Tom Marquand onboard Economics on his way to winning. Pic: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

In the UK the Willam Haggas-trained Economics might well have produced the world’s best performance of the year in winning the Gr 1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes.

When a horse is caught wide without cover it usually spells doom for his of her chances, but in Economics case he was not only able to overcome such a disadvantage but he also got the better of a great horse like Auguste Rodin in a duel for the line.

Economics beat the six-time Group 1 winner by a neck to make it four wins in a row, including two Group 2s and Saturday’s Group 1.

When Economics won one of the Epsom Derby’s traditional pointer races, the Dante, in highly impressive fashion at York most expected him to appear in the Derby.

However, Haggas had withdrawn him from the Derby before that win at York and said, “I didn’t think it was the right track and the right race for him at this stage of his career.”

When calls came to supplement him into the Derby for £75,000 he stuck to his guns, saying, “”We want to give him more time, he’s a big lovely, scopey horse. It’s a shame these races come up so quickly and he just needs some more time, that’s my view.”

He was vindicated when Economics won the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano over a mile and two furlongs last month, but the bigger vindication came on Saturday.

Economics looks to now have the world at his feet.

However, Haggas has ruled out a tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and is instead set to round off his season in the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot.

The Irish Examiner wrote the below report on Satuday’s race:

Tommy Lyons

From a maiden at the start of the season to Group 1 winner in mid-September, the William Haggas-trained Economics completed his journey to the top with a terrifically game display in a pulsating renewal of the Royal Bahrain Champion Stakes, the feature on the Leopardstown leg of Champions Festival.

With Irish and English Derby winners, a Japanese Derby third, a former winner of this race, and numerous other high-class performers in the field, there was something to prove for the lightly raced three-year-old who travelled to Deauville for his most recent success, in a Group 2. In the heat of battle, however, he was not found wanting.

When market rival Auguste Rodin made his move in the straight, it looked as though his class and experience would prevail.

The previously strong-travelling Economics was under pressure and looking likely to have to settle for a minor role, but he appeared to appreciate the presence of Auguste Rodin on his right and responded to the challenge in the best manner possible.

With Tom Marquand at his most persuasive, he found a little, then found more, and kept on finding all the way to the line to shade the verdict by a neck, with Japanese raider Shin Emperor making impressive late gains to take third place.

“That’s one we can all walk away from pretty satisfied,” said Marquand. “He’s not only a very good racehorse, he’s an absolute warrior, and very, very few horses possess both.

“I had moments where I was worried, but he always felt like he was there for it. Auguste Rodin obviously showed up every bit as good, so he had to be very good. I was just thrilled.”

Recounting the race, he explained: “To be honest, I changed my plan a couple of times. I thought I’d gotten into a nice position and just, for whatever reason, I didn’t really feel happy there, so I just moved on a little bit further, and he possesses that real nice trait of being able to lie up and just shut back down.

“He still remains so, so exciting. I really think so (next year will be his year). I’m just thrilled to be part of him so far, and hopefully what’s to come.

“It’s been pivotal to my career (teaming up with Haggas), to take it to the next step, and I’m so fortunate to be receiving these opportunities for various people, and we have a lot of fun and I just want to enjoy as much success as we can together.”

On a day he will never forget, this was the completion of a Group 1 double for the rider as a little earlier he had reestablished his partnership with Porta Fortuna and together they took the Coolmore America Justify Matron Stakes.

In the saddle when she finished runner-up in the Newmarket 1000 Guineas and won the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, he was back on board the Falmouth Stakes winner for the third time and this was as straight-forward as any success.

Donnacha O’Brien’s incredibly uncomplicated filly sat just off the pace, picked up when asked, and was value for more than the winning margin of a length.

That said, runner-up Fallen Angel ran a superb race on her return, as did Ylang Ylang, who caught the eye in finishing fourth.

Of the winner, Donnacha O’Brien said: “She’s an incredible filly. She shows up every day, and it’s a huge honour and pleasure to trainer her. I’m lucky to have her. You can never be confident going into a Group 1 – they’re always hard to win no matter what the bookies are saying – but she makes it look easy.

“She’s always been good, but you can never be sure they’re going to develop into something like that. You can never dream of that. She’s very special.

“All being well, we’ll be going to Del Mar.”

Jan Brueghel digs deep to fend off Illinois (Picture: Sky Sports Racing)

In England on Saturday the great Galileo had his last chance to land a British Classic and did so through his Aidan O’Brien-trained son Jan Brueghel, who started 11/4 joint favourite and became Galilo’s 21st British classic winner.

