Leading apprentice Lyle Hewitson has had a fairytale career to date and can add another chapter as his 100th winner in the professional ranks coincided with his first ever ride overseas.

Hewitson won a race for Arabian horses on Sunday in the UAE. He thus followed the example of fellow South African Jockey Academy pupil, Kersley Ramsamy, who rode a winner in his first overseas ride in France on October 16.

Lyle Hewitson (Nkosi Hlophe)

Hewitson and the Mauritian-born Ramsamy flew over to the UAE last week ostensibly to take part in Sunday’s finale of the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship race in Abu Dhabi.

Hewitson discovered upon arrival only riders who had won one of the qualifying races, which are staged at intervals through the year in various parts of the world, can take part in the finale.

However, the trip was far from being a waste of time as he attended the press conferences and workshops put on for all of the invited visitors. He was also able to take time out to ride work for Mike de Kock at Meydan in Dubai.

Then came the cherry on the top. Former South African-based trainer Ernst Oertel learnt Hewitson was to be in attendance on the night of the Apprentice World Championship meeting and offered him a ride in one of the supporting races on the card.

Hewitson’s subsequent victory was all the more remarkable in that he did not have an opportunity to ride his mount work during the week. When he climbed aboard in the parade ring it was the first time he had ever sat on an Arabian horse. His mount, a seven-year-old grey entire named Ibn Harmany Al Zobair, was a battling maiden running in a handicap event over 1200m against winners. Furthermore, the horse was 2kg under sufferance on official merit ratings. Lastly, Hewitson was up against some of the best jockeys in the world, the like of Silvestre de Souza, Royston French, Richard Mullen, Fernando Jara and Tadhg O’Shea, all of whom had ridden in plenty of Arabian races.

He said about his preparation for the race, “I watched a replay and got feedback from previous jockeys. Arabians seem to be a lot more temperamental, so it’s important to have them in the right frame of mind to get the most out of them. You almost have to be more kind to them in your demeanour. However, with saying that, they take a strong and a hard ride. Mr Oertel left the race to me. He let me know about the horse and after that I played it by ear and took the race as it came.”

Hewitson jumped from a low draw and got his mount handy before sitting still and showing his usual fine balance. He began riding the blinkered grey from 600m out. Enough fuel had been reserved to enable the horse to produce a sustained finishing effort. The race developed into a ding-dong tussle between Ibn Harmony Al Zobair and Richard Mullen’s mount, a five-year-old mare called Extra Hope. However, Hewitson’s hard driving kept the former’s nose in front.

Kersley Ramsamy (right) and Lyle Hewitson (left) meet Richard Mullen

Later Ramsamy did the SA Jockey Academy equally proud. Ramsamy is the current East Cape Champion Apprentice. He rode the Eric Lemartinel-trained four-year-old colt Snaffy into third place in a conditions event for Arabians over 1600m. He had to overcome a wide draw and his horse was a whopping 17kg under sufferance with the best weighted horse according to official merit ratings. The ultimate winner of the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championships was Dylan Dunn of Australia. His mount, the Jean de Roüalle-trained four-year-old grey colt Qader, romped to a 7,25 length victory. Fittingly, the horse was owned and bred by Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is the deputy prime minister of the UAE, minister of presidential affairs and a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi.

Hewitson has not won any invites yet for the win, but felt it would open some doors.

He summed up the trip, “ I met great people and made new friends and work related contacts. The experience was amazing in all aspects. I also really enjoyed seeing the professional set up of Mike de Kock’s Dubai yard and being able to work some great horses at a wonderful training establishment.”

By David Thiselton

Craig du Plooy, who broke bones in his right hand when Sabina’s Dynasty fell with him as he was pulling her up at Kenilworth a fortnight ago, expects to be out of action until some time in January.

He said: “I had bad concussion and, perhaps fortunately, I don’t remember anything about it but I am told that the horse landed on top of me. I had a lot of facial bruising, including two black eyes, and the hand was broken quite badly. The doctors had to pin it and they told me that I will be out for eight weeks minimum – and that is if all goes well in the meantime.”

