Damyan Grabs His First Winner In Style

Keeping cucumber cool under pressure is second nature to 17 year old second year SA Jockey Academy apprentice Damyan Pillay, who booted home the well-supported Red Mountain at Hollywoodbets Scottsville in his home city of Pietermaritzburg on Sunday.

Backed from 10’s to 7-2, the Robbie Hill-trained Red Mountain was given a perfectly balanced ride by the matriculant, who was writing a final Life Orientation exam less than 24 hours later.

But the weight of stable or punter money, and the impending exam on Monday, looked to be the last things on Damyan’s mind as he calmly produced the first-time blinkered son of Potala Palace to win going away, for the thrilled rider’s first career winner.

With his family on course, Damyan broke the ice at just his eighteenth ride and looks set to be an asset to local trainers as he goes through his 4kg claim in the next few months.

While her son is focussed on his studies, the Sporting Post spoke to proud Mum Anneleen Pillay on Monday.

A 47 year old Afrikaans teacher and educator for some 27 years, the Grade 12 Head Of Department at St John’s Diocesan School For Girls in Pietermaritzburg was at Hollywoodbets Scottsville with the happy apprentice’s 52 year old Dad Yugan, a Finance Admin Manager at Medi-Clinic, and 13 year old sister, Thalya.

“We are so thrilled at what Damyan has achieved in short time. Even though we raced horses for many years in the pre-covid years, the sense of joy that we felt on Sunday was something too special for words,” added the delighted Mum as she told of how Damyan’s interest in horses had commenced when he joined the Canterbury Equestrian Centre at the age of 6.

“With both of his late Grandfather’s loving the game, and us owning horses, horseracing is part of our DNA. Showjumping was the start for Damyan and he simply loved being around the horses. That coaching and experience probably gave him a confidence edge when he joined the SA Jockey Academy. We hardly see him as he is always working these days!” she laughed.

A riding accident at the age of 10 almost proved a setback for Damyan.

“He was really very shaken. But I am probably not the stereotyped mollycoddling Mom. I told him that the best thing to do was to get back on the horse as soon as possible, and while it took some convincing, he never looked back – and we stand here today as a very proud family, with Damyan on his way towards his dream of being a professional jockey.”

With race-riding a dangerous profession, we asked Anneleen whether she was nervous watching her son on the back of a half-ton thoroughbred at high speed.

“We know he loves what he is doing. That’s all that counts,” she adds.

The Orient Heights family can look back on something of a plan come together and Anneleen explained to the Sporting Post that her good son was not accepted originally at the world-renowned SA Jockey Academy as applicants had to be 16 in Grade 10.

“His birthday is late in the year,12 November, but he was resolved to pursue a riding career and has enjoyed his time there. But we are also determined collectively that he gets his Matriculation pass. My being a school-teacher has meant that he and his sister keep their eye on the ball in terms of education. A career as a professional jockey is a dream for Damyan, but he understands that he has to have an educational foundation to fall back on to.”

A former St Charles College student, Damyan is quite tall, and Mom says that he was actually ‘very tiny’ for a large part of his teen years, but has ‘grown up substantially’.

“In the SAJA assessment, they take account of the applicant’s Mother’s height. As I am vertically disadvantaged, the opinion was that Damyan is unlikely to grow much taller than he is now!” laughs Anneleen, as she tells that he has always had a sporting bent, enjoying squash and hockey.

Asked about life and values, Anneleen says that their family philosophy is ‘do good, be good’ and that she believes that respect and values are learnt at home.