Budding Gold Circle commentator Devonne Govender has become a bull signal for the former Mike Miller-trained and now Mauritius-based horse Walls Of Dubrovnik.
Devonne revealed, “In my first ever live race commentary Walls Of Dubrovnik won. A month later I commentated his next race and he won again.”
Devonne has recently been given the role as Mauritius commentator for Gold Circle’s Gallop TV and has been commentator for both of Walls of Dubrovnik’s races this season, both victories.
Devonne entered SA racing through an unusual door.
He was selected as one of the harness racing jockeys when an attempt was made to get that sport off the ground out here.
Earlier, his father had landed a year long contract in New Zealand as a Telecommunications Engineer.
They lived next to a harness racing track and there were televised harness race meetings in New Zealand everyday.
“We had it in our faces 24/7”, said Devonne. Not that he was complaining. He loved it.
After passing the selection tests to be a harness racing driver, he was enrolled in the South African Jockeys Academy (SAJA) in order to learn stable management and other equine skills.
It was here that his aptitude for commentating became apparent.
He said, “The apprentice jockeys used to be shown the video replays of their rides after the races back at the Academy. We started then turning the volume off and I would commentate the races!”
Devonne’s time in the Academy coincided with Keagan de Melo, JP van der Merwe, Donovan Dillon, Ant Mgudlwa, Hennie Greyling, Teaque Gould, Julius Mariba, Jarryd Penny, Vikram Sola and Jaswick Jordaan and he built many good friendships.
Devonne spent a year at Summerveld working with the Summerveld based harness horses. He drove in four of the KZN Premier’s First Harness Challenge series of races.
In conjunction with SAJA, he was then offered an opportunity to do a year of training in Australia to obtain his international racing licence – which he still holds.
“During this time I time was based at Byford Harness Racing Complex, a premier Harness training facility in Western Australia. I was hosted by a number of licensed trainers. Trevor Warwick, multiple champion trainer/driver in Oz and America, was my mentor and Driving Master. When I was initially licensed as a Cadet Driver I was allowed to drive in trial races, where I did very well. Following the requisite number of approved trial drives, I was awarded a professional license, which enabled me to drive in races, excluding Friday night meetings at Metropolitan tracks.”
Devonne also spent approximately six months with Aldo Cortopassi Pacing Stables.
During this time he performed the duties of a stable hand and track work driver and was involved in all aspects of general stable duties, including stable management and daily routines.
“I learnt so much- from feeding up in the morning, jogging horses, exercising horses on the horse-walker, grooming, washing horses, preparing them for races as well as maintenance of the stable area, gear etc. I then spent four months at Noel Keily’s Pacing Stables. Mr Keily, who had 35 horses, specialises in training and breaking-in of younger horses – yearlings and two-year-olds. Some of my duties included track work driving, assisting with the breaking in, exercising of young horses for the first time on a horse walker, preparing horses for races, gearing and ungearing of horses at races. My 12 months training with RWWA was completed and I returned to South Africa in September 2013, with a whole world of understanding, knowledge and basic experience of these wonderful animals – plus that teenage ambition nurtured in New Zealand,” he recollected.
Harness racing never got off the ground here and Devonne landed a position in the National Racing Bureau.
He later joined the GC media team.
He said, “I play a diverse role in the media department as Sub-Editor, designer and Gallop TV Presenter and commentator.”
He often turns down the volume of the Publishing Department’s TV to practice his commentating.
He used to practice his live commentating in the room next to the Hollywoodbets Greyville commentary box armed with his binoculars.
His commentary career began by calling barrier trials and he was then given the odd Hollywoodbets Greyville race to do. He jumped at the recent offer to call Mauritius racing.
Devonne always does his homework meticulously before presenting or commentating and has a great passion for the Sport Of Kings.
He models himself on Terry Spargo and his favourite Australian commentator Chris Barsby.
His mentor at GC is Graeme Hawkins.
Devonne is at the GC studios at 9:30 a.m. to prepare for the Mauritius races, which usually start at 10h30 on Saturdays. He can be heard on Gallop TV for every Mauritius meeting.
His wealth of industry and equine knowledge stands him in good stead. He added, “I have been told by many trainers I’ve worked for that I have the ‘Master’s Eye’ for racing. Other professionals have given my voice and elocution the thumbs up.”
Meanwhile, the Shyam Hurchand-trained Walls Of Dubrovnik has been a sensation in Mauritius, where he has won all seven of his starts.
The famous Mauritius racing family, the Gujadhurs, had an incentive to buy him after he had finished fourth in the Grade 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m.
When his sire Fencing Master arrived in South Africa in 2016 his stallion manager David Allan of David Allan Bloodlines announced Fencing Master’s three best black type two-year-olds conceived in 2016 would receive respective bonuses of R500,000, R300,000 and R200,000.
Walls Of Dubrovnik could only manage ninth in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes in his first start for the Gujadhurs, but after a good third in a strong Non-Black Type event he appeared to have a fine opportunity to land the R500,000 bonus in the Listed Champion Juvenile Cup at Fairview on the last day of the season.
Alas, nothing went right for him and he finished unplaced.
However, he has made amends in no uncertain terms for the Gujadhurs in Mauritius and is fast becoming a celebrity.
