KZN-based 17 year old apprentice Jaycee Botes will remember Friday 20 December 2024 as the day he saw the beautiful seaside city of Gqeberha for the first time in his life and also rode his maiden career double.
Ziets Oosthuizen gives young Jaycee a hug (Pic – Pauline Herman)
With a local double header on the day and the riding ranks stretched, Gr1-winning trainer Barend Botes’ nephew was called up by SAJA Riding Master Rocky Agrella to do duty down at Fairview. And first time or not, the young gun from ‘Toti delivered in style, his six rides including a double and a third for in-form trainer, Zietsman Oosthuizen.
“I was caught wide on Querandi – I just couldn’t get in. She ran a length third,” explains Jaycee as he modestly skips talk of his winners and laments his ride in the sixth that would have given him a treble.
Jaycee won the fifth on the Potala Palace filly Bosnay, who was ridden around her field and held on doggedly.
“Mr Oosthuizen said start riding her from the 400m. She’s lovely and the instructions were spot on,” quipped Jaycee after Ziets called it a ‘pearler of a ride’.
An unflustered Jaycee Botes keeps Aldo’s Pride going to beat Richard Fourie and Master Forester(Pic – Pauline Herman)
He then won the last on the 8-1 Alado’s Pride, who went gun to tape under an almost casually confident pose to win and hold off a powerful challenge by the 14-10 favourite Master Forester, who was given every chance by Richard Fourie.
“It’s an honour to win a race anywhere. When SA’s champion Richard Fourie is the man in the saddle behind, then the privilege is magnified. I’d like to thank Mr Oosthuizen for the opportunities. He told me he wants me to return. I am looking forward to coming back and must add that the Fairview polytrack is top class,” concluded Jaycee, who now has 8 winners to his name.
He flies back to Durban on Saturday. Ironically he only has one ride in the next week – that for Glen Kotzen at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Boxing Day.
Richard Fourie and the red-hot JP van der Merwe shared the riding honours with Jaycee on the day, while Hollywoodbets-sponsored Gavin Smith took the training honours with a treble.
- The next Fairview racemeeting, the penultimate of 2024, is on the polytrack on Friday 27 December.
