Jockey tomfoolery looks to be sorted out

Shenanigans of hot-headed jockeys have grabbed headlines lately, but a few vexed issues have been resolved in the world of the little big people.

The bunch of jocks whose threats to refuse to ride saw a meeting at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth abandoned – and another cancelled entirely – swallowed a big slice of humble pie and issued a lengthy, grovelling apology to all and sundry.

The bloke who started all the trouble by lashing out on live TV at officials who’d sanctioned him for errant riding, Grant van Niekerk, promised not to give any more media comment – of any sort – for the next while.

Lerena-Gates case

And the much-delayed Gavin Lerena-Jason Gates case – dubbed Whipgate, Hitgate, Gavgate, Gatesgate, take your pick – was concluded, more than two months after the unseemly incident that made headlines around the world.

Lerena was banned from riding for 90 days, with 60 days suspended for two years, and got a R200,000 fine, with half suspended for two years.

Gates was fined R10,000, with R5,000 suspended for two years. Both were granted leave to appeal against findings of the National Horseracing Authority (NHA) and penalties imposed.

The Lerena-Gates case dates back to 26 January when the two jockeys and their mounts came into contact in the closing stages of a race at Turffontein.

The NHA concluded that Gates rode “in a careless, negligent, reckless or dangerous manner by intentionally striking the crop out of jockey Lerena’s hand”.

This, of course, could not have been true as what happened next proved Lerena very much still had a hold of his crop. Red mist descended and the former champion ceased persevering on his horse, stood up in the irons and proceeded to lash young Gates on his back.

Lerena pleaded guilty, Gates not guilty, but they both went down.

Travelling circus moving on

Whether the wrapping up of all these matters satisfies the argumentative racing world remains to be seen. Nevertheless, the travelling circus is already moving on – with a photo-finish at Turffontein on Saturday already providing some hubbub of distraction.

You cannot get a narrower margin than that separating Lerena’s mount Blizzard Snow from Muzi Yeni’s One Party, but a whisker it was, as lines drawn on the official photo appear to show.

But hang on, isn’t that camera angle skew? Is One Party’s lower lip not poking out ahead of Blizzard Snow’s whisker?