Richard Fourie produced a phenomenal finish from Lucky Lad to win the Gr 2 Jehan Malherbe Senor Santa Stakes (JC Photos)
Richard Fourie scored the most votes in the Emperor’s Palace Ride Of The Month competition for April for his ride on Lucky Lad in the Gr 2 Jehan Malherbe Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m at Turffontein Standside.
The first correct voter to be drawn out of the hat in the draw for the prize was Don Ismay.
He wins:
1 x Night stay at Graceland for 2 including breakfast
1 x round of golf for 2
1 x Dinner Voucher
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Posted below is the Turf Talk description of the ride and the replay can be watched by clicking at the bottom:
5 Richard Fourie Lucky Lad Gr 2 TAB Senor Santa Sprint 1160m April 27 Turffontein Standside
The star Gimmethegreenlight colt was going to be vulnerable due to his tendency to start tardily and Fourie duly found himself at the back after jumping from a favourable high draw of eight out of eleven. However, Fourie made a split decision to switch inside to the perceived unfavourable side. The outside part of the track becomes overcrowded as jockeys seek to be there in the final dash for home. That might have been part of the thinking and it paid dividends because Fourie eventually got a clear run down the inside after the horse had not latched on well to the horses in front of him. He was now on the perceived unfavourable side of the ttrack, but Fourie knows from past experience that if you keep on and on riding this horse eventually “erupts”. His incredible turn of foot eventually kicked in after being hard ridden. Fourie prevented the hanging which had earned him a suspension on this horse in the Gr 1 Gold Medallion through the use of a couple of deft changes of whiphand. He won cosily in the end by 0,40 lengths.
