In what is proving to be the dream season of his professional life, Winning Form-sponsored Richard Fourie registered his 300th winner of the term when guiding the popular fancy Commanding to victory for Glen Kotzen in the opener at a sunny Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
It was on 6 March that Fourie booted Parmenion home at Hollywoodbets Greyville for Garth Puller to bring his double century up.
And just ten weeks later the 300 is on the board as he joins a very select group of three top jockeys to ever reach that level in this country.
The talented jockey now continues his chase to beat Anthony Delpech’s 25 year long marker of 334.
Richard Fourie and trainer Glen Kotzen enjoy a moment after the milestone victory, as Woodhill assistant Chad Little looks on (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Hollywoodbets offered a R1 million incentive at the start of this season for the first jockey to beat the Delpech record, and that bar is surely just weeks away at Fourie’s current strike-rate.
Richard’s previous season best was 258, while he was crowned Highveld Feature Season Champion Jockey just 24 hours earlier.
With Cape form to much stronger than he faced on Sunday, it wasn’t difficult to find the Maine Chance-bred Commanding, a son of Cape Guineas winner William Longsword, who cost R275 000 on the Cape Premier Yearling Sale.
An emotional Richard Fourie saluted at the line and extended many thanks in the post-race interview, including that to Glen Kotzen, who has been one of his biggest supporters.
“To my ex-wife Tatum and my children, as well as my partner Andrea, thanks for making the sacrifices. To my support team – my agent Ken Nicol, it’s a chip and a putt from here. To my drivers in all the centres. To all the trainers and owners, and to my colleagues. The jockey room is a different place that it was five years ago. We are like family – in fact the jockeys see each other more than we do our families and friends, in many cases,” he laughed, as he extended thanks to his sponsors, Winning Form.
