Wilmien Fourie’s Academy Dream Comes True
Wilmien Fourie won the only race she has ridden in on the Alyson Wright-trained Tribute To You and she will be out to make it two from two on Saturday in the Okapi Ladies International before joining the SA Jockey Academy on Monday (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Turf Talk
Wilmien Fourie rides in the Okapi Ladies International on Saturday at the L’Ormarins King’s Plate meeting at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and that will in fact be her last riding action as an amateur because she has been accepted in to the South African Jockeys Academy (SAJA) and moves in to their quarters as an apprentice on Monday.
This is a dream come true for Wilmien, who work rides for many yards at Summerveld and who won her only ever workriders race.
SAJA offered her the opportunity to work with Academy staff for a trial period of three months and the condition was they would consider her for enrolment if she was able to get her weight down to 53kg.
Through hard work, discipline and good advice she managed to achieve that goal and was duly accepted into the Academy.
She will have to still go through the normal “baby steps” of an apprentice before riding in races, despite her experience in workriding.
The yard she worked the most for was that of Alyson Wright and they also provided her with only race ride in July last year on the four-year-old year-old Wylie Hall colt Tribute To You.
Wilmien impressed with her strategy and patience in the 1200m event at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, sticking to her outside station after noticing the better ground on that line on the way to the start. She did not panic when out of her ground and the horse duly ran on strongly in the final stages to win by five lengths.
On Saturday Wilmien will be aboard the Glen Kotzen-trained What A Winter colt Connery.
She has been in Cape Town since Monday and worked Connery on both Tuesday and Thursday at Kotzen’s Woodhill Estate training centre, including in the presence on Tuesday of Robert Bloomberg, in whose colours Connery runs.
Those colours have been carried to July glory by the Mike Bass-trained Dunford (Shalford) in 2005, which will add to the excitement Wilmien has in anticipation of Saturday’s race.
She said she did have a game plan, but did not want to give too much away.
She added, “This morning he felt amazing and I think he has a fair chance.”
Connery did not enjoy blinkers last time and they have come off.
He had some fine earlier form, finishing two close up thirds and a close up fourth in his first three starts respectively from 1000m to 1250m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville.
Wilmien views the Justin Snaith-trained pair Noon Day Gun and Gravity as the horses to beat.
Wilmien will stay full time on the Academy premises from Monday and will be working with riding masters Martin Ball, Nicky Roebuck and Rocky Agrella.
She hoped they did not adjust her style too much.
“I really enjoy the way I ride!” she admitted.
Wilmien’s dream of becoming a jockey is now very much alive.
She concluded, “There are exciting things to come!”
Entering the Academy with a hundred percent race riding record will be a fine way to kickstart her stint at the world famous insitution, so watch out for a late charge from the bright orange colours with a blue cap in Saturday’s opening event at the famous L’Ormarins King’s Plate meeting at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT WILMIEN’S WORKRIDER’S RACE WIN AND HER HISTORY IN THE HORSERACING INDUSTRY
