Richard Fourie’s pursuit of a maiden national jockeys’ title remains well on track and South Africa’s leading rider continues to chip away towards the R1-million bonus offered by leading sports betting operator Hollywoodbets to the jockey who rides more than the record 334 winners in a single season.
That total was achieved by former champion jockey and current Hollywood Syndicate racing manager Anthony Delpech.
The 10-race card at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Tuesday 5 March presents another good opportunity for Fourie to add to his haul of winners that is fast approaching the 200 mark and following ‘Red-Hot Richard’ on the day could pave the way to a handsome profit!
Vaughan Marshall-trained Sahara Cat should get the meeting off to a winning start for Fourie, who was aboard the One World filly when she won her last start by 2.25 lengths over 1000m.
As the only runner in the race to have won, Marshall’s charge has to give 3kg to her eight rivals but that experience should stand her in good stead in Race 1 over the same course and distance.
Fourie also retains the ride on Moonacres for Justin Snaith in Race 4 having steered this son of Trippi to a fast-finishing fifth in his last start over 1200m. That was his second outing after a rest, during which he was gelded, so there should be more improvement to come from Moonacres who, on that form, has 0.75 lengths to find on familiar foe Tambourine Man.
Fourie and Aldo Domeyer switch mounts in what appears an interesting case of musical chairs in Race 6 over 1800m, having won over the same course and distance on the horses that the other now rides.
Adam Marcus-trained Two A Penny was steered to victory by Fourie in consecutive outings over track and trip, while Domeyer was in the irons aboard Paul Reeves’ Basic Maneuvers when she won a maiden last month.
The latter, however, was more impressive when landing a gamble in her first start over 1800m and did so in a quicker time (with more weight on her back) than Two A Penny, who also concedes 2.5kg to her progressive three-year-old counterpart, so Fourie could be on the right one.
Mike Stewart has three runners in Race 9 over 1200m but, given their impressive record together, there is no doubt Fourie rides the pick of the stable’s runners, Simply Beautiful. This Coup De Grace mare took a while to win her maiden but did so two starts back over the same course and distance, having finished second to re-opposing Royal Lytham (who is now 4kg worse off).
Fourie, who has ridden Simply Beautiful seven times for a win, two seconds, two thirds as well as two fourth-place finishes, should add a win to his record aboard the Stewart-trained five-year-old on the revised weight terms.
Reeves provides Fourie with another potential winning ride in Race 10 over 1000m. His Pathork filly, Palo Queen, has been a model of consistency off her (current) five-point higher mark after winning five starts back at Hollywoodbets Durbanville.
She has finished fourth, third and second twice, including in her latest outing behind Silver Screen over this track and trip under Rachel Venniker.
Palo Queen, even without Venniker’s 1.5kg allowance, is 1kg better off for that 0.50-length defeat and is good value to reverse that form with the country’s leading rider taking the reins.
Clive Robinson
