Lyle Hewitson is on track to become the first apprentice since the legendary Michael Roberts to land the National Jockey’s title as an apprentice after pulling level with current leader Anthony Delpech and then going one better with a last race victory at Greyville yesterday.
A winner at Fairview on Friday and another in the last race on Saturday, took him to within one of equalling Delpech’s 136 winners for the season. The Paul Lafferty-trained Touch Of Magic was probably fittingly named as Hewitson delivered a typically full-out ride on the favourite to win the third and equal Delpech’s current total but went to bed last night one ahead and firmly on track for the title as he steered Liverpool Lass to victory in the last.
Touch Of Magic (Candiese Marnewick)
Muzi Yeni, third placed in the title race, has not given up the chase and his three winners on Saturday took him to 109 for the season so far, but with Delpech unlikely to be back to defend his title after being side-lined through injury, it will take a monumental effort from Yeni to stop Hewitson becoming only the second apprentice to land the National title after Roberts, and this in only his third year as professional jockey.
Hewitson did have the benefit of a couple of seasons in work rider’s races, champion before being admitted to the SA Jockey Academy, so had the perfect grounding.
Ashburton-based after many years in Cape Town, Shane Humby has a reputation of running his horses sparingly so if you are an owner who likes his horses to run every other week, look elsewhere.
On the other hand, Humby is one of the most astute trainer’s around and if your horse has any ability, he will get to the bottom of it; all you need as an owner is patience.
The Humby-trained Socrates, a comfortable winner of the fourth, benefitted from a strong early pace, making it two from two on the poly as he out-gunned favourite Falkland to deny Hewitson taking the lead in the jockey’s title race.
With Anton Marcus out of action, Humby called on Cape Town-based Donovan Dillon to deputise and he took no prisoners. Hewitson looked to have the race sewn up approaching the final furlong but Dillon had other ideas. Trailing off a blistering early pace, he came into the straight with plenty of horse under him but with little space to manoeuvre.
In desperation, Dillon barged through the smallest of gaps, collard the favourite and won going away.
Apprentice Luke Ferraris took 25 rides to get off the mark, but since breaking his duck he has been prolific in the past fortnight, going from naught to six, three coming over the weekend with one for Duncan Howells and two for Michael Roberts, the last a narrow win aboard Charlie-Fox who got over the line just in time to hold off a charging Pantsula.
By Andrew Harrison
