Fourie Barometer 376 (updated after racing on 21/05/2024)

Daily News And July Favourite Is In 'Great Shape'

Green With Envy sauntering to victory in the Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby (Picture: Wayne Marks)

The progressive Dean Kannemeyer-trained Gimmethegreenlight colt Green With Envy is the ruling 3/1 ante-post favourite for the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July and has been priced up as the 7/10 favourite for Saturday’s Gr 1 Daily News 2000.

Kannemeyer is pleased with where Green With Envy is at and said, “He is doing very well. I was very impressed with the way he won the WSB Guineas. It was too sharp for him with the tailwind. So we’re going to the Daily News and then into the July and the distance is not a problem as he proved by winning the Politician Stakes and the Derby. He is in great shape. He came through his WSB Guineas win well and will be a lot more comfortable over the distances of the Daily News and the July.”

Asked on his current July weight of 53,5kg he said, “Well, I’m quite happy where I am at the moment, but we’ll see what happens in the Daily News.”

He added, “If you look at him now compared to the athlete he was six to eight months ago, he’s maturing and strengthening up. So I think as he’s going along in his three-year-old career, he’s getting better and better.”

He concluded, “If he come through the Daily News well, there’s just the draws and a lot of luck in running of the July. We’ve been there a few times.”

In fact the yard have won it a few times.

Dean’s father Peter Kannemeyer won it with Over The Air in 1979 and Dean himself has won it with the great Dynasty in 2003, Eyeofthetiger in 2006 and Power King in 2015.

Comparing Green With Envy to his last three-year-old winner Eyeofthetiger, he said, “Eyeofthetiger was a very different type of horse. He was an improving horse. He came in at the right weight, the right draw, and everything fell into place. So you need a lot of luck. But this horse has done more than Eyeofthetiger and more than Power king. He didn’t do more than Dynasty! Although, we don’t know … He won the Guineas, and now we’ve got the Daily News and then we’ll see what happens.”

Dynasty won all three of those races in 2003, although the WSB Guineas was called the SA Guineas back then and was a Gr 1.

Green With Envy has drawn five in the nine horse Daily News 2000 field and regular pilot Craig Zackey will be aboard.

See It Again Appears To Be Back To His Old Self

See It Again winning last year’s Gr 1 Daily News 2000 (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

The Hollywoodbets Durban July second favourite See It Again has been doing well according to trainer Michael Roberts, who expects him to bounce back from his disappointing runs in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate and WSB Met repectively.

See It Again, who will be the July topweight as things stand, will make his comeback in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge before taking in the Hollywoodbets Durban July and World Pool Champions Cup.

Roberts said, “We are happy with him, he’s training good and he’s looking magnificent. We’re going to take him down to Greyville on Saturday for a gallop, which will be a sort of fimal work out before the Gold Challenge on June 8.”

Asked whether the Twice Over colt might have had an underlying virus in Cape Town, Roberts replied, “There was definitely something not right with him. We’ve done a lot of tests on him, blood tests and all sorts. And we just couldn’t put our finger on it. We had a Durban vet there, we got the Cape Town vets to look at him. And we couldn’t find anything really wrong with him. But there was something not right with the horse. Especially after he had won the WSB Green Point so well. Although he finished second to Charles Dickens in the King’s Plate, I could see that that wasn’t See It. The third and fourth were too close to us and he never had that natural burst. He then came out of the race well, but we didn’t know what was going on there. All I can say is that at the time, none of the stables around us at Milnerton were doing well and winning races. It just seems like there was something in the training center. He was working well enough. He is not the type who sets the world alight at work, he has never been a ‘wow’ galloper, but obviously I know him well and he looked well. However, he has got these little things coming off the track when he’s well, a little buck and a kick, and it was there, but you could see it was a little bit under pressure, personally.”

Asked whether it could be seen by his recent work whether he had recovered in to his old self, Roberts replied, “I think he has recovered. He looks magnificent, he’s working well, he’s eating everything. Bar for those two runs in Cape Town, I think he’s probably better than last year, because he’s matured. But, obviously he has still got to do it on the racecourse.”

