Rock Stewart to clip heels and fall at last week’s Durbanville meeting. Orffer got a two week suspension for his negligence.
Durbanville – facelift begins
Work will commence on the upgrading of the Durbanville track on Saturday 22 October and plans are to re-open the facility in April 2017.
The track will be a very different venue in six months time!
The turf will be pulled up and maintained with a view to replanting it.
The corrugated surface will be levelled and the running surface widened.
The 1000m will no longer jump right on the turn as a dog-leg will be installed. A cross- four will be introduced on the final turn into the home straight – and will be cambered like a cycle track.
This will visually appear to make the bend look wider and it will also go some way to negating the draw bias.