Galileo and O’Brien got the exacta as the other joint favourite Illinois finished a neck second.  Sean Levey rode the winner to give O’Brien his 8th St. Leger and Galileo his 101st individual Group 1 winner.

TDN wrote the below report about the race:

Tom Frary

By Tom Frary

In an outstanding renewal of Doncaster’s G1 St Leger on Saturday, it was the much-missed colossus Galileo (Ire) who had his inimitable stamp on proceedings with his sons Jan Brueghel (Ire) and Illinois (Ire) waging war in a clear demonstration of one of the most common characteristics of his breed. While the eventual winner Jan Brueghel had yet to go into the red zone in a career that only commenced in May, the son of Devoted To You (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) who had already provided a Classic winner in Sovereign (Ire) was able to draw on the innate steel handed down by his sire supreme and outlast his battle-hardened stablemate in a thrilling finale on Town Moor.

Free initially for Sean Levey with the pace set by the other Galileo in the works Grosvenor Square (Ire) not as exacting as was expected, the 11-4 joint-favourite was restrained to sit three lengths off the lead and soon settled into a more suitable rhythm for this extended 14-furlong stamina test. Delivered alongside the other marker-leader Illinois as they came to have it between them approaching the two-furlong pole, the G3 International Stakes and G3 Gordon Stakes-winning TDN Rising Star took until the last 100 yards to truly assert his superiority and prevail by a neck.

There was another 1 1/2 lengths and a nose back to Deira Mile (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) in third and fourth, but the stewards saw fit to reverse those placings and provide the latter with a second Classic placing. Levey, the former Ballydoyle apprentice who was winning a second British Classic, was impressed by the Westerberg colour-bearer who was providing Galileo with his 101st group 1 winner. “It was very straightforward,” he said after helping Aidan O’Brien to an eighth St Leger. “He was willing, but still babyish and did it well with a bit in reserve. He’s a nice horse going forward and could be anything.”

“He was quite keen initially, but I got him settled and then he was completely off the bridle and started to race lazily,” he explained. “Ryan said when he gets to the front he might think he’s done enough, as he’s a baby and when he started to get into a competitive position, I always felt I was going to go by Illinois. I had great times at Ballydoyle and it’s nice to come around full circle–nice to get the ride and nice to deliver.”

Earning his TDN Rising Star badge with his eight-length debut success over 10 furlongs at The Curragh on Irish Guineas weekend, Jan Brueghel gave more indication as to his raw material when overcoming notable greenness to get Trustyourinstinct (Ire) (Churchill {Ire})–who would go on to win the G3 Kilternan Stakes minutes after the Leger–late on in the G3 International Stakes over the same course and distance the following month. At Goodwood, he mastered Bellum Justum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) despite again doing most things wrong and had the time subsequently to build to this first major test.

O’Brien said at Leopardstown, “It was a great race and I’m delighted–the three of them ran great races. Jan Brueghel was very babyish the last day, but we thought he had come forward a lot. We knew it was going to be a big call to go and do it and he doesn’t do much in front. Illinois also ran a great race and Sean Levey gave the winner a great ride.”

Christophe Soumillon said of Sunway, “He ran really well, but when we were fighting it out inside the last 250 yards he got a big bump from the horse on his outside, which meant we lost third place on the line. There’s a nice race in him.”

Deira Mile’s trainer Owen Burrows said of the demoted third, “With the blinkers on, I was conscious I didn’t want him seeing loads of daylight, so Jason [Watson] dropped him in, but the way the race was run, it was an advantage to be closer to the pace. He travelled into it good, stayed the trip well, but they dictated the pace from the front. The owner is keen to have a crack at the Arc and why not, he likes a punt.”

Pedigree Notes

Jan Brueghel is at this stage a contrasting performer to the aforementioned dam Devoted To You’s past star Galileo colt Sovereign, who dominated the G1 Irish Derby from the front in 2019. Her other significant performer by the sire is the G1 Irish St Leger third Dawn Rising (Ire), so stamina was always going to be the winner’s strong suit. Runner-up in the G2 Debutante Stakes, Devoted To You is a half-sister to four stakes winners, most notably Humble Eight (Seattle Battle) who captured the GIII Honeybee Stakes.

The third dam is Morning Devotion (Affirmed), who was third in the Fillies’ Mile when it held group 3 status and who produced another Irish Derby winner in the Oaks heroine Balanchine (Storm Bird) and Nureyev’s group 2 winners Romanov and Red Slippers (Nureyev). The latter was responsible for the G1 Prix de Diane heroine West Wind (GB) (Machiavellian), while her many top-class descendants include the dual G1 Dubai World Cup hero Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) and Dubawi’s ill-fated star Coroebus (Ire). Devoted To You’s yearling filly by St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) is catalogued in the upcoming Goffs Orby Book 1, while she also has a filly foal by Wootton Bassett (GB).

