The calm before the storm: Grant van Niekerk in the winner’s enclosure after victory on the appropriately named Paddy Kruyer-trained Wehaveasituation (Master Of My Fate) after the second race at Hollywoodbets Durbanville today. (Picture: Wayne Marks).
Today (Wednesday) will be remembered as a dark day in South African racing history as the NHA were allegedly held to ransom by protesting jockeys at the Hollywoodbets Durbanville meeting and this caused an unprecedented abandonment of a meeting after just three races.
South Africans and their racing industry people seem to be resilient in the face of setbacks and hopefully this will be another incident which blows over quickly and is replaced by the positive aspects of the sport.
Grant van Niekerk was provided with an official avenue to protest against the punishment meted out to him by the NHA for his ride in the Big Cap and one has to wonder why he chose instead to state his case publicly.
He did so in the live TV interview after he had won today’s second race and his hard-hitting words were the spark for the drama which followed.
Van Niekerk had been given a 21 day suspension and a R50,000 fine after an inquiry into his ride in the R5 million Big Cap, in which his winning mount, All Out For Six, shifted inward at the 150m mark, bumping The Grey King and causing the favourite One Stripe to be badly hampered.
The official NHA transcribed inquiry into that ride ended with the statement, “Jockey van Niekerk was given the Right of Appeal against both the finding and the penalty imposed.”
However, Van Niekerk instead chose a public platform to criticise the NHA’s punitive measures and he was thus in violation of Rule 72.1.26, which states, “… behave or conduct himself in such a manner which has or might have the effect of discrediting horse racing or which does or might bring into disrepute the good name of the NATIONAL HORSERACING AUTHORITY, a RACING OPERATOR, any training establishment, the ACADEMY, the STEWARDS or members of any committee of the NATIONAL HORSERACING AUTHORITY or any INQUIRY BOARD, APPEAL BOARD, INQUIRY REVIEW BOARD, the LICENSING BOARD, any OBJECTION BOARD or any RACING OPERATOR or any official of the NATIONAL HORSERACING AUTHORITY or RACING OPERATOR;”
The NHA were duty bound to respond to Van Niekerk’s outburst.
They responded by imposing an interim suspension on him during the racemeeting.
The relevant press release stated, “The National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa (the NHA) confirms noting the comments made by Jockey Grant van Niekerk in a post-race interview following Race 2 at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Wednesday, 26 March 2025.
In view of these inter alia derogatory comments against the NHA, referencing an Inquiry that was held on Tuesday, 25 March 2025, into his riding of ALL OUT FOR SIX in Race 8 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on 16 March 2025, the Chief Executive has implemented the provisions of Rule 91.2, effectively that Jockey Grant van Niekerk has been placed under an immediate interim suspension and has been replaced on his remaining rides.
An Inquiry has been opened into this matter.“
Van Niekerk started off his rant by saying he was glad he had a winner on the day so he could express his feelings.
His transcribed words in the TV interview were, “I don’t think the public or for that matter the NHA know much of what they’re talking about sometimes. I felt like I did nothing wrong in that race. I just think it’s a waste of time being a jockey in South Africa, to be honest. With all the fines happening … we’re wasting our time here. Obviously I don’t want to get too emotional about it. It’s favouritism that happens and all these things. I just hope that things change in the near future. I hope they’re just a little bit kinder on us. Rules are there for a certain reason, but at the end of the day, we have families. We have to feed so many people around us. The way they’re having us with the fines is just unacceptable. In my case, I’m as innocent as can be. I want the public to look at the race properly. Just have a look at Craig’s horse and my horse and you’ll understand what I’m talking about. There has to be some sort of fairness involved in racing. I just don’t think it’s there. Hopefully things change. Thanks.“
It is not known whether Van Niekerk acted on his own or whether his words were part of some sort of pre-orchestrated action.
However, there was later a meeting between the jockeys and the NHA and it is alleged this not only involved a complaint about Van Niekerk’s interim suspension, but also about sanctions on jockeys being too harsh.
The jockeys who orchestrated it also seem to be unaware of Rule 72.1.26, because it is alleged they were holding the NHA to ransom i.e. if their demands were not met they would refuse to continue riding.
Hence the meeting had to be abandoned.
The jockeys were thus also in violation of rule 72.1.27 which states, “Without lawful reason be a party to or incite any other PERSON or individual to perform any act, or by omission create a circumstance which does or might lead to the abandonment, postponement or interruption of any RACE or RACEMEETING; “
The thoughtlessness of the jockeys extends beyond just not knowing the racing rules.
Cape Racing Chairman Greg Bortz and 4Racing’s Gabriel Soma words to the Sporting Post in the aftermath of the abandonment said it all.
Bortz said, “You will appreciate that any abandonment due to industrial action is both costly and disappointing. The racemeeting of 2 April is under review and we will not be opening nominations to put any more meetings on until such time that we have assurances from the jockeys and the racing regulator that issues have been satisfactorily resolved. I must reiterate that I don’t believe that industrial action was appropriate today as there are other ways, means and channels to express and air grievances.”
Bortz went on to add that sponsors of jockeys and racing alike may no doubt have concerns after what happened today, and that there could well be unintended consequences flowing from the protest action taken by the jockeys.
“I want to be clear that I am not opining on the individual grievances of the jockeys and the NHA, but am firmly opposed to any action taken by stakeholders during a racemeeting, other than obviously for issues of safety. The racemeeting today should have run its course and the parties could have agreed to meet at a later stage. I feel for all stakeholders who are impacted by this action,” concluded Bortz.
4Racing’s Gabriel Soma told the Sporting Post, “There is always a danger of this type of action spilling over into other regions and we stand by Cape Racing. There are so many stakeholders across the spectrum that are impacted unjustly in the course of this action, and the jockeys can simply not be permitted to hold the sport to ransom. We urge the parties to meet and to resolve their differences in the best interests of South African racing.”
Furthermore, the meeting was being screened in other countries, including in Hong Kong, and Van Niekerk’s words basically implied that the South African racing product is not one to be trusted.
The jockeys actions were tantamount to supporting that view.
On Saturday there is a World Pool meeting at Turffontein Standside.
Hopefully the Hong Kong punters will still want to enjoy and partake of the Champions Day meeting as enthusiastically as they have for that and other SA World Pool meetings in the past.
Talking about Hong Kong and Grant van Niekerk’s accusation that there is favouritism in South Africa in dishing out penalties, the following extract from the South China Morning Post, written in March, 2020, is of interest.
“Van Niekerk shares the title of Hong Kong’s most-suspended jockey but he is looking to make amends for his on-track misdemeanours at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
The South African has felt the wrath of the stewards five times this season, matched only by apprentice Alfred Chan Ka Hei, but clearly has not been forgotten by owners and trainers with the 28-year-old picking up a full book of eight rides at the city track upon his return.
His penalties have been costly – not only has he spent 10 days on the sidelines, he’s been hit with an additional HK$200,000 in fines by stewards.“
The inquiry into the All Out For Six incident made it clear that Van Niekerk’s past record had influenced the gravity of the punishment and it seems that he had built up this record in more than one country.
Another interesting part of the extract is that Van Niekerk remained in demand in Hong Kong despite his suspensions, which is not an easy status to reach in the notoriously fickle racing culture on the island.
The reason is no doubt because he is hugely talented.
Race-riding comes with a lot of pressure, but hopefully this talented rider will one day find the means to get into the zone and realise his enormous potential.
Today his fellow jockeys took a misguided step in representing their grievances during a racemeeting and he himself took another backward step at a time in his career when he should be peaking.
