Muzi Yeni scores on the Gareth van Zyl-trained Vihaan’s Web in the opener at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday to make it 41 wins for the season. (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Record-breaker Richard Fourie short-priced favourite despite slow start
Mike Moon (The Citizen) Updated 16/09/2024
Early in a season, top jockeys are coy about their championship chances. That’s unsurprising; they’re in a wildly unpredictable business.
It’s the only job that has an ambulance follow people around as they work, at the same time that vigilantes watch like hawks with fingers on the suspension button. And that’s not to mention hyper-sensitive owners, trainers and punters critiquing every move they make.
“We’ll see how things go,” the jocks shrug and reply when asked if they have title ambitions.
The local lads are also a tad wary after recent events involving Richard Fourie. The Cape Town ace blew everyone away in his frenetic 12-month blitz of travelling around the country, relentlessly winning horse races and setting a new record of 378 winners in a season.
The bookmakers are also gun-shy, offering measly odds about Fourie defending the title – even though he’s made a slowish start to the new term and hasn’t said he’s ready to tackle another marathon on the treadmill.
Bold statement
We can usually depend on Muzi Yeni to make a bold start to a new season and he hasn’t disappointed this time around – galloping 14 winners clear of the field in the first six weeks.
The pocket dynamo’s four-timer at the Vaal on Thursday brought his total to 39, which was at the time 14 clear of second-placed Sean Veale on the log.
He has ridden scores more horses than any of his rivals, but that’s no particular giveaway as to his championship aspirations; he is always among the hardest working riders in the country.
That said, Yeni has made no secret of his dream of carrying off the trophy one day – one day soon. He has come close on several occasions – controversially and bruisingly sometimes – yet keeps coming back for more. This is good news for punters, who can side with him knowing that fierce determination burns inside every time he swings a leg over a horse.
Turffontein and Scottsville
Yeni added one win at Turffontein on Saturday and one win at Holywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
Fourie had only on win at Fairview on Friday and one win at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday.
Craig Zackey – third in the betting and fifth on the log – had a blank at Fairview on Friday and one win at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday.
Veale quietly clocked up plenty of air miles during August, suggesting he might make a championship bid, while two-time former champ S’Manga Khumalo has also been a busy lad. Khumalo only had six rides in two meetings over the weekend at Turffontein and Hollywoodbets Scottsville but picked up three wins including a double at the latter centre.
Calvin Habib has been a frequent flyer, too, but has hit a dry spell and seen his title odds drift.
Gavin Lerena has a good winning percentage, but that might take a dip after his recent parting of the ways with the leading Highveld yard of Johan Janse van Vuuren.
Now is a good time to ponder all these trends as you can find attractive odds about your favourite jockey. And, of course, the race isn’t confined to the names mentioned above.
South Africa’s riding talent pool is legendary and any one of the top 25 jockeys could conceivably find a plum retainer, go on a winning streak and grab the prize come July 31 2025.
Hollywoodbet’s 2024/25 jockey championship odds:
9/10 Richard Fourie
4/1 Muzi Yeni
7/1 Craig Zackey
8/1 Gavin Lerena
14/1 Calvin Habib
17-1 Sean Veale, S’Manga Khumalo
40-1 Luyolo Mxothwa
Jockey championship standing; Monday
(name, winners, (rides), win percentage)
Muzi Yeni 41 (232) 17.67%
Sean Veale 26 (175) 14.86%
Gavin Lerena 23 (93) 24.73%
S’Manga Khumalo 21 (131) 16.03%
Craig Zackey 20 (128) 15.62%
Luy Mxothwa 20 (93) 21.51%
Phila Mxoli 14 (101) 13.86%
Richard Fourie 14 (75) 18.67%
Denis Schwarz 11 (113) 9.73%
Grant van Niekerk 10 (58) 17.24%
