Greenstone resident kicks off new season of horseracing

Greenstone resident and jockey Gavin Lerena started the new season the same way he ended the last, in fine form.

Lerena recently won at Turffontein Racecourse while competing on Royal Guide for trainer Alec Laird.

With seven wins under his belt, Lerena has a strike rate of 35% and is one behind the early national log pacesetter, Muzi Yeni.

Yeni goes for the championship every season and maintains a high riding rate and demanding travel schedule.

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The question is whether Lerena will attempt to emulate the latter this season.

Lerena said, “Every jockey, I think, wants to go for the championship at the start of a season. If I get the support, I will go for it.”

When winning a championship, bonuses are usually part and parcel of that, which Lerena said helped.

When asked about the R1m bonus offered by Hollywoodbets to beat Anthony Delpech’s record of 334 wins in a season, Lerena replied, “I think that is a bit difficult.

“In those days, there were a lot of doubleheaders, and there was racing every day,” he explained.

“Wins in Zimbabwe counted, so I think that would be quite difficult, but I will give it a bash.”

Lerena said he would travel to Durban, Cape Town and Gqeberha with the right support.

He said, “Support is support, but you need healthy support. I am hoping to form some relationships in the other centres.”

However, there is nothing wrong with his status quo, and, as he said, the most crucial part is that he enjoys his riding at present, partly due to the work he did on his weight.

Looking streamlined and athletic in the saddle, Lerena said, “I’m feeling good. After working on my weight, everything else has fallen nicely into place, and I’m enjoying my riding.”

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Jockeys agent Wade Viljoen, who previously worked for Ryan Munger, helps Lerena with his rides, and they always look to get onto top horses.

Lerena finished last season with a flourish.

In a tight tussle between a few jockeys for most of the season, he drew clear in the Highveld championship, a title he has won multiple times.

Last season, Lerena had 108 wins around the country, with a strike rate of 16.85%, finishing sixth on the national log.

However, 92 of those wins were on the Highveld, which was 20 clear of both Keagan de Melo and S’Manga Khumalo.

He also had the highest strike rate of the top 10 on the Highveld log at 17.73%.

Lerena rode in Hong Kong before, and it is the dream of many jockeys to become established on the island because of its lucrative stakes and huge crowds.

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Ambitious to return, Lerena said, “Hong Kong is always on the cards, but my family are in a good space. Our children are doing well at school, so it would be difficult to leave, but you never know.”

This season, Lerena should be prominent on the national log and in big races because he is at the top of his game.

His father, Tex, said Lerena is a jockey who loves to ride, work and provide feedback to trainers.

Even if a championship chase did not materialise, it is believed that Lerena’s value would be felt in several Highveld yards.