Apprentice Lyle Hewitson will more than likely break the record for the shortest time taken for an apprentice to lose his 4kg claim. He landed a double at Greyville yesterday to take his tally to 13 in less than 80 rides at an amazing strike rate for an apprentice of 14%.

To be fair to his Jockey Academy colleagues, Hewiston was well grounded on the work rider’s circuit before joining the academy, winning the championship last year and can hardly be classed as a green apprentice.

He will however also be learning the tough ways of the weighingroom and will no doubt have taken some flak from senior rider Brandon Lerena after landing the fifth on the Kom Naidoo-trained Tuscan. Although what all the fuss was about is hard to fathom.

Hewitson tracked the pace one off the rail and made good use of his claim quickly sending his mount for a clear run up the outside fence. It got close at the wire as the grey Stolen Destiny pressed him all the way but Tuscan held on narrowly.

The objection hooter announcing second against first had patrons puzzled especially as the alleged interference occurred at the 1200m mark. A review showed things getting a little tight but hardly grounds for an objection.

Hewitson had earlier kept the Sean Tarry wrecking ball rolling in the fourth with another polished display aboard In Other Words as the filly notched her sixth win from only nine starts and her first on the turf.
“She’s not the best mover,” said assistant Deshone Steyn. “That’s why we have kept her to the poly. But she will win races on the grass. She’s above average.”

In Other Words was a hiccup in Dean Kannemeyer’s run of form with Impala Lily sent out favourite and only narrowly beaten.

An hour later the R3 million yearling purchase Tripandie had the stable back on track as he run up his third win on the bounce with a telling stretch run.

“I thought he finished his race off very well. Today was a good win. He’s gone up 4kg in the weights,’ reasoned Kannemeyer.

“He came with a price tag but he hasn’t been an easy horse to train. I will allow him to earn his stripes and he’s going the right way. We will see how he pulls up and take it from there.”

It was a day of doubles as Roy’s Fly followed up for Naidoo and prolific owner Roy Moodley in the seventh.

By Andrew Harrison

Brandon Morgenrood is to move to New Zealand and he could leave South Africa as early as next month.

Morgenrood, 38, said: “I have been offered a job with Eoin Kemp. How it works over there is that you ride work for the first two months and then you can apply for a racing licence. I don’t have an exact date for when I go but it will probably be next month.

“I wouldn’t leave if it was just me – I love Cape Town and it’s my home – but my son is now four and I don’t see a future for him in this country.”

Morgenrood returned  from injury with two rides last Saturday and at Kenilworth this Saturday he has mounts for Brett Crawford, Glen Kotzen and Riaan van Reenen.

He said: “I was out for five months with problems with my left shoulder – tears in the supraspinatis tendon and the rotatator cuff, which is what baseball players get but in my case it was wear and tear after 25 years of riding.”

By Michael Clower

South Africa’s first ever black Champion Jockey S’Manga Khumalo is running away with this year’s championship, which was very tightly contested for the first half of the season, and looks likely to regain the title he first won in the 2013/2014 season.

Meanwhile apprentice Lyle Hewitson is likely making record breaking progress towards losing his 4kg claim and clinched his first career treble in the professional ranks at Turffontein
Khumalo had ridden 173 winners this season at the time of going to press at a strike rate of 18,31% and was 22 clear of Anthony Delpech, who has a phenomenal strike rate of 23,05%.

However, Anton “Superman”Marcus has the highest strike rate in the country, his 115 winners coming at a rate of 25,33%.

 

Khumalo is being mentored by one of South Africa’s greatest and most professional ever jockeys, Felix Coetzee, and this is proving to be a telling weapon in his armoury. In the same way the greatest of golfers need advice on their swings, the best jockeys can always do with input from a knowledgeable observer, although Coetzee is likely to be taking a backseat at the moment such is the confidence with which Khumalo is riding.

Meanwhile, Hewitson has age and workriding experience on his side, but it is still interesting to compare his progress at this stage of his career to the most prolific apprentice in South African history, Gavin Lerena, who went on to be crowned South African Champion Jockey last season.

After 74 rides Hewitson has had eleven winners at a strike rate of 14,86%, while Lerena had only six winners under the belt at that stage at a strike rate of 8,11%, while this season’s leading apprentice Callan Murray had five winners after 74 rides at a strike rate of 6,7%.

Hewitson also has plenty of trainer support on his side having arrived at the Academy with a big reputation after riding 22 winners as a workrider.

Nevertheless the former Kearsney College pupil has impressed with his maturity and it would have paid to follow him on Saturday.

His three winners occurred in successive races.

The Joey Soma-trained Savage Wind bounced back to his best to just get up and win a 2600m handicap at odds of 15/2, the Soma-trained High Drama then won at odds of 7/2 and the Sean Tarry-trained Elusive Spirit then won at odds of 15/2 after a perfectly judged front-running ride from Hewitson.

Hewitson just has nine more to go to reach the 20 winner mark at which stage his claim will change to 2,5kg.

Meanwhile, Murray is fulfilling all the predictions his Riding Masters once made and is one of the most sort after jockeys in the country, despite having lost his 1,5kg claim some time ago.

He has ridden 45 winners this season at a strike rate of 7,2% and in the race for National Champion Apprentice is 14 clear of joint-second placed Matthew Thackeray and Eric Saziso Ngwane.

Last year’s champion apprentice Craig Zackey has also continued to excel since losing his claim.

He has ridden 58 winners this season at a strike rate of 7,98%, a fine feat considering the first year out of the apprentice ranks is the toughest of years for riders due to the sudden lack of a support base.

Former KZN apprentice champion jockey Donovan Dillon is also doing well down in Cape Town and is stable jockey to one of the most powerful yards in the country, Joey Ramsden. He has ridden 41 winners this season at a strike rate of 9,53%.

By David Thiselton

Apprentice Julius Maponya was injured in a fall at Ashburton yesterday morning and was stretchered off to hospital with suspected neck injuries.

Maponya, a graduate of James Maree’s riding academy and a first year apprentice at the South African Jockey’s Academy, was riding work on the grass track.

His mount clipped heels as it ducked in behind it’s working companion dislodging Maponya who fell awkwardly.

He was taken by ambulance to Medi Clinic Hospital in Pietermaritzburg in a stable condition.

By Andrew Harrison

Selangor Cup winner Hard Day’s Night is the highest rated horse in the Winter Guineas and he will have to give weight all round at Kenilworth on Saturday week.

Joey Ramsden, who has won the race with stars like Winter Solstice, Variety Club and Act Of War, said: “He worked at Kenilworth last Saturday and he will do so again this weekend. However Mr Wise Guy pulled up a bit wrong after his race last month and we will have to see how the next few days go with him.”

Snaith Racing are flying in Anthony Delpech for the meeting but at this stage the former champion seems more likely to ride Elusive Silva than Langerman scorer Ready To Attack in the big race.

Jonathan Snaith said: “Ready To Attack loves the soft and we are waiting for rain with him. He would be a major contender if we get it. In the Sweet Chestnut Stakes on the same card Anthony will ride Qing who is a very good filly.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Hard Day’s Night (Liesl King)