Muzi Yeni found the winner’s enclosure in a rare visit to Hollywoodbets Durbanville in October last year. (Picture: Wayne Marks)
David Mollett
As far as the SA Jockeys Championship is concerned, 37 year-old Muzi Yeni will probably feel he’s got enough silver and bronze medals.
Despite a number of close calls, the title continues to elude the Durban-born rider, but after two months of the new season there’s a suspicion this could be his year.
Muzi has made no secret of his desire to be champion. In 2019 he told Winning Form “I don’t think I will stop trying till I have ticked the title off on my CV.”
The same website added that “He’s a travelling salesman workaholic in every sense of the word.”
That’s accurate when one studies the statistics of Muzi’s mounts over the last decade.
2014/15 season: 1263, more than any other jockey.
2020/21 season: 1419 mounts.
2023/24 season: 1494 mounts.
Of course, last season Richard Fourie pretty much had the jockeys title sewn up after six months, but Muzi battled on riding 191 winners and earning another silver medal.
I wrote a story in Business Day in July 2023 headlined “Still No Cigar in jockey Muzi Yeni’s rollercoaster career.” Sadly, the business newspaper no longer covers racing.
This time it wasn’t a close call unlike the 2018/19 season when it went down to the wire with Lyle Hewitson prevailing by three winners.
Muzi rode a winner for Mike De Kock at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday and, interestingly, it was the former champion trainer who provided him with his first winner at Clairwood in 2003. If he can continue to get rides for such a powerful stable, it will be an important factor in his title bid.
Eight years after his first win, Muzi rode his first Gr 1 winner, Happy Landing, I think trained by Joe Soma, in the Premier’s Champions Challenge at Turffontein in April 2011. The horse started at 55-1 so punters weren’t overjoyed with the result.
They were much happier when Muzi got KZN raider, Royal Victory, home in the same race at the city track five months ago.
On the social media front, Muzi has probably caused more comment than any other jockey. First was the incident with Lyle Hewitson which resulted in a three months ban.
Then – in February 2023 – there was the Greyville weighing room fracas with jockey Billy Jacobson which resulted in both riders receiving interim suspensions. The incident even made the mass-circulation UK newspaper, The Daily Mirror.
Muzi will be aware that recent champions Warren Kennedy and Richard Fourie came out of the starting blocks at the beginning of the season as fast as Usain Bolt. So he has followed their lead and – as a result – is around 20 winners ahead of his nearest rival.
In last month’s column, I advised taking the 6-1 World Sports Betting were offering on Muzi to clinch his first title and those odds have been trimmed to 4-1. I have taken a double with Muzi to win and Kamala Harris to take the US Presidential election.
Watching CNN, I’ve been impressed by Harris’ performances while Donald Trump spends most of his time making disparaging remarks about his Presidential rival.
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To say that top trainer, Aidan O’Brien, faces an important next five weeks is an understatement.
Apart from City Of Troy being on course for the Breeders Cup Classic at Del Mar on November 2, the Ballydoyle maestro has five entries in Sunday’s prestigious Qatar Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Los Angeles and Continuous have always been aimed at the Longchamp race, but O’Brien surprised the media on Monday when saying that – if the ground was good – Auguste Rodin could make the trip to France. His other two entries are Opera Singer and Luxembourg.
Renowned French trainer, Andre Fabre, is housing the 4-1 favourite, Sosie, as he bids to win the Arc for the seventh time.
However, UK bookmakers report sustained support for Japanese raider, Shin Emporer (11-2) who ran a creditable third in the Irish Champion Stakes. Japan are still chasing their first success in the race.
The winner’s purse on Sunday is 2,48 million pounds which – if my maths is correct – is over R50 million!
Despite his defeat by Sosie last month, it might pay to back 6-1 chance, Look At Vega, who was so impressive in the French Derby.
