Johnny Geroudis obviously thrives in Mauritius. After his great Phoenix Maiden Cup win of last weekend, he grabbed yet another feauture winner on Saturday when Disa Leader strolled home to an easy win. For good measure, Geroudis helped himself to a nice double when winning on the former Mike de Kock trained Waterside Jet.
FORM
It always pays to follow form jockeys and Richard Fourie and Corne Orffer are another two jockeys who have visited the winner’s enclosure with regularity and grabbed a win apiece on Saturday. French jockeys Gaëtan Faucon and Cedric Ségéon won with Juanfra and Baraloche respectively while Irishman , Robbie Burke won with the former Basil Marcus –trained Governator and is still in the driving seat on the jockey’s log. Roland Boutanive was the only Mauritian jockey to win on the day when he drove Patrick Merven’s charge, Twilight Rush, to a good win..
Disa Leader must now be a strong contender for the ‘Horse of The Year 2010’ title. The powerful Parade Leader gelding who is trained by Gilbert Rousset, hardly broke into a sweat when winning his fourth race from five starts this season. He travelled in midfield and drew away to beat Seattle Ice by three lengths in a new course record time. Geroudis also won the second race on the favourite Waterside Jet. He travelled in midflield for most of the race before making his decisive move at the 400 metres mark.
BALLITO BOMB
Cape jockey Richard Fourie looks like he is going to make his mark in Mauritius. The young man won the first race on Campus after getting up on the line to edge Velvet Dance. Fourie was then unlucky on Count Me In who was hampered badly at the 800 metres mark and recovered to finish a good fourth. Corne Orffer was probably expecting to win at least two races but had to contend himself with the long shot Ballito Boy, who was winning his thirteenth start here! This fellow can run on his day and was promising when based with Herman Brown Jnr in KwaZulu-Natal. He could pay to follos.
Jockey Cedric Ségéon is trying his utmost to catch the log leader Robbie Burke and the French jockey is still six wins adrift after his win on the former Hassen Adams owned Baraloche. But Burke looks very strong and is brimming with confidence and he kept up the relentless pressure when winning the seventh on Governator. The Maigrot –trained grey gelding proved that his win at the 21st meeting on heavy going was no fluke.
PEOPLE NEWS
Jockey Glen Hatt was not allowed to ride last Saturday following a protest from trainer Serge Henry. The latter was not happy that his own jockey. Corne Orffer, who returned to Durban last week for the funeral of his brother- in- law, had to be back in Mauritius before the race card was published so that he could ride. Hatt had flown to Cape Town to visit his ill mother and only reached Mauritius on Thursday afternoon and after the race card had been published. Hatt had been given the green light to ride but following Henry’s protest, the Stewards applied consistency and forced him to stand down.
Rye Joorawon, Nishal Teeha and Vinay Naiko are serving suspensions while apprentice Roby Bheekary and jockeys Robbie Burke and Edouard Lacaille, will also serve a one week suspension.
Shane Dye is still in Mauritius and, according to reports; hunting for a new job. Reports indicate that he met with some of Patrick Merven’s big owners to present his credentials. Merven has denied this.