Heather’s Boy came from off the pace on his debut on Saturday and with long strides put the race to bed (JC Photos)

Every so often, a horse comes along that delights fans with a surge of adrenaline, writes the Mike de Kock website.

Three-year-old Heather’s Boy, an athletic runner with a sharp turn of foot and an elastic stride, delivered on his home gallops promise with a thrilling debut victory over 1450m at Turffontein on Saturday, hinting at good things to come.

Haether’s Boy, a son of Rafeef and stakes winner Folk Dance, made his first racetrack appearance in a competitive field. All the trainers were interviewed before the race and six of his seven rivals were considered to have winning chances. He came from off the pace, picked them off one by one and then drew away to win, hitting the line strongly.

Mike de Kock commented: “There was merit in this win and it starts with the comments from our rival trainers, who all fancied their runners. So it looks as if this was a quality Maiden Plate from which we’ll see the form well franked. We expected him to have enough pace in the early part to actually go out and lead them from his good draw. I told jockey Kabelo Matsunyane to ride him confidently. He was a bit slow out of the pens and green and it’s not easy from a slow start on this tight track. But despite his inexperience he won very well. He’s a good prospect, we look forward to his progress this season.”

Assistant trainer David Hlamine, groom David Blaai and jockey Kabelo Matsunyane. Blaai also recently handled Humdinger and Iphiko.

Assistant trainer David Hlamine, groom David Blaai and jockey Kabelo Matsunyane. Blaai also recently handled Humdinger and Iphiko.

Matsunyane said: “He was slow away, we had ground to make up. But when I shook him up he showed a nice turn of foot and lots of class. This was impressive.”

Heather’s Boy races for Lady Christine Laidlaw’s Khaya Stables and Mike said: “Lady Laidlaw is a pleasure to to train for and we are pleased that this looks like a horse with a future.”

The colt was a R900 000 buy from the 2023 August Two Year Old Sale.

His sire Rafeef, South Africa’s Leading First Season Sire of 2020-2021, had an excellent season in 2023-2024. Rafeef ended last season fifth on the South African General Sires List, and his runners banked more than R14.113 million in 2023-2024, with his flagbearers including such graded stakes winners as Thunderstruck, Frances Ethel, Mover And Shaker, Cats Pajamas, and Mrs Browning.

Rafeef already has a pair of G1 Computaform Sprint-winning sons at stud in the form of Master Archie and Thunderstruck.

Out of South African Champion National Colour, Rafeef shares his legendary sire Redoute’s Choice with top-class stallions like Snitzel, Not A Single Doubt, Stratum and The Autumn Sun.

Luke Ferraris made it win number two for the season on Scottish Tycoon at Happy Valley on Wednesday. Both of his wins have been for Mark Newnham, but he has only had 12 rides in three meetings. (Picture: HKJC) 

Zac Purton is closing in on the Hong Kong record number of winners held by Douglas Whyte as he clinched a four-timer at Sha Tin on Sunday to make it nine wins from 24 rides this season and 1749 Hong Kong career wins, 64 short of Whyte’s record of 1813.

It looks like more of the same this season with Purton dominating, although Hugh Bowman was making his presence felt last season before injury and had a double on Sunday to get his season going. However, he is already seven wins behind Purton after just three meetings.

Matthew Poon is in second place on four wins in 18 rides while last season’s runner up Karis Teetan has had the same number of rides as Purton but is yet to record a win.

It coud be another uphill battle for the South African riders on the island.

Luke Ferraris started off the season well with a win at each of the first two meetings for the burgeoning ex-pat Australian trainer Mark Newnham. However, of those who have had at least one win this season, and there are 13 of them,Ferraris has had the second least number of rides, just 12 rides in three meetings.

It has been even tougher going for Keagan de Melo, who only had one ride on Sunday and has had just fives rides this season with one fourth place being his only cheque.

Lyle Hewitson is the one SA jockey who is threatening to break through, although the same could have been said at the beginning of last season and in tthe end his return of 40 wins was less than his previous season of 50. Lyle has had 18 rides this season for one win, three seconds, one third, three fourths and a fifth. However, one of the statistics from last season shows the dearth of quality mounts the island’s leading ex-pat South African rider is getting. Of his 616 rides in the season, which was the third most on the log, he only had 14 rides in Graded events, seven Gr 3s, four Gr 2s and three Gr 1s, and none of his mounts in those events were good enough to win with his returns being a Gr 1 4th, two Gr 2 5ths, a Gr 3 2nd, a Gr 3 3rd and three Gr 3 4ths.

