Richard Fourie took a few steps closer towards his ultimate goal of breaking the record number of wins for a season when scoring a four-timer on the Fairview Poly today, the last of them being Masked Vigilante (Vercingetorix) (Pauline Herman Photography)
Richard Fourie looks to be cruising to a record number of wins this season and an accompanying R1 million bonus for breaking that 334 mark, but if he has to take a two week suspension just handed down to him for a whipping offense it will make the record chase a bit harder and more nerve-wracking.
Fourie is likely to appeal against the penalty imposed.
He was only one strike above the allowed number.
Penalties for crop misuse by other jockeys recently have varied from a R10,000 fine to 21 days suspension, although 14 days seems to be the most common penalty.
Any jockey who breaks Anthony Delpech’s record of 334 wins in a season will receive a R1 million bonus, an incentive sponsored by Hollywoodbets.
At present Fourie’s projected number of wins for the season based on his rides per calendar day rate and his present strike rate for the season is 370, so he is well ahead of schedule.
Assuming he is given a two week suspension his projected number will fall to 356 wins, assuming that when he comes back from the suspension he will return to his current rides per calendar day rate.
So that is still more than 20 clear of the record.
However, it would make it tighter than he would like, especially as there is always the risk of another suspension or illness or injury.
In normal circumstances there would also be the chance of a dry spell of the sort that champion Keagan de Melo experienced towards the end of last season (he at one stage mustered just one win in nine meetings).
However, that is highly unlikely in Fourie’s case as he has been in a league of his own this season.
He thoroughly deserves to get the record.
The NHA press release pertaining to Fourie’s suspension is shown below:
INQUIRY – JOCKEY R FOURIE
The National Horseracing Authority confirms that at an Inquiry held in Durban on Wednesday, 1 May 2024, Jockey R Fourie was charged with a contravention of Rule 58.10.2 (read with Guideline M in Appendix E on the use of the crop). The particulars being that he misused his crop by striking CELTIC BEAUTY more than twelve times (13) which was not warranted when considering the circumstances of the race, during Race 6, WORLD SPORTS BETTING SCARLET LADY (Listed), at Hollywoodbets Scottsville Racecourse on 14 April 2024.
Jockey Fourie pleaded guilty and was found guilty of the charge.
The Inquiry Board, after considering the mitigating factors presented, Mr Fourie’s recent record pertaining to this type of contravention and the status of the race, ruled that he be suspended from riding in races for a period of fourteen (14) days, and a fine of R8 250 (eight thousand, two hundred and fifty rand) was imposed.
Jockey Fourie was given the Right of Appeal against the penalty imposed.