The injury is a blow, not just to Du Plooy, but also to Snaith Racing as he rides much of the work on the team’s big string. However he should be able to continue with his tuition of those taking part in Cape Town work riders’ races.

He explained: “I teach them basic racing rules and they all have to pass my course to be eligible to ride in those races.”

He works with them quite closely and appears on Tellytrack before each Kenilworth work rider race to inform both the presenter and punters of their various strengths and weaknesses.

By Michael Clower

The Vaal stages an eight race meeting on the Inside track today and there look to be a few opportunities for punters. Low draws have been favourable down the straight here by trends.

The highest rated race on the card is the second, an intriguing MR 82 Handicap for three-year-olds over 1400m. The topweight Captain Von Trapp is the selection despite a tricky draw of six in a seven horse field. On debut over 1200m on the Vaal Classic track, he used his big stride to overcome a wide draw and then fended off the challenge of the more experienced Ebony Knight to win by a short-head. The third-placed Harry’s Silver was 4,3 lengths further back.

Ebony Knight franked the form by cruising to an effortless 5,5, length win over 1200m next time out. Harry’s Silver also won his next race and so did another horse who had finished further back. Captain Von Trapp is by Captain Al and is a half-brother to Gr 1 SA Derby dead-heater Royal Bencher, so should relish the step up in trip. He is still quite gangly, so should continually improve.

Alec Laird

Raydaveric could be the chief danger. He has not beaten much to date, but is an eyecatching sort and was not asked any serious questions when winning from start to finish over this trip last time out. He has plenty of scope and coming from the Alec Laird yard should also come on from his first two runs. He was set to carry joint topweight of 60kg but has 1,5kg claimer Calvin Ngcobo aboard. He has a plum draw of two.

At the other end of the weights is Penultimate, who won easily on debut over 1200m and two runs later finished just four lengths behind the promising Buckland over 1200m when 6kg under sufferance on official merit ratings. His last run when finishing well back in the R2,5 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run can probably be ignored as he missed the break and was later caught wide. He receives 2kg from Captain Von Trapp and should enjoy this trip on pedigree being by Captain Al out of a Fort Wood mare.

Biblical Susan is the only filly in the race and is only receiving 0,5kg from the topweight. She ran on strongly from a tough draw on debut over 1000m at Scottsville and then followed up with an eyecatching win over 1200m at the Vaal, where she showed a fine turn of foot and found extra to repel Secret Star. The latter franked the form by obliterating a fillies and mares Maiden field over 1160m yesterday by 6,5 lengths.

Wanted Man is a nice looking horse and if he settles better than he did last time over this sort of trip he could be a contender. Approval Mode has finished close to the best of is age over 1000m, but there is a question mark over this trip. Copper Pot ran a fair race in the Ready To Run Cup and can’t be ignored.

The best bet on the card comes in the third race, a Maiden over 1400m. Tilbury Fort over raced over 1600m last time, but still found a late surge to finish second in a fair field. He reportedly finished distressed, but looks likely to relish the step down in trip and Piere Strydom remains aboard from a good draw. He doesn’t face a great field and it would be no surprise if the chief challenger turned out to be the Mike de Kock-trained first-timer Alaadel. He is by Sebring, who won Australia’s biggest sire producing race, the Golden Slipper for two-year-olds over 1200m as well as one other Gr 1 for two-year-olds over 1400m. Alaadel is out of a half-sister to a GR 3 winner in the USA.

Piere Strydom

There could be another good bet in the seventh race, a MR 78 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1700m. Tambalang, in her last race over 1800m on the Turffontein Inside track, was building up into her big stride when her run was blocked and this cost her crucial momentum. She got going again and was closing fast at the finish to be beaten just 0,5 lengths. The progressive daughter of Go Deputy remains on a 78 merit rating and will relish this more galloping track. The only concern is a wide draw of eight in the eight horse field, although she is not the sort who over races.

