Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Daniels out of lions den

David Thiselton
Derryl Daniels rode his first Grade 1 winner on Saturday in the Woolavington 2000 at Greyville on the Glen Kotzen-trained Imperious Star, but it was not the prestige of the achievement that brought him satisfaction rather it was that he had been re-united with the filly he loves and then won on her for the third time in three starts. It was soon evident that the well-wishes for the popular jockey were widespread, but he has remained as humble as ever for he has fought much harder battles in his 33 years on this planet. “I just love this filly,” said Daniels yesterday. “People can say that the race was slow run, but she won. They wrote her off too soon. She relaxed beautifully in front and loved every minute of it. She then quickened superbly at the top of the straight. She has pulled up like a dream and is as sound as ever.’’ Daniels said last week, “She is the best filly I’ve ridden in my career. She will enjoy the step up to 2 000m and I’m expecting her to run a big race.’’ He couldn’t have been more correct, as the daughter of J&B Met winner, Imperious Sue, led them a merry dance out in front before staving off all challenges in the straight in the manner of a true Grade 1 performer. The filly is by the unfashionable sire, Navarone, and is owned and was bred by John and Beth Brandtner of Nutfield Stud. The Brandtners recently commented that Navarone was not necessarily a poor stallion, rather that he had never received any decent mares. Imperious Sue was one of the few good mares ever sent to him. Daniels first rode Imperious Star in an Allowance Plate over 1 450m at Clairwood in March this year where she beat a field that included the former KZN Guineas runner up, Sahara, by a facile 6,25 lengths. He was kept aboard for the Grade 3 Umzimkhulu over 1 400m at Scottsville, which she won by 1,5 lengths. However, he was then replaced by Felix Coetzee for the KRA Guineas, a change that with due deference to Coetzee, didn’t please Kotzen’s Summerveld assistant, Frikkie Greyling. Having run unplaced in the Guineas, Daniels was grateful to be put back aboard and even more pleased to have proved that he was the right man for the filly. Kotzen himself watched the race live in his hotel room in Australia, where he is attending a sale, and would have been ecstatic for both the horse and jockey. Daniels has become a vital cog in the success of Kotzen’s Summerveld yard and, although officially only being the stable jockey, takes on duties that make him virtually the assistant trainer as well. Yet a few years ago such a position would have seemed a million miles away for Daniels, who was involved in a struggle with the demonic-like force of alcohol. “I was young and became attached to alcohol,’’ he said frankly of his time in Johannesburg about four or five years back. “I never rode while drunk, but as soon as track was over in the morning I would start drinking. My rides were becoming fewer and fewer." The path to recovery for Daniels began one day when he tested positive for alcohol at a racemeeting. “It was the moment of realisation,’’ he recalled. “I was sent for rehab and after that Robin Watkinson invited me to come and ride for him at Ashburton. Mr Watkinson played an enormous role in helping me as did Pat and Mike Riley. “I owe a lot to Frikkie Greyling and Glen Kotzen too. Frikkie gave me a ride one day and I happened to win and that’s how my association with the yard began.’’ However, Daniels singles out his girlfriend, Phillipa Baxter, as being the biggest steadying force in his life. “We’ve been together for seven years now,’’ he said. “She’s special." Daniels arrived in KZN penniless those few years ago, but hasn't touched a drink since and has made such a turnaround that he was even able to buy a house recently. He is a man of whom champion jockey Andrew Fortune, whose similar life struggles have been well publicised, would be very proud.

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