Sean Veale being led in on the MJ Odendaal-trained Hollywood Syndicate-owned The Tobacconist after clinching his double on Sunday. Veale leads the national jockeys championship with 14 wins, Hollywood lead the national owners championship with stakes earned from 8 wins already and Odendaal leads the KZN Trainers Championship with three wins. (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Sean Veale scored a double at Sunday’s Hollywoodbets Greyville meeting to maintain his early lead in the national championship. His 14 wins this season is five more than second-placed Muzi Yeni with Gavin Lerena in third place on seven.
Veale has been Richard Fourie’s substitute for the powerful Alan Greeff yard.
Fourie is on a deserved holiday at present following his record-breaking 2023/2024 season in which he set a mark of 377 wins which is likely to stand for many years.
Fourie is unlikely to keep up as taxing a schedule as he had last year, but is nevertheless the favourite with Hollywoodbets to retain the championship.
Fourie did not appear to find his travel schedule last season too taxing and even cutting it in half will still give him the edge.
Muzi Yeni always goes all out every season and will be the likely danger.
However, Gavin Lerena is in fine form and if he finds himself in a good position he might start chasing it in the second half of the season.
The Hollywoodbets betting for the jockeys championship:
RICHARD FOURIE 9/10
MUZI YENI 6/1
GAVIN LERENA 8/1
CRAIG ZACKEY 8/1
CALVIN HABIB 8/1
SEAN VEALE 25/2
SMANGA KHUMALO 14/1
LUYOLO MXOTHWA 40/1
SERINO MOODLEY 40/1
GRANT VAN NIEKERK 67/1
ALDO DOMEYER 67/1
JP VAN DER MERWE 83/1
RACHEL VENNIKER 83/1
CHASE MAUJEAN 150/1
DENNIS SCHWARZ 150/1
ANY OTHER JOCKEY 150/1
Justin Snaith is the favourite with Hollywoodbets to win the trainers championship for the third time in succession.
Hollywoodbets betting:
JUSTIN SNAITH Evens
SEAN TARRY 22/10
BRETT CRAWFORD 5
MIKE DE KOCK 25/2
TONY PETER 14/1
CANDICE BASS ROBINSON 20/1
ALAN GREEFF 83/1
GAVIN SMITH 83/1
ANY OTHER TRAINER 83/1
GLEN KOTZEN 100/1
J A JANSE VAN VUUREN 100/1
