Andrew Fortune was back in the winner’s enclosure after a gap of more than seven-and-a-half years. (JC Photos).
Andrew Fortune has never been the most stylish jockey, but horses have always run for him and his win today on Var Park was a typcical Fortune win. Low draws are unfavourable over the Vaal Classic track 1000m course by trends and he had the lowest draw of all. Nevertheless, he sat still on the horse and was soon off the pace. He switched the five-year-old Var gelding inward and somehow the horse began to make up the leeway in effortless fashion with the rider continuing to sit still. He hit the front at the 300m mark and Fortune then got lower in the saddle and showed the horse the whip and delivered a couple of backhanders while shaking the reins. Var Park opened up a three length lead and Fortune was able to do another typical fortune by “smutsing” in the last 50m i.e. looking around and then stopping riding and patting the horse. He got home by three-quarters of a length.
Fortune was emotional in the winner’s enclosure and for once became lost for words as he thanked his wife Ashley Fortune for allowing him to follow his instincts and spoke of the “long road” it had been for him to get back in the race-riding saddle.
He was able to explain that he had not enjoyed Austalia, where he had to do such mundane jobs as clean out stables, and he added, “… and I decided to start riding again, I don’t know why … and here I am.”
Vark Park had drifted out from 11/2 to 14/1 and beat home the 7/1 shot Tchaikovsky.
It is interesting to note the Grant Maroun-trained Var Park’s last three wins have been with jockeys in their late 50s aboard.
57-year-old Piere Strydom won on him on January 18, 2024, 58-year-old Piere Strydom won on him on January 30 this year and 57-year-old Andrew Fortune won on him today.
It had been 2814 days since Fortune’s previous win and Var Park was the 6th ride of his comeback.
Fortune looked likely to score a double as he was on the long odds-on shot in the last race, Dylan’s Champ, but this horse was found to not be striding out by the on course veterinarian and was scratched down at the start.
Gavin Lerena and Ryan Munger both scored doubles at the meeting.
Lerena is now in joint second place on the national log together with Richard Fourie on 151 wins and he has achieved it at a strike rate of 25.72%.
Munger’s stint in South Africa during the Canada off season has yielded an impressive 23 wins at a strike rate of 21.50%.
