Past and Present! Muzi Yeni receives his trophy from the legend, Roberts.
Michael Roberts has always been one of South Africa’s greatest ever jockeys and he is a favourite son of KwaZulu-Natal. His annual raceday attracted a lot of interest and a nice crowd on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in the Capital City of the province.
Roberts has both ridden and trained the winners of his own race but did not sent out a runner this afternoon. He said afterwards that training racehorses was a passion, but an at times frustrating profession. That is an understatement of note!
It is an honour for any jockey to win a race on this great rider’s commemoration day, and the afternoon turned into a memorable for a wet-behind-the-ears apprentice, an up and coming young rider and our current champion jockey , who all had reason to celebrate. A host of riders of a different era, rolled into one great afternoon.
Winning Form sponsored Muzi Yeni has found his best form after a quiet spell and he marked the afternoon with a good double – including a win on the Adam Kethro trained Orbit War in the R115 000 Listed Michael Roberts Handicap, run over 1800m.
Into Orbit! Muzi Yeni drives Orbit War up to win going away.
Yeni had got the better of Brandon Lerena and the fancied Share The Silver earlier in the day, and grabbed a short head win on the Doug Campbell mare Fairytale Story in the Jackpot opener. His eye though was obviously on the big prize and he rode an outstandingly judged race on Orbit War to win the feature event. He caught the scopy and talented three year old Winter Mischief, who looked a winner on the rail, in the final 100m. The winner is trained by Adam Kethro.
Kethro had rocked the world when sending Orbit War out at 50-1 to win the Christmas Handicap at his last start over a mile at Clairwood at end December. But in spite of various experts, including our own form fundi Matthew Lips, rationalising why his win was not entirely the bolt from the blue that it was labelled, he was once again allowed to jump at generous odds. Lucian Africa had ridden him last time and this afternoon Muzi Yeni jumped aboard – explaining humbly that Africa’s booking last time was due to a ‘mix up ’ by his agent.
Memories! Andile Ngcobo celebrates his first career win.
Another rider who won’t forget 15 January 2012 in a hurry is the 18 year old Andile Ngcobo, who registered a winner at just his sixth career ride on the momentous afternoon. He steered the Casey Tibbs filly Paris Match to a gutsy win over the pacy Tullynally in the opening event, a Maiden Plate over 1000m. Ngcobo should know the little Mark Dixon trained horse by now – 50% of his career rides to that point had been on her her back! He oddly lists Bellagio as the best horse he has ridden – we note that as strange as he rode the horse twice and was unplaced both times. Fellow jockeys Sean Veale and Raymond Danielson will no doubt be proud to know that they are his heroes, and his ultimate career goal is to become SA Champion jockey. He has certainly started out in the right manner and we wish him well.
Anton Marcus enjoyed another red letter day at the office with three well taken winners. After failing on the fancied Constitution in the first race, Marcus enjoyed what was nothing more than a stretch on the vastly improved ex Mike De Kock gelding Storm Vanidoso for Dennis Bosch in the second race, an MR90 Handicap over 1000m. His Argentinian sire Bernstein also produced the feature winner Orbit War. The five horse field was an inconspicuous opener for the PA and one must ask yet again why the powers that be did not switch the first two races on their programme?
The Champion jockey followed up in the first leg of the Pick Six when he guided the De Kock odds-on Kahal colt Halabaloo to an easy win in the Maiden Plate over 2000m. Ingrid and Markus Jooste own the Summerhill Stud bred three year old who looks destined for better things. Marcus’ third and final winner came in the last race of the day. He bounced the fancied Craig Eudey trained Whiter Than White into an immediate lead in the Maiden Plate over 1400m, and the pair rolled on to win easily. The highly vaunted Colin Scott trained Sadhu was always in touch but became one-paced and was passed by the Gauteng visitor Havana Beat. Over The Ocean ran a cracker on debut to run on well for fourth and the appropriately named Requiem gelding(he is owned by a Mauritian) could be worth following.