Roberts is viewing the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge in the same way he viewed the Green Point. i.e. as a preparation run which he will come on from but he still has the class to win it under those circumstances, like he did in the Green Point.

Roberts said he would be taking it race by race with See It Again and he added he viewed the Gold Challenge and Champions Cup as his two chief targets.

He elaborated by saying the July was the race everybody, including himself, dreamed of winning but that it was a race in which one needed a lot of luck.

He added, “I would like a very good draw in the July with him, because he’s going to carry top weight. although he is the best horse in the race.”

Only Three Horses In The Handicap In Golden Horse Sprint

Dyce’s entry in to the Gr 1 Golden Horse Sprint has led to a pronounced bottom-heavy weight structure (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Dyce’s presence in the Golden Horse Sprint and Thunderstruck’s retirement means there are only three horses in the handicap in the Gr 1 sprint to be run on June 1 at Hollywoodbets Scottsville i.e. only three horses who are not under sufferance.

The two other horses who are in the handicap besides Dyce are three-year-old Lucky Lad and five-year-old Surjay, who will both carry 54,5kg off 121 and 119 merit ratings respectively.

All other horses are rated 117 or less and as the minimum weight for the race is now 54kg it puts all of them under sufferance.

The fields for all four of the Gr 1 events to be run on June 1 at Hollywoodbets Scottsville are shown below:

Gr 1 R1 million Golden Horse Sprint

O Dr	N Dr	Horse	Weight	MR	Trainer		Jockey
1	0	I Am Giant	54	107	Brett Crawford	Still To Be Declared
2	0	Mrs Geriatrix	54	112	Sean Tarry	Still To Be Declared
3	0	Swing Upon A Star	54	104	Tony Peter	Still To Be Declared
4	0	Teflon Man	54	99	Dean Kannemeyer	Still To Be Declared
5	5	Sheldon	54	116	J A Janse van Vuuren		Serino Moodley
6	0	Surjay	54.5	119	Brett Crawford	Still To Be Declared
7	0	Mrs Browning	54	113	Sean Tarry	Still To Be Declared
8	8	Ziyasha	54	116	Clinton Binda		Juan Paul v’d Merwe
9	0	Hithemhardsunshine	54	108	Alyson Wright	Still To Be Declared
10	0	Quasiforsure	54	115	Peter Muscutt	Still To Be Declared
11	0	Dyce	60	130	Lucky Houdalakis	Still To Be Declared
12	0	At My Command	54.5	119	Brett Crawford	Still To Be Declared
13	0	Countdown	54	108	Glen Kotzen	Still To Be Declared
14	0	Cruise Control	54	117	Duncan Howells	Still To Be Declared
15	0	Lucky Lad	54.5	121	Sean Tarry	Still To Be Declared
16	0	Fire ‘N Flames	54	98	Kobus Roux	Still To Be Declared
17	0	Sun Blushed	54	113	Michael Roberts	Still To Be Declared
18	0	King Of The Gauls	54	101	Tony Rivalland	Still To Be Declared
19	0	Cliff Top	54	108	Peter Muscutt	Still To Be Declared
20	0	Pray For Rain	54	114	Carl Hewitson	Still To Be Declared
21	0	Zinovi	54	114	Mike de Kock	Still To Be Declared
22	0	Melech	54	117	Roy Magner	Still To Be Declared

