A debate began recently about which SA jockey had won the most Grade 1’s in one season and when it was shown that Weichong Marwing had won 12 in the 1998/1999 season most would have accepted that phenomenal score as the record.
However, it has now been discovered that Felix Coetzee rode at least 11 in the 1985/1986 season and possibly 12 depending on which season the early August Durban Winter season Grade 1s counted for.
His Grade 1 wins that season were:
August 3, 1985, Gold Cup – Voodoo Charm
January 22, 1986, Paddock Stakes – Up The Creek
February 22, 1986, Cape Derby – Potomac
March 31, 1986, SA Oaks – Enchanted Garden
April 5, 1986, SA Derby – Potomac
April 12, 1986, Lancome Fillies Handicap – Bimbina
May 15, 1986, SA Fillies Sprint – Sunera
June 7, 1986, South African 2000 – Potomac
June 14, 1986, Clairwood Champion Stakes (Gold Challenge) – Fools Holme
June 18, 1986 , Natal Oaks – Enchanted Garden
June 28, 1986, Gilbeys (Golden Horse Sprint) – Sunera
At the end of the 1986 Durban Winter season Coetzee won two more Grade 1s:
August 2, 1986, Gold Cup – Occult
August 9, 1986, Champion Stakes (Champions Cup) – Fools Holme
If those two are counted and Voodoo Charm’s Gold Cup win is subtracted he will have won 12 Grade 1’s in one season.
All of the above Grade 1 wins were for Terrance Millard.
In the 1998/1999 season Weichong Marwing had nine Grade 1 wins for Mike de Kock and three others, a definite dozen.
Picture: Felix Coetzee on the way to post for the 1986 SA Fillies Sprint on the crack British-bred filly Sunera, who came home in Scottsville 1200m course record time. (The Racing Museum).