The SA national jockey title race was thrown wide open on Classic Day with rampant log-leader Anthony Delpech being sidelined for the rest of the season.
Lyle Hewitson – tops the charts
With three months left of the 2017/18 season, Hollywood have priced top apprentice Lyle Hewiston up at 1-6 to lift the title.
Hewitson, who has formed a strong association with the champion Sean Tarry yard, travels to the Eastern Cape too, where he has first call on the powerful Yvette Bremner string.
Muzi Yeni – riding well at the moment
Northern Cape champion Muzi Yeni (5-1) is about 22 wins behind Hewitson but is riding with renewed vigour and just missed a Gr1 double on Classic Day. Yeni is particularly lethal at Flamingo Park where, late flights aside, he seldom goes home with anything less than a double.
Anton Marcus (7-1) has been there and done it. He has the pick of a large percentage of the rides in KZN since freelancing from December and must be a serious candidate for honours if he ups his work-rate. He has had the least rides of the top ten on the log, but his strike rate of 25% makes him a dark horse.
Richard Fourie – chance if he ups the ante
Our value bet is Richard Fourie, who could be worth a tickle at 66-1. Fourie is about 30 winners behind Hewitson but has taken only half as many mounts as his young colleague.
Fourie’s strike-rate of 19% is also better than Hewitson’s at 12%.