Gr 1 R1 million SA Fillies Sprint

O Dr	N Dr	Horse	Weight	MR	Trainer		Jockey
1	1	Kwinta’s Light	60	110	Justin Snaith		Grant van Niekerk
2	0	Reefway	60	98	Kumaran Naidoo	Still To Be Declared
3	3	Baltic Secret	59	104	Justin Snaith		Sean Veale
4	0	Hot Pearl	59	97	Wendy Whitehead	Still To Be Declared
5	0	October Morn	59	115	Candice Bass-Robinson	Still To Be Declared
6	0	Morgan La Fay	60	98	Wendy Whitehead	Still To Be Declared
7	0	Mrs Browning	60	113	Sean Tarry	Still To Be Declared
8	0	White Pearl	59	112	Mike de Kock	Still To Be Declared
9	0	Shantastic	60	108	Dean Kannemeyer	Still To Be Declared
10	0	Sorceress Supreme	51.5	0	HWJ Crawford/M Rix	Still To Be Declared
11	0	Shipholia	60	96	Gareth van Zyl	Still To Be Declared
12	0	Convocation	60	97	Gareth van Zyl	Still To Be Declared
13	13	Time Fo Orchids	60	110	J A Janse van Vuuren		Gavin Lerena
14	0	One Fell Swoop	59	104	Tony Peter	Still To Be Declared
15	0	Mrs Geriatrix	59	112	Sean Tarry	Still To Be Declared
16	0	Winter Greeting	60	108	Sean Tarry	Still To Be Declared
17	0	Asiye Phambili	60	111	Duncan Howells	Still To Be Declared
18	0	Gimme A Shot	60	106	M G Azzie/A A Azzie	Still To Be Declared
19	0	Winter Cloud	59	114	Candice Bass-Robinson	Still To Be Declared
20	0	Elegant Ice	59	102	Lucky Houdalakis	Still To Be Declared

Gr 1 R1 million Gold Medallion

O Dr	N Dr	Horse	Weight	Trainer		Jockey
1	0	Chinaberry	60	Wendy Whitehead	Still To Be Declared
2	0	Pistol Pete	60	Tony Peter	Still To Be Declared
3	0	Believe In Fate	60	Joe Soma	Still To Be Declared
4	0	Commanding	60	Glen Kotzen	Still To Be Declared
5	5	Cymric	60	J A Janse van Vuuren		Gavin Lerena
6	0	Twenty One May	60	Duncan Howells	Still To Be Declared
7	0	Cold Shine	60	Peter Muscutt	Still To Be Declared
8	0	Sorceress Supreme	57.5	HWJ Crawford/M Rix	Still To Be Declared
9	0	One More	60	Lucky Houdalakis	Still To Be Declared
10	0	Wild At War	60	Candice Dawson	Still To Be Declared
11	0	Proceed	60	Sean Tarry	Still To Be Declared
12	0	United Nation	60	Glen Kotzen	Still To Be Declared
13	0	Taxi To The Moon	60	Tony Peter	Still To Be Declared
14	0	Gorgeous Klein	60	Tony Peter	Still To Be Declared
15	0	Banff	60	Sean Tarry	Still To Be Declared
16	0	Winds Of Change	60	M G Azzie/A A Azzie	Still To Be Declared
17	0	Cosmic Speed	60	Sean Tarry	Still To Be Declared

Gr 1 R1 million Alan Robertson Championship

O Dr	N Dr	Horse	Weight	MR	Trainer		Jockey
0	0	Kindred Heart	Pending	91	Brett Crawford	Still To Be Declared
1	0	Quid Pro Quo	60	0	Barend Botes	Still To Be Declared
2	0	Green Sapphire	60	0	Sean Tarry	Still To Be Declared
3	0	Fiery Pegasus	60	0	Joe Soma	Still To Be Declared
4	0	Gimmie’s Countess	60	0	Dean Kannemeyer	Still To Be Declared
5	0	Gimmefabulous	60	0	M G Azzie/A A Azzie	Still To Be Declared
6	0	Disting	60	0	Glen Kotzen	Still To Be Declared
7	0	Sorceress Supreme	60	0	HWJ Crawford/M Rix	Still To Be Declared
8	0	Just Reckless	60	0	Michael Miller	Still To Be Declared
9	9	Dark Winter	60	0	Justin Snaith		Grant van Niekerk
10	0	Symphony In White	60	0	Candice Bass-Robinson	Still To Be Declared
11	0	Little Ballerina	60	0	Candice Dawson	Still To Be Declared
12	0	Rodeo Drive	60	0	Sean Tarry	Still To Be Declared
13	0	Lost For Words	60	0	HWJ Crawford/M Rix	Still To Be Declared
14	0	Frozen Fantasy	60	0	Robyn Klaasen	Still To Be Declared
15	0	Prom Queen	60	0	Dean Kannemeyer	Still To Be Declared

King Of The Gauls Likely To Skip The Golden Horse

King Of The Gauls winning the Listed In Full Flight Handicap (Candiese Lenferna)

Tony Rivalland thinks highly of his Vercingetorix three-year-old sprinter King Of The Gauls, who is officially merit rated 101 after his Listed In Full Flight Stakes win, but due to the structure of the weights as the race stands he might bypass the Gr 1 Golden Horse Sprint.

