The Jockey strike action that prematurely ended the Hollywoodbets Durbanville racemeeting on Wednesday 26 March 2025 has dominated South African horseracing news for the past 24 hours.
In the public interest, the Sporting Post is now able to publish a letter addressed today to the Coastal Jockeys Association by Cape Racing Chairman Gregory Bortz.
The letter, addressed for the attention of Messrs Aldo Domeyer and Corne Orffer, is published as received below.
Cape Racing Chairman Gregory Bortz – door remains open for constructive, purposeful engagement (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
At the outset, please be advised that this letter serves a dual purpose. It is a communication that is addressed to you and your members, and will also be shared via the media.
This matter has (and continues to) receive high social and traditional media attention, and the position of Cape Racing and Hollywoodbets needs to be aired in the same media.
It is with much sadness and frustration that I once again find myself sending a letter of this nature to the Coastal Jockeys’ Association (CJA). The jockeys’ industrial strike action at Hollywoodbets Durbanville, which resulted in the abandonment of our meeting on March 26, 2025, was deplorable, unacceptable, thoroughly avoidable and is condemned in the strongest possible terms.
The actions of the jockeys on the day have given South African racing a black eye in the international horseracing community and have caused considerable reputational and financial harm to our industry in general and Cape Racing in particular.
In conversations I have had with several jockeys in the past 24 hours, it is clear that most still do not “get it”.
I keep hearing the same things over and over again: “Mr Bortz, it was not right that the NHA stood Grant down immediately off his rides”, or “Mr Bortz, it is unfair that Grant got treated this way while jockey XXX got treated that way”, or “Mr Bortz, the NHA treats us so badly”, and on it goes.
My response to those grievances is that these complaints (no matter how well-founded they may be perceived to be or not be) are irrelevant to the matter at hand!
The issues here are that (i) jockey Grant Van Niekerk called into question the integrity of horseracing’s regulator on international TV, (ii) the NHA exercised its rights under its rules to have jockey Van Niekerk stood down, and (iii) the jockeys, unhappy with the NHA’s actions, acted in a manner that resulted in the cancellation of a race meeting, causing financial damage and further reputational harm.
In short, the issue at hand is the jockeys’ reaction to the NHA’s action. The jockeys’ reaction is completely inappropriate, regardless of one’s views on the NHA action. It is unjustifiable on every level.
I have also heard repeatedly, “We don’t want to hurt you, Mr Bortz, but we needed to take a stand”.
I have no issue with jockeys taking a stand – I have stood at your side so often already – but I have a big issue with the nature, timing and execution of your stand.
You have hurt yourselves way more than you have hurt me, but you have hurt our sport the most.
The racing operators, trainers, and jockeys (and other stakeholders, too, of course) are regulated by the NHA. It is mandated by law that the NHA serves as the regulator of our sport. Our regulator has rules. We are all obliged to follow them.
If one is unhappy with the rules or the enforcement thereof, there are appropriate forums and legal processes to address this. Striking on a race day is not one of them.
Presumably, you are earning plaudits on social media (I am not on social media, so thankfully, avoid the inevitable melee that ensues).
However, please do not misconstrue the support for jockeys (who bravely risk their lives every time they sit on a horse) for evidence of you doing the right thing. Most on social media are thoroughly unversed in the rules and regulations of the NHA and thus blindly applaud your actions without considering the consequences.
Listening to some jockeys say that “we are entitled to free speech” is the most frustrating aspect of the past twenty-four hours.
To be clear, under the Constitution of our country, we are all entitled to free speech and freedom of choice.
Jockeys have the right to choose whether they wish to be jockeys. That is a free choice. If they choose to do so, they need to be licensed by the NHA, and a condition of being granted that licence is agreeing to be bound by the NHA’s constitution, rules and code of conduct.
By deciding to be a jockey, the jockey is freely and explicitly agreeing to abide by the NHA’s rules and codes of conduct.
Grant Van Niekerk similarly agreed to these rules and deliberately ignored them. So, the jockeys’ solidarity with their colleague was sadly misplaced.
If jockeys do not wish to adhere to the rules of the NHA or believe, as Grant Van Niekerk suggested, that it is pointless being a jockey in South Africa, they are free to exercise their rights to give up their licences. But jockeys cannot have it both ways – decide to be licensed and earn money from riding while ignoring the rules and codes of conduct by which they agreed to be bound.
