I have followed Australian horse racing for over 40 years, and Irish and South African racing for the past eight years.
I’ve enjoyed South African racing up until the Covid pandemic.
Post Covid something changed with your racing, and I can’t quite put my finger on it!
Michael Regan, who resides in Vienna, Austria writes in the Sporting Post Mailbag that his reason for writing relates to recent events regarding the jockey Gavin Lerena and jockey Jason Gates incident.
The NHA in my opinion has unfortunately handled this incident in an improper manner and it’s come back to haunt them and the integrity of racing in SA. I will tell you why.
Whichever way you look at the actions on 26 January in the second race at Turffontein, it brings the name of racing into disrepute.
Jason Gates (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
In law the key word is ‘intent’. Was it Mr Gates’ intent to strike Mr Lerena with his riding crop (whip) and vice versa.
The video reveals plain for all to see that Lerena stands up in the stirrups and clearly whips Gates across the back on three occasions. The intent was beyond doubt.
Then the other question has to be put – was it Mr Gates’ intention to provoke Mr Lerena? That’s an important issue, but I won’t go into that here.
Secondly, which is also abundantly clear, is that by Lerena standing uptight in his stirrups about 150 metres from the winning post, he doesn’t ride his mount Gimme A Storm to the horse’s full potential, regardless whether it had a winning chance or not. He stops riding.
Thirdly, I believe the racing public in SA, and those from outside SA who invest in SA racing as I do/did, should have been privy as to why the inquiry into the events of that day, and scheduled for Tuesday 4 February 2025,was postponed to take place on Friday 21 Feburary 2025. And then adjourned to 24 March 2025.
What’s going on here?
Some serious questions need to be raised as to why this matter was allowed to drag on, similar to having to endure a Christmas lunch with people you may not necessarily like.
So finally we come to the inquiry beginning on 24 March 2025 and concluded on 31 March 2025.
Gavin Lerena was found guilty of the charge related to rule 72.1.26 by the Inquiry board. That is he behaved and conducted himself in a manner which has, or might have the effect of discrediting horseracing, or bring into disrepute the good name of the NHA, or Racing Operator.
And for this he was given a 90 day suspension, of which 60 days were wholly suspended on condition he is not found guilty of a contravention of these rules for a 2 year period.
So basically he was given a 30 day suspension and put on a good behaviour bond for 2 years. He was fined R200 000, of which R100 000 is suspended on the proviso that he is not guilty of Rule 72.1.26 over the next 2 years.
It’s not for me to judicate on the board’s decision – however under the circumstances it’s pretty clear that with the delays with the hearin,g and the fines imposed on jockey Lerena, the board doesn’t think one jockey whipping another jockey and failing to ride out his or her mount to be such a big deal in SA. Or does it?
Maybe it depends on which particular jockey we’re discussing?
So you know where I’m heading with this letter.
That which has lead to another embarrassing decision made by the NHA to suspend and fine a jockey who made some disparaging remarks about the state of racing in a post-race interview at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on 26 March.
This was after Van Niekerk had been given a 21 day suspension and fined R50 000 for causing interference on his mount All Out For Six in the Big Cap. After viewing the replay, yep, his mount comes slightly in on the horse inside, The Grey King.
Gavin Lerena (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The favourite One Stripe ridden by Gavin Lerena is on the inside and at no time is in front of the 2 horses on his outside, the gap for One Stripe closes. That’s racing. The fine for Van Niekerk’s minor indiscretion, excessive, in my opinion.
So forward to what Van Niekerk said in his post-race comments about racing in SA and I am not endorsing what he said – perhaps there is a better time and place to air his grievances.
The response however by the NHA on the day was completely premature, immature and unprofessional because it deemed that Van Niekerk damaged the NHA brand, and was suspended immediately. No delay and no due process.
But a jockey who whips another jockey during a race, which was shown millions of times all around the world, is worthy of inquiry delays, postponements and eventually given relatively small fines.
The NHA needs to sort out priorities, be more transparent, and consistent in these findings.
They created this mess, not jockeys Lerena, Gates or Van Niekerk, or the other jockeys that supported their fellow rider, which under the circumstances is totally understandable.
