Andrew Harrison

MOST jockeys battle to keep their weight in check. For apprentice Mfanelo Zuma it is a battle to put weight on. He arrived at the South African Jockey Academy weighing a little over 40kg and has been on a diet to boost his weight. He now goes to scale at 48kg so put up 8kg of dead weight to ride Wylie’s Wonder at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday.

Gareth van Zyl’s filly was set to carry 60kg but with only one Kimberley winner under his belt, Zuma claims a regulation 4kg apprentice allowance and he needed it all to touch of multiple champion jockey Anton Marcus on race favourite and the rather luckless Lady Of Lutetia.

In his haste to get to the line, Zuma got himself into a tangle as he took the scenic route home, but he kept his mount going just long enough to hold Lady Of Lutetia.

“He’s strong and he’s brave and he’s got the right attitude,” said trainer Shane Humby.

Marcus, who had one of his worst months in recent years with only two winners in July, had earlier worked hard for his crust aboard the MJ Odendaal-trained Shavout.

Very green in only his second start, Marcus was hard at work before the final turn and then kept his mount all the way up the straight. Just when he looked to have the race in the bag, Tree Of Knowledge came roaring home under apprentice Kyle Strydom who failed by a piece of paper to catch Shavout. “This win was a big relief. I was beginning to think that there was a piece of pork in the winner’s circle,” quipped Marcus – he of Jewish faith.

In five starts, Tree Of Knowledge had finished no closer than nine lengths to the winner and a combined 80 lengths at his last two starts. However, Michael Roberts explained, “He was never right. But he had ulcers and I gave him a break. I didn’t think he could win today but I was hoping for him to run a place.”

Marcus and Odendaal go back a long way with Marcus a year behind Odendaal in the Jockey Academy. Odendaal’s career in the saddle was cut short by a series of horrific falls and on one occasion the pair also shared a hospital ward.

Odendaal had another near miss as he wrecked a wheel on his car on the way to Scottsville after hitting a large piece of metal lying on the highway.