He said, “He is certainly well, but I think we might bypass the Golden Horse. The way the conditions of the race have been set Dyce coming in has messed the whole field up, because it’s basically now wait for age at the bottom. Probably every horse (apart from three of them) has got 54kg. When the conditions were changed and the minimum weight upped to 54kg, what it has done is it has made it difficult for the three-year-olds who are really improving. I think this horse is well above his rating. That’s my opinion. I think he can go with the best of them. That’s my honest opinion. But you don’t want to go in a race like that. You find you run third, Quasiforsure (115) for argument’s sake runs fourth, and you end up coming out of the race without the trophy but you’ve got a 115 merit rating. What is the point of that? And then the next race, the Post Merchants, you’ll have 58kg or 60 kg. At this point, I’d rather give him a run in the Durban Dash, restricted to three-year-olds,at Hollywoodbets Greyville, so I can show him Greyville again. And then four weeks later, I’ll run him on July day in the Post Merchants with 54kg on his back. It’s got to be the better plan for the horse. And if he wins the Post Merchants easily, then we can decide to go for the Mercury Sprint at the end of July.”

King Of The Gauls was talked about before his debut and has won four out of his nine starts, including his last two. He looks to be an exciting prospect.

Royal Victory To Have Another Prep Run On June 17

Royal Victory winning the Gr 1 World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Summerveld trainer Nathan Kotzen confirmed he was pleased with his Hollywoodbets Durban July hope Royal Victory’s third place finish in the Pinnacle Stakes event over 1500m at Holywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday and in further good news he revealed there was a Pinnacle event over a mile the horse will be able to run in at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on June 17.

Tony Rivalland said there had been a request to put on a Pinnacle race on that day and it had been granted.

Nathan said about Sunday’s run, “I was very happy with the run, it was a nice prep run and he was running on nicely. As you can see it doesn’t take much to get Royal Victory comimg back well from a break. The winner (Dave The King) was very hard to beat over that distance. It was short of our horse’s best distance and he was running on. That is what I wanted to see, so I am very happy with the run.”

He said the dual gr 1-winning Pathfork gelding had come out of the race well too.

The Pinnacle event will be on a Monday and will be 19 days out from the July.

It should put him spot on and give him a chance to just go through the motions at the Hollywoodbets Durban July gallops on June 27.

The final field and draw ceremony will be on June 25 and Nathan will be hoping for a draw anywhere in the first six.

Muzi Yeni will be back aboard.

Royal Victory is currently a 25/2 shot for the big race.

Varsfontein's Super Seven For CRS Winter Yearling Sale

Lot 50 is a One World colt out of seven time-winning National Emblem mare Pearl Emblem, who is from the family of July winner Trademark (Picture: BSA)

Founded in 1974, Varsfontein Stud has bred 49 Gr1 winners to date in its proud history. It started with a flourish under original owner Anthony Kalmanson with Varsfontein’s first stallion, Mexico II (sire of champion Harry Hotspur) making a significant impact on the breed in SA. The very first yearling sold by Varsfontein, Kings Rhapsody, won 11 races including the Smirnoff, equivalent to what is now the Gr1 Gold Medallion.

That rich legacy continues and this year the farm celebrates its 50^th year of breeding success. Equine heroes produced by the stud recently include Green with Envy, Sandringham Summit, Main Defender, Gimme A Prince, Lucky Lad and Bless My Stars.

Lot 14 is a first foal by Master Of My Fate (a son of Jet Master) out of the Judpot mare, In A Huff. Master Of My Fate was the second leading sire of 3-year-olds in 2023 and is currently 4^th on the general sires log. Second dam Outrage is a half-sister to Croc Valley and quality stayer, Galileo’s Night, and has already produced Third Runway, winner of the G2 Western Cape Fillies Championship. This filly is strong and compact and looks like she will be an early, precocious type.

