Demon double! Sean Veale is riding at his best.
The only thing more pleasurable and rewarding than backing a winner is watching a talented jockey at his best after having turned his career around. Sean Veale is one such man. And his double at Clairwood on 2 October was further proof that his is a name to be pencilled in for the future.
We go on day after day in these pages about the champions and top guys, but Sean Veale earned our unofficial ‘ride of the month’ award this afternoon when getting the Silvano filly, Faire Silvano, up in the dying strides to win a modest Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1450m. It was a helluva polished ride from the young man.
It’s a glamorous game this and everyone has an opinion about jockeys. They earn too much. Have too much free time. Take too much of the credit. But on the flipside, we also forget quickly. Just consider for a moment – names like Conrad Wilkinson, Gerrit Viljoen, Nathan Danster,Tyron Langdon-and more recently S’Mango Khumalo, amongst a host of others. Injured, out and a mere statistic. Anybody care to update us?
Sean Veale has resurrected his career after a few uncertain years of growing up, finding his feet and generally sowing his wild oats. Fast cars, the good life and parties are a delectable distraction for any youngster with time and money to burn – nothing wrong with that at all, really. Today Veale is a jockey to be taken very seriously and his association with the powerful Yogas Govender yard, combined with his improved work ethic, has seen him climbing the charts.
The Veale deal. A brilliant ride on Faire Silvano!
It was his ride on Faire Silvano that caught our eye. Backed into 22-10 at her second outing after an impressive fifth placed sprint debut, the chestnut was bound to be green in her first start around the bend. But Veale rode the proverbial pearler, nursing her all the way around as the cunning Robbie Fradd dictated things out front on Moet Magic. Fradd got the Tarry filly to kick-rather unexpectedly- again at the 300m. But the pressure began to tell as she hung badly outwards – into the path of a winding Veale and Faire Silvano. In a display of maturity and level headedness, Veale didn’t panic but checked and gather his filly, before straightening her in crisp cucumber calculation to reach and grab his vastly more experienced colleague. Every picture tells a story and Veale deserves all the credit – even Mr Fradd would concede that! Top drawer stuff.
Veale closed the day in driving rain and darkness in the final race, an MR74 Handicap over 1200m, when he had Lizard’s Passion tracking the enthusiastic Kirov, before drawing away late to win with ease. Blinkers and sprinting have lifted the son of Lizard Island’s game after we previously labelled him a brass after a run of five straight maiden places, before winning his last start at Scottsville.He should go on to win his way through the ranks on this level of performance.
Champion challenge. Marcus and Delpech go head to head.
Anton Marcus and Anthony Delpech had ridden a grandstand finish at this same track in mid-July when they were still fighting out the latter stages of the previous season’s jockey championship and they almost produced a replay this afternoon in the penultimate race. Marcus was riding the unbeaten Snitzel colt Unnanounced – who had shared that July thriller with Second Tycoon-when he found himself chasing Delpech and Tennessee Strategy, who looked to have poached a winning lead in the final stages. In a brilliant display, Marcus got his mount to rally and grab the verdict in a thriller. The champion jockey admitted afterwards that he had forgotten where the winner’s enclosure was and that his head had told him that Delpech was on the better of the Laird pairing – but that his heart suggested different. Shows- we should be listening to our hearts!
In Japan, Rocket Man ran a somewhat disappointing fourth in the Gr1 sprint today after encountering a less than smooth passage. Hard luck Fred, Pat and Felix. He’ll bounce back – champions always do.
