While the track action is in danger of being lost in the smoke and mirrors of the Cape racing politics at the moment, Drakenstein-sponsored jockey Grant van Niekerk was in top form and rode a grand five timer at Kenilworth on Wednesday.
The 30 year old Cape Town-born Van Niekerk boasts a six-timer as his best past performance and really does rank with the best on his day, when on song.
He modestly told the Sporting Post that on Wednesday, luck in running, decent draws, the ‘right horses’, and general confidence, had made his five wins possible.
Grant rode five straight winners on the eight race card – three for Justin Snaith and a double for Sabine Plattner and the Andre Nel yard. The first race was a Workdriders contest, and the only other two professional jocks to get a look in on the day were the in-form Louis Mxothwa and Greg Cheyne.
Grant van Niekerk steers Distinction to victory to break the Snaith drought (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The Snaith Racing team have been through a rare drought, and when Grant rode Distinction to victory in the third race to open the reigning champion trainer’s hat-trick, the daughter of Gimmethegreenlight broke a losing spell of over half a century of runners.
Ironically, Van Niekerk was the pilot of both of the Snaith’s previous winners, Navy Strength on 24 April, and then Che Vincera on 20 April.
He followed up on Distinction with Kapuziner and Quickstep. He then continued with the Nel winners Double Charge and Academic Gold.
A smiling Jonathan Snaith and Grant van Niekerk lead Kapuziner in (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Grant has ridden 60 winners at a strike-rate of 20 % and is in 13th position on the national log.
Asked if there was any difference to his mindset when he arrived at Kenilworth for the Wednesday racemeeting, he conceded that a vibe was lacking, but that the show had to go on.
“After the Cape summer season, the local racing is very quiet. One can arrive on the course feeling a bit ‘grey’. There is no fire – there is mostly nobody there. No atmosphere. It’s very difficult to get excited but the owners are still paying the bills and the industry is ticking over. I hope we can get people back on course, somehow,” added top lightweight.
Asked whether he would be riding on the East Coast for the SA Champions Season, Grant said that as he was retained by the Plattner Racing Team and also made himself available for his sponsors Drakenstein Stud, he would be travelling as and when required in KZN.
“I am fortunate to be retained by a top stable and have a world-class sponsor in Drakenstein. So I will be riding in the Cape regularly throughout the winter.”
That’s some bright news for local racing fans.
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