Jockey Muzi Yeni. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
Early in a season, top jockeys are coy about their championship chances. That’s unsurprising; they’re in a wildly unpredictable business.
It’s the only job that has an ambulance follow people around as they work, at the same time that vigilantes watch like hawks with fingers on the suspension button. And that’s not to mention hyper-sensitive owners, trainers and punters critiquing every move they make.
“We’ll see how things go,” the jocks shrug and reply when asked if they have title ambitions.
The local lads are also a tad wary after recent events involving Richard Fourie. The Cape Town ace blew everyone away in his frenetic 12-month blitz of travelling around the country, relentlessly winning horse races and setting a new record of 378 winners in a season.
The bookmakers are also gun-shy, offering measly odds about Fourie defending the title – even though he’s made a slowish start to the new term and hasn’t said he’s ready to tackle another marathon on the treadmill.
We can usually depend on Muzi Yeni to make a bold start to a new season and he hasn’t disappointed this time around – galloping 14 winners clear of the field in the first six weeks.
The pocket dynamo’s four-timer at the Vaal on Thursday brought his total to 39, 14 clear of second-placed Sean Veale on the log.
He has ridden scores more horses than any of his rivals – 218 to Veale’s 154 – but that’s no particular giveaway as to his championship aspirations; he is always among the hardest working riders in the country.
That said, Yeni has made no secret of his dream of carrying off the trophy one day – one day soon. He has come close on several occasions – controversially and bruisingly sometimes – yet keeps coming back for more. This is good news for punters, who can side with him knowing that fierce determination burns inside every time he swings a leg over a horse.
Yeni looks set to continue his good form at the weekend. He rides a full book of eight at Turffontein on Saturday and six out of eight at Scottsville on Sunday.
His best chance appears to be on Candice Dawson-trained Raiseahallelujah in a Pinnacle Stakes at the Big T, with the handicap conditions handing the in-form seven-year-old a featherweight of 50kg for the 2600m journey.
Fourie, currently in eighth position on the title log, has decent chances at both Fairview on Friday and Durbanville on Sunday. The Abdication for Brett Crawford might be his standout at the latter.
Craig Zackey – third in the betting and fourth on the log – should have a good day at Fairview, partnering a string of well-backed horses from the Gavin Smith stable.
Veale quietly clocked up plenty of air miles during August, suggesting he might make a championship bid, while two-time former champ S’Manga Khumalo has also been a busy lad.
Calvin Habib has been a frequent flyer, too, but has hit a dry spell and seen his title odds drift.
Gavin Lerena has a good winning percentage, but that might take a dip after his recent parting of the ways with the leading Highveld yard of Johan Janse van Vuuren.
Now is a good time to ponder all these trends as you can find attractive odds about your favourite jockey. And, of course, the race isn’t confined to the names mentioned above.
South Africa’s riding talent pool is legendary and any one of the top 25 jockeys could conceivably find a plum retainer, go on a winning streak and grab the prize come July 31 2025.
2-1 Richard Fourie
7-1 Muzi Yeni
10-1 Craig Zackey
11-1 Gavin Lerena
13-1 Sean Veale
15-1 Calvin Habib, S’Manga Khumalo
(name, winners, (rides), win percentage)
Muzi Yeni 39 (218) 17.9%
Sean Veale 25 (154) 16.2%
Gavin Lerena 21 (85) 24.7%
Craig Zackey 19 (109) 17.4%
S’Manga Khumalo 18 (125) 14.4%
Luy Mxothwa 15 (80) 18.8%
Phila Mxoli 13 (96) 13.5%
Richard Fourie 12 (59) 20.3%
Denis Schwarz 11 (104) 10.6%
Tristan Godden 9 (74) 12.2%
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