Stipes don’t have it easy. Neither do the jockeys. It’s easy to err a few percent either way whether observing from the comfort of a boardroom, or sitting on the back of a half ton athlete travelling at 60 plus km/h.
Reality is the jockeys are often damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Maybe the same applies to the NHA’s men in suits?
A few examples from the Fairview Stipes report on Friday underlined the extremes of riding and policing.
And when a jockey gets an instruction from a trainer to hold his mount up ‘until as late as possible in a race’, he apparently has to report it to the Stipes ‘well in advance of the race’. That’s according to the official report.
But why doesn’t the person issuing the instructions – the trainer – report it? Surely that’s more practical?
Jabu Jacobs – Stipes called him in (Pic- Candiese Lenferna)
In the eighth race, jockey Jabu Jacobs, rider of Vizhoe’s Magic, dropped his crop at the 100m.
Jacobs was questioned regarding his riding of the 50-1 shot, with particular reference to the ‘vigour and determination shown from the 300m’.
He told the Stewards that his instructions were from trainer Lunga Gila to drop this mare out at the start and to give her the opportunity to close her race off strongly from a trailing position as she has a short run in.
The Stewards advised Mr Jacobs that his riding of the mare had come under notice when an opportunity had presented itself for him to improve at the 300m – and that he had appeared to lack vigour in the first few strides when he had obtained clear running.
What do you think? Jacobs is in the yellow cap and comes on from last:
Mr Jacobs was advised that even though he had dropped his crop at the 100m, he should ride his mounts out with sufficient vigour and determination so that there is no reason for the Stewards to query his riding.
He was further advised that if he is instructed to hold his mounts up until as late as possible in a race, he should draw this to the Stewards attention well in advance of the event.
There is no mention that the same message or concerns were raised with the trainer. That’s odd.
In the sixth race, Gimme Gorgeous (M Yeni) showed a tendency to hang in in the closing stages.
Jockey Muzi Yeni appeared before the Board and was advised that whilst the Stewards were satisfied that he had not prejudiced his finishing position, he should nevertheless ride his mounts out to the end of the race with sufficient vigour so as to leave no room for query.
Also in the sixth, jockey Denis Schwarz, rider of Aldo’s Pride, appeared before the Board and was advised against the practice of using his crop on horses which are out of contention for a place.
In the ninth race it was reported that at the 300m Bethel (M van Rensburg) was brushed by Narcos (D Schwarz), which shifted out slightly.
Watch the replay here:
Pomodoro Magic (M Mjoka), which had commenced to improve on the outside of Bethel (M van Rensburg), was tightened for galloping room and was switched outwards to obtain relief.
Consequently, War Launch (L Mxothwa), which was positioned on the outside of Pomodoro Magic (M Mjoka), was severely tightened, had to steady and was unbalanced when in restricted galloping room on the inside of Queen’s Wood (J Jacobs), which shifted in slightly when it received some pressure from Giacomo Puccini (M Yeni), which rolled in slightly.
During this incident Pomdoro Magic (M Mjoka), War Launch (L Mxothwa) and Queen’s Wood (J Jacobs) bumped on a number of occasions and were unbalanced.
After carefully assessing this incident from various angles, the Stipes were of the opinion that no individual jockey could be held accountable for this incident, and thus determined that it was a racing incident and took no further action.
An Inquiry will be held into Jockey Smanga Khumalo’s riding of winner Bennelong Point in the concluding stages of the second race.
