Bernard Fayd’Herbe

What is your name?  Bernard Fayd’Herbe and I am 31 years old.

What is your star sign and birthdate?  Virgo and I was born on 14 September 1981.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?  I was born in Durban and grew up in Madagascar. I went to the Academy in 1996 and stayed there for 5 years. Since 2001 I have lived in Cape Town.

Where do you live? Cape Town.

Tell us about your family?  My brother is Robert and he is assistant trainer to Mike Bass. My sister Ingrid lives in Madagascar. I have two half-brothers and one lives in England and the other in Cape Town.

Do you have a ‘nickname’?  No.

Favourite food?  Steak and chips.

Favourite drink?  Red wine.

Favourite music?  All sorts. It all depends on the mood.

Favourite sport?  Any outdoor sport.

Favourite soccer team?  Chelsea.

Favourite holiday destination?  Croatia.

What book are you reading at the moment?  Winning Form.

Which characteristic about yourself do you like the most?  I am very down to earth and I am easy going.

Where did you go to school and what qualification did you achieve?  I went to the Jockey Academy and got my Std. 8.

Being the grandson of the late Harold ‘Tiger Wright’ has obviously had a great influence on your life as a jockey. How much do you know about the career of your legendary grandfather and how has he assisted you?  He passed away when I joined the academy. He has assisted me by passing his genes onto me.

In which year did you become an apprentice and who were your fellow apprentices at the academy?  I became an apprentice in 1996 and there were 14 apprentices when I joined. I am the only one still riding.

Which senior people in racing had a major influence on you during your apprentice days?  Mr. Benji Jonsson and the late Michael Roberts.

Which senior jockey did you idolize growing up?  Jeff Lloyd.

Tell us about your first winner?  It was aboard a horse called Dollar Deal for the late Michael Roberts. It was my first ever ride in a race.

Tell us about your relationship with trainer Neil Bruss?  He started racing in Madagascar and we met up there. Neil Bruss and my mom sent me to the academy. He is more of a family friend than a trainer to me.

When did you relocate to Cape Town and who was the first trainer you worked for? Tell us about the experience and mention some of the better horses you were associated with during that time? In 2001 I started riding for Justin Snaith when he first started training. He was a nightmare to work for then and still is.

You have struck up an unbelievably successful relationship with the major Cape yards of Mike Bass and Justin Snaith. How did these partnerships come about and more importantly how has it been maintained?  Justin’s mom asked me to come to Cape Town to ride for him. I then rode for Mike Stewart and did really well. I moved back to Durban and while I was here Mike Bass offered me a job in Cape Town and I have never looked back.

You have been around for just over a decade but with the help of these top stable’s and high class horses have firmly entrenched yourself as one of South Africa’s leading jockeys. Did you ever envisage that you would enjoy such a successful career and in a relatively short space of time?  It has always been my ambition.

What factors do you attribute to your wealth of success?  The love of horses.  

Is it fair to say that the great POCKET POWER put Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s name on the South African horseracing map? Where is he now and do you still visit him?  Yes, definitely. It was a privilege for me to be associated with a horse like that. He is now in Constantia and I visit him whenever I get a chance.

What impact has he made on your life?  He has had a huge impact on my life. He basically put me in the limelight.

How many Grade 1 races did he win and in how many were you his pilot?  I won 7 grade 1’s on him and Jeff Lloyd partnered him to his other two.

Is there one particular memory of him that will stay with you forever?  His character.  

Many wise men often quote, “You make your own luck”. You have been blessed with incredible fortune as after being associated with the country’s best middle distance horse, you then struck up another unbelievably successful relationship with the champion sprinter, WHAT A WINTER. Tell us about him, your achievements aboard him and what impact he has made on your life?  He is a super racehorse. I rate him and JJ The Jet Plane on a par.

Is there one race that he won that sticks out in your memory?  I would have to say his last win in Jo’burg as he had to travel.

Sadly though, his career is almost over as he prepares for stud. However, he is set to have one more run during the KZN winter season in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint. How is he doing since his Computaform Sprint triumph and do you think that he will end his career on a winning note?  They have got him ticking over nicely as there is still a while until the Mercury Sprint. He is definitely the one to beat.

You have also had the privilege of partnering the great South African sprinter J J THE JET PLANE to glory in Dubai after a brilliant ride. How did you manage to secure the ride?  Piere was riding in Hong Kong. JJ was a difficult horse to ride in training and I had ridden him a few times during training and Lucky decided to keep me on him.