Lot 41 a filly named Freydis, is a first foal by Erik The Red out of Miss Texas. Erik The Red, a brilliant two-year-old and son of legendary Captain Al, has been very well received with his first yearlings at auction this year. The dam is a half-sister to Gr1 Allan Robertson winner, Miss Florida. Miss Florida is by Captain Al, hence why this proven nick was repeated. Freydis is a quality filly that stands over ground and moves well.

Lot 50 United Front is a strong, imposing One World colt out of Pearl Emblem. This good boned colt has plenty of scope. Pearl Emblem won seven races up to 1400m and is a half-sister to Gr1 winner Chestnuts N Pearls. One World’s sterling first crop of two year olds should have buyers paying close attention.

Lot 53 the Erik The Red filly, Harpa, is a first foal of imported mare Preluna (Fr) and has some interesting French blood on the dam side. She is a well-made, balanced filly with a strong shoulder and hindquarter. Formed in the same mould as her sire, she looks like a speedy type.

Lot 54 Princess Ruby is another filly by Erik The Red whose dam, Princess Thiana, is a full sister to 2015/16 and 2016/17 HOTY Legal Eagle. She is also from the family of exciting Varsfontein breds, One Fell Swoop and Countdown. This athletic, agile filly has plenty to come.

Lot 67 Master Coiner is a Master of My Fate colt out of the Silvano mare, Silvery Dream. The dam is a half-sister to Eyes Wide Open who won the G1 Cape Derby and Premiers Champion Stakes. This striking colt is leggy and covers ground with a lovely shoulder.

Lot 91 presented by Varsfontein (As Agent) is an unnamed Erupt (IRE) filly out of Arch (USA) mare, At A Great Rate. This is a truly international pedigree for bloodstock buffs to ponder as the page includes intriguing British and Japanese influences. This beautifully balanced filly is strong and precocious.

Manager, Carl de Vos, and the Varsfontein team look forward to welcoming buyers to view these lots at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Racecourse.

Varsfontein Stud: 021 8698 238 info@varsfontein.co.za

DOWNLOAD IMAGES: https://varsfontein.co.za/auction-year/2024/winter-yearling-sale-6th-june-2024/

ENDS

For racing queries and sales queries, contact Justin Vermaak at justin@caperacing.co.za or Janine van Blerk at janine@caperacing.co.za

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Preakness-winning Jockey Had First Race Ride Less Than 2 Years Ago

Seize the Grey wins the 2024 Preakness S. at Pimlico (Photo by Horsephotos.com)

Life’s a Movie for Torres After Preakness Victory

“I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like a movie, but in real life,” Torres said.

By Sean Collins (Bloodhorse.com)

It has been a meteoric rise to stardom for 25-year-old jockey Jaime Torres. Just four and a half years after deciding he wanted to become a jockey, the native of Puerto Rico reached the pinnacle of his sport as he guided Seize the Grey to a gate-to-wire victory in the May 18 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course.

“I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like a movie, but in real life,” Torres said.

Torres only started riding horses after visiting the races at Camarero Race Track in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico in 2019. He instantly fell in love and discovered he had a new passion.

Torres decided he needed to pursue his passion and drop out of college. He enrolled at the Escuela Vocacional Hípica at Camarero to learn how to ride.

“When I quit (college), I really thought, ‘If I’m going to quit, I’ve got to make it,” Torres said.

Since that moment, Torres has shown an undeterrable devotion to his craft.

“I haven’t rested since then,” Torres said. “I have been working very hard. Not thinking it was going to happen, but working for it.”

Upon moving to the continental United States, Torres began exercise riding in Florida for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. By August of 2022, he rode in his first race and had his first winner just over a month later.

“I am very blessed, I had a lot of people teaching me,” Torres said. “My advice to young guys starting (out) is to focus and listen, that’s the best thing to do. There are a lot of people that want to help, so you just got to listen and try hard.”

