Heavelon van der Hoven earned almost R630 000 for winning Saturday’s CTS Million Dollar on Illuminator but it will be the end of the year before the 23-year-old from Namibia can get his hands on it – and even then he won’t get it all, writes Michael Clower
Heavelon Van der Hoven salutes on the triumphant return to the winner’s enclosure (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Apprentices are credited with 7.5% of winning stakes but the Jockey Academy takes a cut (it is reluctant to say how much) and the rest goes into a trust account until the end of the apprenticeship. They can draw on it in the meantime but only for specific purposes and these require SAJA approval.
Van der Hoven completed his five years last month but, as he hadn’t ridden 50 winners (Saturday’s success was only his 23rd), he signed on for a further year so that he can continue to claim and riding master Terrance Welch is now arranging for him to go countrywide to increase his opportunities.
Welch said yesterday: “This couldn’t have happened to a better kid. He works his butt off and keeps his weight down so that he can ride at 50kg.”
Van der Hoven asked Glen Puller for the ride at exercise on Saturday morning when he heard that Weichong Marwing had what proved to be the most expensive sore back in the country.
Puller said: “Illuminator is a difficult boy and Heavelon rides him all the time at home. He also rode him to win his first two starts.”
Ex-jockey Puller,54, has been training since 1989 and has 38 horses at Milnerton. His immediate problem, apart from on what to spend his percentage of the near R8.4 million winning stake, is whether to geld the winner who has been haemo-concentrating.
Puller said: “Gelding is what he needs and what he ought to have. It has always been on the cards but he might just be too good for that now. We won’t rush the decision.”
Illuminator pricks his ears in the pre-race parade (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Francis Carruthers, backed by Puller’s advice, bought the Klawervlei-bred Trippi colt for R180 000 at the less fashionable March sale. Carruthers, boss of a company in the nuclear power industry, parted with 20% to Ian Robinson who had his own air-conditioning business before deciding to retire. He could have made a fortune in the present climate but he still collected over R1.3 million after deductions.
Contrary to expectation there were no reports of rough-riding – or fines or suspensions – and Aldo Domeyer, beaten only three-quarters of a length on 17-10 favourite Silver Mountain, reported: “She had every chance.”
However the stipes’ report suggests that Victorious Jay, a head away third, might have finished in front of her had he not been blocked and forced to switch just under two furlongs out.
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