You will most probably enjoy the pick of the rides from the Bass and Snaith yards during the KZN winter season. Mention some of the horses from these respective stables that you think the public can follow with great interest?  For the Bass yard What A Winter and Abercrombie. For the Snaith yard Run For It.

Have you earmarked an early potential ride for yourself in the Vodacom Durban July?  Nothing as yet.

You have ridden RUN FOR IT on many occasions. He has always had great ability but couldn’t quite crack a ‘big one’. However, he produced an eye-catching comeback run in the Drill Hall Stakes after finally being gelded. Have you worked him recently and if so, what type of feel does he give since the gelding?  He is absolutely flying. He is definitely better since he has been gelded.

He could be a massive contender for the July. What are your thoughts on that?  I make him a big runner for the July.

What do you make of the strength of this crop of three-year olds?  It is hard to judge. Ormond Ferraris’s filly Cherry On The Top looks like a smart filly.

You recently won the Grade 2 KRA Fillies Guineas on FESTIVAL OF FIRE. What are your thoughts on her? What do you think will be her maximum trip?  She is a smart filly. I think her maximum trip will be up to the mile.

Scottsville’s biggest racemeeting of the year takes place this Saturday and features the customary jackpot of Grade 1 races. You were successful in the South African Fillies Sprint aboard Ebony Flyer last year. Tell us about the rides that you have secured for this year’s meeting? 

Race 6: Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion – I am riding CAPTAINS RESERVE. It is a very open race and I give him an each/way chance. 

Race 7: SA Fillies Sprint – I am riding PRINCESS VICTORIA. She is a smart filly but she is coming back after a 6 months break. It is never easy to come back fresh into a Grade 1 race to win. She is taking on some very smart fillies including Via Africa. I expect a big run from her but it will be no easy task.

Race 8: Golden Horse Sprint – I am riding CAP ALRIGHT for Justin Snaith. He is very consistent but I am not sure how he will handle the Scottsville track. He is working well at home and I give him a good each/way chance.

Were you fortunate enough to see the great Frankel run and what was your impression of him while watching him effortlessly beat his rivals?  He is an unbelievable horse. Best horse I have ever seen race.

Does watching a horse like that inspire you to get up in the morning to ride work in the hope that you may, someday, find yourself on a horse like Frankel?  Definitely, that’s what being a jockey is all about.

Although it is impossible to compare the two, how do you think Pocket Power, at his top, would have fared against a horse like Frankel?  I think he would have run second.

Right now our South African breeders are going through a purple patch. Which of the stallions really excite you?  Var, Captain Al and Western Winter.

Do you ever have a bet on a horse or is your enjoyment limited to riding and winning races?  It is limited to riding and winning races.

Do you think it is possible for you to win the jockeys championship considering that you can only ride top weights?  It would be hard but if I put my head to it then it can be done.

How many Grade 1 winners have you ridden?  More than 20.

How many July’s, Met’s or Summer Cups have you won?  I have won 2 Met’s, dead-heated in the July and I haven’t won the Summer Cup yet.

Which feature race, or races, do you still have a great desire to win?  Any grade 1 race would be an achievement.

What has been the most exciting moment for you as a jockey to date?  There have been many but any grade 1 is great.

Which are the different countries that you have ridden in?  I have ridden in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, France, Mauritius, Madagascar, Hong Kong, Singapore and Zimbabwe.

Mention some of the world famous jockeys that you have met and who is your favourite local/overseas jockey?  I have met all the famous jockeys. My favourite overseas jockey would have to be Christophe Soumillion who I think is brilliant and locally it would have to be between Anton Marcus and Piere Strydom.

Tell us about your sponsor Lektron and what benefits do they provide for you?  Lektron is owned by Keith Steinberg and it is a company that involves electrical appliances. They help me financially. They are a wonderful sponsor.

What do they expect from you in return?  I have to market their brand and they get lots of airtime from Tellytrack.

Do you have an agent?  Yes I do, James Everett.

Do you watch all of South Africa’s horseracing?  Yes, I do.

How is your weight doing now?  My weight is a handicap but I am coping well.   

Do you do anything extra apart from work riding and racing to keep yourself fit for racing?  Yes. I have a gym programme. I do yoga, spinning and lots of road running.

What are your short and long term ambitions?  My short term goal is to finish the season with as many grade 1’s as possible. My long term goal is to get more international exposure abroad.