Cosmo Russe should get punters off to a good start in the first, a maiden for fillies and mares over 1800m. She has proved in her last two starts she loves this sort of trip and from a fair draw of six looks hard to beat in an uninspiring field.

In what should be a fine day for champion trainer Sean Tarry, he has chances in the fourth and sixth races, over 1400m and 2400m, with End Game and Consequentially respectively.

His Silvano filly End Game had to contend with draw 16 of 16 on Charity Mile day in a maiden over 1600m and had to be used up to some extent to slot into midfield, but she then stayed on well for third. This long-striding sort will appreciate the galloping track and looks to have plenty of scope. However, her high draw will be tricky, especially as the obvious danger, Rouge Allure, is distance suited and well drawn.

Consequentially, also by Silvano, has been a revelation with blinkers, finishing strongly to win her last two. She looks likely to enjoy the 2400m trip in the sixth, a MR 71 Handicap. She was only raised three points for her last win to a 64 merit rating, which she looks capable of rising above, but on the downside she is the only female in this field and it is never easy against the boys.

By David Thiselton

Winning Ways [Nov 14] presented by James Goodman and Paul Lafferty

The Alec Laird-trained six-year-old Bezrin gelding Bezanova relished the soft ground at Turffontein Standside yesterday and produced a strong finish on the outside to win the Gr 2 Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m under Randall Simons.

The big chestnut won the Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile as a four-year-old. He also won the KZN Breeders Mile later that season, following a cracking third in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge. However, going into yesterday’s race he had appeared to have lost interest and had not made the frame for his last seven starts.

However, he was well weighted on his best form yesterday, carrying just 54kg, and was backed into 9/1.

Bezanova (Nkosi Hlophe)

The meeting was postponed from Saturday and there were five scratchings, leaving 12 runners facing the starter.

Bezanova was slotted into midfield from a draw of six as stablemates Arctica and Amsterdam set a steady pace up front. The 3/1 favourite Liege was next and was followed by the fancied Master ‘N Commander.

Liege got the better of the front runners in the straight and the only three-year-old in the field Bold Rex also ran on well. However, they had no answer to Bezanova’s powerful finish, in which his long stride was seen back at its best. Liege was beaten 0,5 lengths into second and Bold Rex was third. Arctica was next best ahead of Coltrane, while Master ‘N Commander ran a disappointing second last.

Earlier, the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained three-year-old Gimmethegreenlight filly Green Pepper proved herself a sprinter with a big future when waltzing away with the Listed Gardenia Stakes over 1000m and she provided the first leg of e feature double for Randall Simons. She was officially 6,5kg under sufferance being a progressive sort who had only reached a merit rating of 86 in three runs. To beat older fillies and mares at this stage of the season by a comfortable 2,25 lengths was some performance. Another three-year-old, Queen Laurie, finished second and Crystal Glamour was third. The topweight Joan Ranger was a touch slow away, so did well to finish fourth, and the second favourite, three-year-old Exquisite Touch, was fifth. Green Pepper, a powerful bay, started favourite at 15/10.

Earlier in a hotly contested Pinnacle Stakes race over 1160m, the Equus Champion Sprinter Talktothestars could only manage fifth place as the Tarry-trained Trip To Heaven romped home to a comfortable victory under S’Manga Khumalo. Talktothestars (merit rated 121), Legal Eagle (120), Abashiri (117), Trip To Heaven (114), Dollar Dazzler (107) and Doing It For Dan (105) all carried 61,5kg. Talktothestars set the pace but Trip To Heaven, who was making his seasonal reappearance, enjoyed the conditions and cruised past to win by two lengths. Splendid Garden, merit rated only 99, was officially 8kg under sufferance with Talktothestars, but is known to be a quirky sort and he had one of his going days, running on for second. The reigning Equus Horse Of The Year Legal Eagle made a cracking seasonal reappearance over a trip well short of his best to run a 2,4 length third. Pivotal Pursuit was fourth and Talktothestars faded late to finish 3,1 lengths back in ground which may not have suited him.

By David Thiselton