The second and final leg of the Air Mauritius International Jockeys Challenge got off to a dream start at Turffontein yesterday when legendary jockey Frankie Dettori rode his first winner on South African soil and the crowds were treated to his trademark “flying dismount”.
The appreciative crowd enjoyed a double dose as Dettori was in the winner’s enclosure again two races later.The brilliant jockey was aboard the promising Joe Soma-trained three-year-old Trippi filly Turn Back Time in yesterday’s first Challenge event. He extracted a strong finish to convert favouritism in the MR 62 Handicap over 1800m to win by 0,25 lengths.
Dettori was thrilled to have won a race in South Africa, in his third riding visit, and to have put his team back in contention.
Frankie Dettori (left) S’Manga Khumalo (right)
The charismatic Italian spoke of the wonderful hospitality the visitors had received.“We are having a ball”, he said. He concluded the winner’s enclosure interview with typical humour by shouting, “Shot!”, a well-known South Africanism.
Soma said having the famous jockey riding a winner for him would be a memory which would last a lifetime.
In yesterday’s third Challenge race, a MR 87 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m, Dettori led from start to finish on the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Seattle Lady. However, by that stage the bird had already flown as far as the team competition was concerned. The South Africans had brought a commanding 226 to 174 lead from Friday’s first leg at Fairview.
In yesterday’s first Challenge race South Africans S’Manga Khumalo, Anthony Delpech and Gavin Lerena, had filled the next three places behind Detorri and the Internationals only scored 53 points to 47, meaning they had closed the gap to 46.
In the next race, a MR 66 Handicap over 1600m, S’Manga Khumalo produced a strong finish to win on the Geoff Woodruff-trained Duzi Moon and South Africans Delpech and Yeni finished second and fourth respectively.
The South Africans had now increased the lead to a virtually unassailable 69.
Dettori’s next win helped the internationals close the gap to 57, but from that position they would still have required a miracle to overhaul the South Africans. However, there was still a lot to play for in the individual competitions.
Over the two legs Dettori was on 79 points to Gavin Lerena’s 77, and Friday’s victor Ladorum Muzi Yeni was on 73. In yesterday’s individual standings Dettori was on 64 to Khumalo’s 52. Unfortunately, lightning in the vicinity prevented the last race from being run. The South Africans had therefore won the Challenge for the seventh time in the ninth clash since it had begun.
Dettori capped yet another wonderful year in his illustrious career by going home as both yesterday’s and the overall victor ladorum.
By David Thiselton
Picture courtesy of Racing. It’s A Rush