As you know, I spoke with all the jockeys in the jockey room after they expressed their frustrations with Grant Van Niekerk being stood down.
I made it clear that the jockeys had numerous options in engaging with the NHA or expressing their frustrations. This included, if jockeys so chose, refusing to ride in future meetings until the jockeys felt as a collective that their voices and grievances were heard.
However, I asked you all to finish the race meeting, as many owners were on the course watching their horses, our broadcast was going out worldwide, and the costs of putting on the race meeting had already been incurred.
I was happy to assist in any way possible, but I asked simply that you all ride out the balance of the meeting. You collectively heard me.And you collectively decided to ignore the request. You made the wrong decision.
You may have gotten the subsequent praise from certain sections of the online social media “echo chamber” that likes to curse and insult the NHA.
But you have not helped your relationship with the NHA itself, and you have not helped yourselves with those who pay for the sport (who do so at a considerable personal loss) and who do so that you and other stakeholders can earn a living.
After listening to jockey Van Niekerk’s comments and seeing the jockeys’ strike actions, we received phone calls from major industry participants worldwide, all expressing dismay and disappointment.
One international buyer on our recent sale asked if we could buy back his horse as he no longer wished to race in South Africa. I also know that certain sponsors (of our races and jockeys) are similarly concerned.
It was repeated multiple times to me that “without jockeys, there is no racing”, as if this underpins the jockeys’ collective power.
Sadly, you are badly mistaken! Without financial support and the willingness of others (benefactors and owners) to fund this bottomless pit, there are no horses for jockeys to sit on!
The point being – if jockeys stopped riding, there is no racing; if trainers stop training, there is no racing; if Hollywoodbets stops funding, there is no racing; if grooms stop working, there is no racing; if racing operators stop putting on races, there is no racing. And on it goes. We are all vital cogs in the wheel.
All stakeholders are indispensable. Your self-perceived critical importance seemingly empowered you to act egregiously.
Those who own racehorses do so out of love and passion for a sport. Racing is a hobby for almost all owners and not an occupation. It is very easy for owners to “give up” the game.
No one does a hobby for reasons other than fun.
Your collective actions of March 26th at Hollywoodbets Durbanville are undoubtedly causing owners to question their sanity.
Personally, my love for racing dropped many levels yesterday.
To make matters worse, after your strike resulted in the abandonment of our race meeting, I am aware (via photographic evidence) of two jockeys happily sitting down at a certain trainer’s table in the members’ area, enjoying refreshments and a laugh.
I regard it as a personal affront that jockeys (who happened to be at the epicentre of the strike) could be so brazen and disrespectful to think they could “hang out” at the very racecourse that has just seen a meeting abandoned as a result of their actions.
Finally, let me be unequivocally clear – yesterday’s strike was illegal. Every jockey who still had carded rides was in breach of contract. As a result of that breach, considerable losses have been incurred.
Legal advice may well be sought regarding the recovery of those losses from the persons responsible therefor.
Your “brave unity” could find itself being extended to “shared responsibility and liability” for damage claims brought against you.
My feelings on this matter have now been clearly conveyed.
Now it is time to turn to the consequences of the actions of the jockeys.
Effective immediately, as a result of this strike, we have decided to implement the following actions.
We will monitor the situation closely and may choose to make amendments in due course.
But as of now, we are taking the following steps:
- The Hollywoodbets Durbanville race meeting scheduled for April 2nd, 2025, will be canceled.
- The Hollywoodbets Kenilworth race meeting scheduled for April 6, 2025, will be canceled.
- We will assess at that juncture whether to cancel more meetings, or introduce apprentice and / or work rider days, or a combination thereof, or continue as normal.
- The additional Race Cape bonus jockeys’ riding fees of R250 per ride in the Cape is suspended indefinitely.
My only hope is that you can process the contents of this letter and reflect on the appropriateness of your actions.
As always, my door is open for constructive, purposeful engagement.
- This letter is signed by Gregory Bortz, Chairman of Cape Racing.
- Ed – images by Chase Liebenberg & text highlights – for illustration only.
