Blaine Marx-Jacobson became the second apprentice this month to ride a winner in his first ever race ride.
Giresh Dookhit rode the Bridget Stidolph-trained Smelting to victory in his first race ride on October 1 at the Vaal over 1100m and Blaine Marx Jacobson rode the Fanie Bronkhorst-trained Coming In Hot to victory in an an apprentice handicap race over 1200m at the Vaal today (Thursday).
Blaine sounded like a professional in the winner’s enclosure and said, “The instructions were very clear, try and jump out and get cover and at the 400m mark squeeze him and at the 200m tighten him and squeeze him more.”
He didn’t actually find cover but did manage to rein the horse back well after jumping from draw seven of ten. He also knew the outside part of the track was favourable and shifted towards that side. The six-year-old Oratorio gelding relaxed well under the youngester and kicked well when Blaine crouched lower in the saddle at the 400m mark. At the 200m mark he increased the intensity of his driving and Coming In hot responded again. He ran out an easy winner by four lengths with just one or two slaps on the shoulder being the only use of the stick.
Fanie Bronkhorst said, “This is a difficult horse tio ride if he doesn’t have any cover because he can pull, but he kept the horse calm and rode a perfect race. He listened to instructions and is well balanced, I think he’s got a bright future.”
Owner Dr Melandie Taljaard and Blaine’s proud mother Candice Jacobson shouted the horse home loudly and Melandie said afterwards the last time she had she such tears of emotion was when the horse she part-owned, the Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Rivarine, won the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint back in 2020.
Blaine started out as a workrider.
James Maree helped him and he was then accepted by the South African Jockey Academy (SAJA) after attending one of their recruitment camps last year.
Paddy Wynne, a former top echelon jockey and a riding master before his current role as SAJA’s Apprentice Liason Coach, said, “He has the potential and hopefullly he grabs the oppurtunity with both hands and takes the advice given to him. It is up to him.”
Pictures below: 1) Coming In Hot being led in by owner Dr Melandie Taljaard on the left and Blaine’s proud mother Candice Jacobson on the right.
2) Trainer Fanie Bronkhorst and owner Dr Taljaard with the winning rider.
