One of our greatest jockeys and popular racing personalities of recent times, former SA Champion Andrew Fortune is set to make a comeback to the saddle.
A proud Andrew Fortune with his son Aldo Domeyer (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The Sporting Post can break the news this evening that the ‘Candyman’ is expected to be back in action soon after returning from Australia following the family’s move Down Under in July last year.
“I am excited about riding again. The reception amongst some of the top trainers has been amazing and I have been assured of support,” Fortune told the Sporting Post as he spoke about the difficulty of securing a job in Australia that would have put him in a position to earn enough to support his young family.
“Ashley is loving it and working hard. But I was not earning enough, and, all the local issues aside, I really and truly miss this magical country. I am in great shape, lean and mean, and been riding work for six months, I can ride tomorrow if I get the clearance tonight,” laughed the man who became SA champion at the age of 40, adding that it should be borne in mind that he is two years younger than Piere Strydom, and ‘lengths fitter’ than the blonde bomber.
He also points out that Jeff Lloyd won the Victoria championship multiple times from the age of 56 through to 60.
A product of the mean streets of the Cape Flats, Fortune’s rise from poverty to the fast-paced world of horseracing against the dark shadows of addiction reads like a movie script.
He gained a legion of fans from across the spectrum as he beat the odds and produced wizardry in the saddle to win the national title in the 2008/9 season. He rode until 2017 before a knee injury forced the Grandfather to hang up his saddle.
Welcome back, Manne!
Ed – two photos from Turffontein on 29 February, at special request of readers. Images are courtesy of JC Photos.
