Keagan de Melo clinched his treble in just four rides at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Wednesday when just getting up on the Andre Nel-trained Boogiefied (Justify)
Keagan de Melo has got no chance of winning the championship this season, but the statistics show him to likely be a strong contender for a second title next season to go with his 2022/2023 season title.
Winning became an increasingly scarce experience during his stint in Hong Kong in which he had 21 wins in his first full season, 12 in his second and he did not have a single winner in his last few months there.
Jockeyship like just about every sport is a confidence game, the more confident you are the better you are going to do.
He was thus entitled to take some time to get back into the swing of winning.
His first ride back was on December 5.
If the season started from that date Craig Zackey would be on 76 wins at a strike rate of 16.45%, to De Melo’s 62 wins at 18.62% and Richard Fourie’s 53 at 16.77%.
If the season had begun from January 1 then it is Zackey on 60 wins at 16.09%, De Melo on 54 at 21.43% and Fourie on 37 at 17.45%.
A starting point of February 1 would have Zackey on 30 wins at 14.08%, De Melo on 29 at 20.57% and Fourie on 21 at 16.15%.
A starting point of March 1 would have De Melo on 13 wins at 20.97%, Zackey on 10 at 13.89% and Fourie on 7 at 15.22%.
The trends shows De Melo to be challenging for the status of the country’s leading rider the longer he has been back for and if the curve continues on the same path he will be favourite for the title next season.
However, there will be nobody more deserving of the title than Zackey this season as he has blossomed into a rider of rare quality, who displays a particularly good sense of pace and timing.
De Melo was in form again at Holywodbets Durbanville today, riding a treble despite only having had four rides at the eight race meeting.
He is now on 62 wins for the season at 18.62% compared to Craig Zackey’s 170 wins at 16.60% and Richard Fourie’s 135 wins at 21.29%.
