The hijacking of the Hollywoodbets Durbanville racemeeting on Wednesday, after what was a unanimous show of solidarity to a suspended colleague, by a mixed group of local and away jockeys, led to, amongst others, aggravation, embarrassment, financial losses, and robbed 52 horses a run and their owners close on R600 000 in potential stakes earnings with five races abandoned on the afternoon.
Noble Hero charges home to win the third and last race at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Wednesday (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The official Stipes report states that the abandonment of the race meeting was orchestrated by the Jockeys, who protested following the running of the third race and unanimously refused to proceed to the parade ring after an interim suspension was imposed by the National Horseracing Authority on Jockey Grant van Niekerk in terms of Rule 91.2. following his television interview after the second race.
Consequently, Cape Racing, in light of this development, made a decision to abandon the remainder of the race meeting. An Inquiry will be opened into this matter.
While the report does not name the individual riders, a simple reference to the term ‘unanimous’ and the index of the racecard on the day shows that the group likely includes a past SA Champion, the present SA Champion, and a number of retained and sponsored jockeys.
The official racecard index reflects the names of Ashton Arries, Devin Ashby, Craig Bantam, Aldo Domeyer, Richard Fourie, Gavin Lerena, Chad Little, Mpume Mjoka, Louis Mxothwa, Oswald Noach, Corne Orffer, Joshwin Solomons, Keanan Steyn, JP van der Merwe, Sean Veale, Morne Winnaar and Gareth Wright, as having rides from the fourth race.
With racing unlikely in the Cape in the immediate future, and with the 2 April fixture under review, at least three of the jockeys engaged on Wednesday are fortunate to have commitments at Turffontein on Champions Day – a proudly Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool event.
Coincidentally, the top two jockeys with engagements on Wednesday have ridden over 1200 horses between them this season, and grossed stakes of close on R45 million. Big earners in a country where over 8 million people are jobless and the national minimum wage is R28-79 per hour.
Maybe there is a gross loss of perspective somewhere?
The industry might well need change – but it cannot be effected through reckless ransom like happened on Wednesday.
Consequences must surely follow.
The Sporting Post will publish the jockeys’ side of things later today.
The Turffontein racemeeting today starts at 12h40.
