Martin Seidl, the German jockey who rode his first South African winner on Silver Coin at Durbanville on Monday, returns home to Cologne and his job with Markus Klug on 6 February.

The 24-year-old has ridden nearly 300 winners in his native country but racing there takes place only three days a week so he was keen to increase his opportunities, hence the Cape Town stay.

Martin Seidl (hamishNIVENPhotography)

He said: “I was originally looking to go to Australia but you have to get all sorts of papers sorted out first and I remembered Andreas Jacobs talking to me about visiting South Africa one day after I’d won a Group 2 and his horse finished second.

“I got in touch with him and he organised everything. His racing manager Glen Hatt helped me and put me up.”

Seidl has only had 22 rides since he arrived on 11 November – “I found that when you come to a new country  it is not easy to get in and get good rides but Joey Ramsden has been a big help.”

The German returned the favour by bringing home Silver Coin to a decisive, but long overdue, win – particularly considering his record R6 million purchase price.

Ramsden said: “Maybe we did a bit much with him at two and we had a few problems after the Langerman but gelding has been the making of him. Monday was his first run since we cut him and we put blinkers on to sharpen him up.”

By Silvano out of a Fort Wood mare he clearly needs a lot further. Ramsden agrees but is making no predictions about how good he might yet prove to be. “I just don’t know,” he said. “But he has won over six and seven furlongs and it is not easy for three-year-olds to win against older horses at this time of the season.”

Ramsden also won with another expensive horse on Monday, Dynasty’s Blossom who cost R4.5 million and ran out a convincing winner over 2 000m. He said: “I ran her over shorter and thought I would get away with it. But I didn’t really. She is going to be alright.”

By Michael Clower