KEAGAN DE MELO

Keagan has matured into a highly talented rider whose services are not just sought by local conditioners but in other areas as well. He has proven an asset to the Duncan Howells stable which topped the trainer log in KwaZulu-Natal this month.

Keagan had 39 rides in the province during the month and steered nine of them into the winner’s enclosure at a winning rate of 23%, which is close to a win from every four rides. Punters that followed him with a R1 win bet on each of his rides will have been more than happy with a return on their investment of R35.30. Adding to his winning tally, he managed to get another 14 of his rides into the placings.

A good month and well done Keagan

GUNTER WROGEMANN

Gunter has been around a long time and has ridden many, many winners in his career for a variety of stables, mostly in the Highveld region. He is a very skilful jockey and a fierce competitor and since Louis Goosen has relocated his stable to Ashburton Gunter has been far more active in KwaZulu-Natal where, in the past month he finished second to Anton Marcus on the local log with nine winners.

Gunter has also got off to a good start in the new season nationally and is currently fifth on the National Jockey Log with 36 winners and a win-place strike rate of 56%.

The likeable jockey is likely to spend a lot more time in KwaZulu-Natal during the current season and is sure to make his mark on the winner’s table.

Well done Gunter

ANTHONY DELPECH

Anthony Delpech and Anton Marcus continue to dominate on the winner’s log in KwaZulu-Natal which is understandable with both riders in great demand and riding for top stables and patrons.

During the month both had similar win and place strike rates ensuring they kept their supporters happy but not every horse the top riders throw a leg over are champions and they still have to use their talents to get their mounts into the winner’s enclosure.

During the month Anthony was in top form booting home 12 winners and 11 seconds from his 42 rides and punters will have profited from his success.

Well done Anthony

ASHTON ARRIES

It was a competitive month with many riders enjoying multiple successes on the track and all deserve recognition for their talent. Anton Marcus continued to prove his superior talent while the younger and less experienced riders like Serino Moodley and Ashton Arries showed promise of greater things to come in the future.

For their efforts both young riders – Serino and Ashton – deserved acknowledgement of their performances. Both riders managed six winners in the month, just one less than Marcus, but with a superior win-place strike rate of 45% to 38%, Ashton just pipped Serino by the proverbial short head.

Well done to both riders and congratulations to Ashton.

BERNARD FAYD’HERBE

Racing generally during the month of July was dominated by three riders – Anthony Delpech with 14 winners and both Anton Marcus and Keagan De Melo each with 13 visits to the winner’s circle.

Choosing the winner from that group would have been difficult as each one held strong claims. But a stronger claim had to lie with Bernard for his tactical and talented handling of Marinaresco in getting the Silvano gelding across the line in the Vodacom Durban July under top weight of 60kg. It was the heaviest mass carried by a runner since Pamphlet shouldered 61kg over the then 2 000m trip a long way back in 1920 – almost 100 years.

Marinaresco was not the biggest horse in the race and Bernard showed his skill in placing him and preserving him for that electric finishing burst which he is known to have and then producing him just at the right moment to secure the victory.

Well done Bernard, it was an outstanding performance.

ANTHONY DELPECH

Selecting the winner of the award this month was not easy. Anton Marcus was again in top form with 11 winners including features and Corne Orffer made the best of his opportunities including success in the Post Merchants.

But Anthony was in brilliant form to boot home 17 winners from 60 rides with another 26 of his mounts finishing in the placings to give him an outstanding 71% win and place strike rate. Many of his successes were from perfectly-timed rides from off the pace bringing his mount storming down the outside to win, perfect examples of giving mounts a chance that brought back memories of the former similar-styled great rider Garth Puller.

An excellent performance Anthony and well done.

Well done Anthony

Anthony Delpech

It was a month where many riders shone and accolades must go to the likes of Warren Kennedy, Anton Marcus and even Muzi Yeni who has raced sparingly in the province but rode a super race on Ten Gun Salute to win the Betting World 1900.

But Anthony has been one of the riders that punters have had confidence in following and during the month, riding for various stables, he has found the winner’s box on average once in every four rides. He tops the jockey table for the month with 10 winners from 39 rides with another 11 of his mounts finishing in the placings to give him a win-place percentage of just on 54%.

He has ridden some outstanding races and perfectly timed finishes and his consistency in performance is worthy of the award.

Well done Anthony

Warren Kennedy

The wheel of fortune is constantly turning and Warren’s change of fortune in recent time is testimony to that. In times past when many of the top riders that have moved on were still plying their trade in this country, the talent that Warren had was not appreciated and he did not get the opportunities he deserved.

But things have changed and his services have been utilized by a number of stables with success and he is earning the rewards.

During the month he booted home 11 winners with 23 of his other mounts finding places at a win rate of 20% and win-place statistics of 61.82%, the latter only bettered understandably by Anthony Delpech and Anton Marcus.

Well done and well deserved Warren

ASHTON ARRIES

Getting ahead in a sport as tough, demanding and competitive as horseracing is not easy for a variety of reasons and even more difficult for a young apprentice jockey. Opportunities are not readily available with a host of experienced and talented riders on hand.

But potential talent is quickly recognized among the trainers and they are prepared to give the young and enthusiastic apprentices a chance to show their ability.

Ashton has obviously caught the eye and during the month was given a leg up on 51 runners from which he managed to extract nine winners and steer another 19 of his mounts into the placings at a win-place strike rate of just on 55%.

The road ahead for this young rider will be long and tough but his future could be bright.

Well done Ashton

ATHANDIWE MGUDLWA

At a time of the year when race fields are smaller and opportunities less available, the not so fashionable riders have a tough time securing rides. What makes things more difficult is that races become even more competitive because of the lower standard of runners taking part.

It is a time when aspiring young riders have the chance to show their skills and Athandiwe certainly made the most of his chances in steering seven of his mounts into the winner’s enclosure and another 16 of his 62 rides into stake-paying positions for owners.

Athandiwe has always shown that he has the talent and it was just a matter of getting the opportunities to show it. For punters who followed him with a R1 win bet on all his rides, they were well rewarded with a R42 return.

Well done Athandiwe