Compare that to the foreign rider Andrea Atzeni, who had total rides of 595 for 48 wins. Atzeni had 28 rides in Graded events, including ten rides in Gr 1 events, for a winning return of two Gr 3s.

Being in favour on the island relies largely on how lucky a rider is viewed to be and it would appear Hewitson has not cracked it as a lucky big-race rider, even if he is a popular choice for minor events.

Luke Ferraris only had 416 rides last season and only six were in Graded events.

De Melo had 419 rides and only seven were in Graded events.

The great Piere Strydom has ridden in Hong Kong with success, but soon chucked it in and said he would rather ride in jusrisdictions where skill rather than luck was viewed as the best credential.

How long will the South Africans on the island manage to endure the relative lack of support or will things change?

Luke Ferraris’ association with Mark Newnham augurs well. Newnham sent out an excellent 31 wins in his first season last term and he is joint leader on four wins this season. Of Newnham’s 31 wins last season, Ferraris rode 12 of them, so that represented a good proportion of Ferraris’ 28 wins in total last season.

However, the short-priced favourite of Newnham’s that won on Sunday was ridden by Purton.

Purton can be compared to Richard Fourie out here. It seems apparent that if connections can get him they will do, so with Newnham’s burgeoning profile Purton might muscle in and take the cream.

Of course the plus side of Hong Kong is the massive stakes and this can set up a jockey and his family for life.

Hewitson’s earnings last season were $76,313,830 (R173,232,394), Ferraris’ were $37,026,775 (R84,050,779) and De Melo’s $39,398,025 (R89,433,517).

Compare that to the R44,651,019 stakes earnings of Richard Fourie in his record-breaking 2023/2024 season.

So it is tough on one side for the foreign jockeys, but plenty would be willing to take their place given the opportunity.

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)

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%

Sean Levey after winning the St Leger on Saturday at Donaster (Pic – Doncaster Racecourse) 

What country was this year’s English St Leger-winning jockey Sean Levey born in?

Sean Levey was born in Swaziland.

The below article was written in 2018 after he had won his first Brtish classic.

By Qondile Ntiwane (2018-05-11) (Swazi Observer)

EQUISTRIENNE – SWAZI-born Sean Levey is the first black jockey to win a British Classic.

According to  information sourced from an exclusive interview with British publication, The Telegraph, the jockey, who started his profession at Ezulwini, is also one of the two black jockies riding regularly in the UK.

It is stated in the article that his glory in the 1 000 Guineas has had many extraordinary facets. For a start, he rode the highest-priced winner in 204 years of the fillies’ chase on the Rowley Mile. Billesdon Brook, with whom he once enjoyed a couple of minor successes at Goodwood, had only been deemed worthy of squeezing into the top four, at best.

Stable

The 30-year-old jockey is born to a Swazi mother Tini and Irish father Mickey Levey who first carved a riding career with trainer Rob Smyth in Epsom, before diversifying into bookmaking, stable ownership, hotel work and, briefly, a stint running amateur boxing in Swaziland, which led to a trip to the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.

“Having jumped off the school bus in Swaziland a stop early to begin riding at a friend’s stables, I wanted to see what it was all about.

Race

“Fortunately, my dad then started taking me there on Sundays – he knew everyone. I used to ask him, ‘If you know so much about riding, how come you have never taught me?’ He replied, ‘If there’s one thing I’ll never do, it’s teaching my own family how to do something. It never works.’

“So, I learned myself, but he was always there for advice, and he pushed me forward as soon as he realised my interest was so strong.

“When I was out in Africa they called me white, now I’m over here it’s the other way  round,” he says.

“It has never been a bother. It’s more than it’s surprising for people. I’ve probably had the same background as a lot of the other riders. I had parents with racing in their blood, and that’s what gets most of us into it. It’s not one of those sports where you turn up at school and decide, ‘I want to be a jockey.’ It doesn’t work like that,” he is quoted saying.

He stated that other sporting avenues were swiftly ruled out having tried football on the scorched earth of Ezulwini but loathed it, cutting his knees on the debris strewn across dirt pitches, cricket which he also hated, having no wish to be struck by “such a hard ball”. Fleetingly, athletics beckoned, until he realised it was not a realm in which he could thrive.

His dad, it is said, would have liked his son to try his hand at boxing, having been wrapped up in the Swazi amateur scene.

“Dad wanted me to do it a lot but my mum didn’t – and my dad listens to my mum. I just grew up on horses quicker. I was always going to go down that route,” he said.