Newly crowned SA Champion jockey Richard Fourie made a winning return to race-riding at Fairview on Tuesday when he booted home three winners on the eight race card.
The Winning form-sponsored jockey will celebrate his comeback to action via three Fairview racemeetings. He set a new record of 119 winners in the Eastern Cape last term – 109 of those were for Alan Greeff.
Richard Fourie guides Vintage Crystal to victory (Pic – Pauline Herman)
The last week of August has seen a sparse diet of local racing, and as Fourie is not riding in the Cape on Saturday, his next two racemeetings are at Fairview on Friday 30 August and on Tuesday 2 September.
Admitting that he had not been near a horse in three weeks, the champion took his season tally to six winners, riding a double (4-10 Vintage Crystal & 28-10 Erimitage) for Kelly Mitchley, and then rounded off the racemeeting on the 28-10 Arturo for Alan Greeff.
National log-toppers Sean Veale (21 winners) and Muzi Yeni (19 winners) did not ride today, while Smanga Khumalo and Gavin Lerena are tied in third place on 15 winners each. Lerena’s strike-rate of 29,4% is impressive and he could be a player.
Fourie is currently quoted at 8-10 with Hollywoodbets to register a national title double, with Muzi Yeni (5-1) second favourite, ahead of Gavin Lerena and Craig Zackey on 8-1. Other longshot bets are Smanga Khumalo (16-1) and Grant van Niekerk (84-1).
See the betting here.
There is no local racing on Wednesday, with Vaal next on Thursday – off time is 12h13.