Someone who has helped coach Torres is the “Coach” himself, Seize the Grey’s Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

“He rode a few horses for me at Churchill (Downs) and rode a few just general horses, nothing real special,” Lukas said. “I thought he had a lot of talent and I loved working with him, but I really feel good taking him to this level.”

Lukas received calls from about six jockeys’ agents inquiring about riding Seize the Grey in the Preakness after Torres rode him to victory May 4 in the Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs.

“They said, ‘You’re going to change riders for the big one, aren’t you?'” Lukas said. “I said, ‘Not a chance, he’s staying right there.'”

Lukas recalled just a few weeks before the Preakness, Torres rode one of his horses in a way that Lukas was not pleased with. He followed Torres all the way back to the jock’s room and “chewed him out.”

“I know when he turned for home (in the Preakness), that was echoing in his ears, that he’d better get down and scrubbing because I really think it hit home,” Lukas said.

Torres has appreciated that a trainer like Lukas has given him the opportunity to learn and flourish.

“It means a lot, it means everything,” Torres said of Lukas’ support.

Also appreciative were his parents, who surprised Torres by attending the Preakness. They expressed their gratitude to the connections for giving their son a chance at the post-race press conference.

“Thank you very much for having the trust in a jockey who has just two years (of) riding (experience),” said Torres’ father, who is also named Jaime, in translated remarks. “I just want to say thank you very much, (MyRacehorse founder) Michael (Behrens), to Coach Wayne Lukas for trusting him, we’re blessed for this opportunity.”

All the coaching worked perfectly in the Preakness as Torres broke sharply and found himself with the opportunity to steal the race on the lead.

“That was plan A, to go to the lead,” Torres said. “I was wondering what (Imagination ) was going to do, I wasn’t going to go crazy fast in the first part. When I saw that (Imagination’s jockey Frankie Dettori) took a hold, I just went.”

Torres said that Seize the Grey felt comfortable during the whole 1 3/16-mile distance. Despite feeling the presence of another horse on his outside, which Torres would later find out was Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan , he knew he had won the race at the quarter pole. According to Torres, when Seize the Grey switched leads and took off entering the stretch it was a moment that dreams are made of.

The Preakness marked the 147th career win for Torres in 1,259 starts. Seize the Grey had given Torres his first graded stakes victory two weeks prior and has now provided him with his first Grade 1 in one of the American classics.

“I have to give all the credit to the horse,” Torres said. “He’s the one that deserves all the attention.”

Torres has built a strong bond with Seize the Grey, evident by the love he gave the horse in the winners’ circle celebration. The Preakness was the fifth race he rode the colt, and the third time the pair had won together.

Winning with Seize the Grey has been extra special for Torres because of the colt’s owners, MyRacehorse. The first Kentucky Derby he watched after developing his dream to become a jockey was the 2020 edition in which Authentic won carrying MyRacehorse’s black and white silks. Torres was in awe when he saw the silks in his locker the day he rode Seize the Grey for the first time July 29 at Saratoga Race Course, a maiden race in which he won wire-to-wire by 1 3/4 lengths.

“I was like, ‘Wow, I’m going to ride for MyRacehorse,’ Torres recalled. “I won that race with Seize the Grey, that’s why I am very emotional with them.”

Every time Torres looks back at the career-changing moment in which he won in his Triple Crown debut, he will see himself wearing those silks that mean so much to him and over 2,000 shareholders that own a piece of the son of the late Arrogate.

Although he just had a moment that is one of the highlights of his life, Torres is already looking ahead at what winning the Preakness will do for his blossoming career.

“Hopefully people believe more in me and give me more chances,” Torres said. “I think I can do better.”

Orffer/Nel, Domeyer, Bass-Robinson, Marshall Doubles

Canford Cliffs filly Pushing Limits makes it a quick double for the Corne Orffer and Andre Nel combination (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Corne Orffer rode a double for Andre Nel at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth today and there were also individual doubles for Aldo Domeyer, Candice Bass-Robinson and Vaughan Marshall.

Orffer goes to 35 wins for the season achieved at a strike rate of 12.92%.

Domeyer is on 61 wins at 22.02%.

