Former SA champion jockey Smanga ‘Bling’ Khumalo will want to put the memory of Saturday’s WSB Gr2 Gauteng Guineas well behind him after going down a head second and picking up a suspension and a fine in the process.
The Championships season certainly kicked off with a bang at Turffontein Racecourse as 4Racing hosted the first race day of the season, the Gauteng Guineas Day.
Smanga Khumalo (brown cap) and Rachel Venniker slug it out (Pic – JC Photos)
Khumalo and champion apprentice Rachel Venniker provided the thriller of the afternoon , when Royal Victory and Eye Of The Prophet went hammer and tongs to the wire, with the talented lady rider gaining the upper-hand with a supreme display of horsemanship to win the opening leg of the SA Triple Crown on Paul Matchett’s Eye Of The Prophet.
But the Stipes didn’t enjoy what they saw:
Watch the concluding stages here:
It has been reported that in the concluding stages, Eye Of The Prophet (Venniker) was bumped in and then was carried in significantly by Khumalo’s mount Royal Victory, which shifted in away from the crop.
Khumalo was thus charged with a contravention of Rule 62.2.7 in that he failed to ensure that he did not cause interference to Eye Of The Prophet n the concluding stages. Khumalo signed an Admission of Guilt and is suspended from riding in races for a period of ten days, the dates of which will be advised.
Khumalo was also charged with a contravention of Rule 58.10.2 (read with Guideline M on the use of the crop) in that he misused his crop by striking Royal Victory more than twelve times in the race. Jockey Khumalo signed an Admission of Guilt and was fined R12 000.
When assessing the penalty, the Board took into consideration the number of times the crop was used (15), the manner in which and the distance over which the crop was used, the status of the race as well as Jockey Khumalo’s recent record with regard to this Rule and Guideline.
To rub salt into the Guineas wound, Khumalo was pipped by Venniker in the final race of the day when Gimmealight got up in the final stride to beat In The Beginning.
So high drama and excitement to launch the Highveld feature season!
Upcoming races in The Championships series are as follows:
Day 2: Classic Day, 4 March:
- World Sports Betting SA Classic (Grade 1) (Second leg of the Triple Crown)
- Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic (Grade 1) (Second leg of the Triple Tiara)
Day 3: Derby Day, 1 April:
- World Sports Betting SA Derby (Grade 1) (Third leg of the Triple Crown)
- Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks (Grade 2) (Third leg of the Triple Tiara)
- H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes (Grade 1)
Day 4: Ladies Day, 15 April:
- HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes (Grade 1)
Day 5: Championships Finale, Champions Day, 29 April:
- Premier’s Champions Challenge (Grade 1)
- Computaform Sprint (Grade 1)
- SA Nursery (Grade 2)
- SA Filles Nursey (Grade 2)
- Gerald Rosenberg Stakes (Grade 2)
- Camellia Stakes (Grade 2)
- Gold Bowl (Grade 3)