Nel is on 51 wins at 16.45%.

Bass-Robinson is on 73 wins at 12.70%.

Marshall is on 49 wins at 11.37%.

Today’s Question

The picture above gives a clue to the answer. (Picture: baltimore.org)

Has a declared jockey for the Derby ever been disallowed the ride by the British Horse Racing Authorities due to inexperience?

Weekend FIELDS

Hollywoodbets Greyville Poly, Wednesday

Today’s Question Answer

Controversy arose over jockey declarations ahead of the Investec Derby at Epsom in 2017.

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) refused to accept the declaration of 1,000-1 shot Diore Lia ridden by Gina Mangan, citing safety reasons.

For the first time in recent memory, the BHA decided under Rule (F)83 that it would be “in the best interests of the sport” not to accept Gina as the rider of Diore Lia in the Group One Classic.

The three-year-old mare was rated 52 and had been well beaten in her last, and only, two previous races. Apprentice jockey Paddy Pilley, who had partnered 34 winners out of 471 rides, picked up the ride.

Gina, an apprentice jockey with the filly’s trainer John Jenkins, had had 69 rides at the time and one winner.

“Everyone involved in horseracing has a responsibility to place the welfare of our participants, both equine and human, first,” said Jamie Stier, chief regulatory officer for the BHA.

“It is in this context that the decision has been made.

“While risk can never be removed entirely, it is possible to identify factors that can increase risk, and act on them.

“While Miss Mangan has held her licence for a number of years she remains inexperienced.

“She has never ridden at Epsom and certainly never ridden in a race on the scale and stage of the Derby, with all the unique challenges it presents.

“While there are currently no race conditions regarding rider or horse qualification for the Derby, or any other Flat Pattern race in Britain, whether there should be is something that we have already started considering prior to the events of the last seven days.

“The specific matter of Miss Mangan’s booking has been under consideration since it became known that she would be booked.”

He had added the BHA “fully understands” this was extremely disappointing, but believed the decision was “the correct one in the best interests of all concerned and the sport”.

Gina had told the Racing Post the previous week that she did “deserve a shot” at it and planned to donate her riding fee and any prize money to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The horse’s owner Richard Aylward vigorously defended the decision to run the mare with Gina aboard in the 12-furlong Classic.

Trainer Mr Jenkins also publicly stood behind Mr Aylward’s decision to enter the horse in the Derby.

“Gina is a good, competent rider. There are no worries on that score,” he is reported to have said.

The decision sparked lively debate on both sides of the argument.

Leading Flat jockey Ryan Moore came out in support of the BHA’s decision.

“They have done the right thing by the horse, Diore Lia, and, while Gina Mangan may not appreciate it at the moment, they have done the right thing by the jockey, too,” he wrote in his Betfair column.

“This is a dangerous game, as we unfortunately see far too often, and you simply couldn’t allow an inexperienced horse and rider to be placed into the situation that they would have been at Epsom on Saturday (3 June).

“Who is to say what would have happened in front of a massive, worldwide TV audience?”

Paul Struthers, chief executive of the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA), said it was a “very difficult situation”.

“The PJA is a broad church with our membership ranging from young jockeys who haven’t yet ridden to some of the best jockeys in the world,” he said.

“Our job is to represent the best interests of all of them, mindful of the interests of the sport as a whole.

“I have spoken to Gina this morning and she is obviously very disappointed that she won’t be able to ride in the Derby on Saturday.

“She was very much looking forward to the opportunity having read that there was no barrier to her participation.

“Her reaction to the disappointment was admirable and the attitude she has shown will no doubt stand her in good stead as she pursues her career as jockey.

“We have enormous sympathy for Gina and the position she has found herself in, having been thrust into the spotlight this week.

“Yet we also recognise that there were concerns raised by other PJA members about such an inexperienced jockey, with no previous experience of riding at Epsom, taking the mount on an outclassed horse in the biggest, arguably most important, Flat race of the year.

“The BHA were in an unenviable position and in the circumstances we believe they have taken the right decision, albeit in hindsight it would have been far preferable not to have given Gina the public green light to ride earlier in the week.”