Richard Fourie’s continued pursuit of Anthony Delpech’s record of 334 wins in a season (from 1 August to 31 July) has fascinated racing fans and bettors alike, making for an intriguing sideshow to the current campaign.
If successful in his bid to surpass that mark and break the long-standing South African record, Fourie will pocket the cool R1-million bonus offered by leading sports betting operator Hollywoodbets.
That record was thought impossible to achieve by most pundits at the beginning of the season – as there are usually only six racing days per week – with the likelihood of illness, injury, and/or suspension along the way, never mind the possibility of a ‘dry’ spell which Keagan de Melo experienced towards the end of last season.
However, Fourie has been riding like a man possessed and is very much on track at this stage of the season. His projected number of winners increases with each passing meeting.
Given his success on visits to the Highveld, Fourie’s decision to ride at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth – instead of the nine-race card at Turffontein – on Saturday 16 March is significant and suggests the eight-race card is likely to bring further success in his bid for glory.
Of his full complement of rides, Justin Snaith-trained Aristotle is the pick of Fourie’s eight mounts and should win Race 1 over 1200m.
This well-bred Rafeef colt, bought for R1 million as a yearling, finished a promising second on debut over the same course and distance on 6 February behind One Stripe who franked the form by winning the Grade 3 Cape Nursery at his next start.
Aristotle ought to have benefited from that experience and with any improvement, should open his account and get Fourie off to a winning start.
Trainer Paul Reeves has struck up a potent partnership with the country’s leading rider and the last three runners to represent this combination have produced inspiring recent results – a win, a second, and a fourth – which bodes well for the chances of Mighty Mac, who Fourie rides for the first time, in Race 7 over 1100m.
This Pathfork gelding finished second in consecutive starts over 1250m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville before blotting his copybook over 1400m on his return to Kenilworth in December. However, he has rediscovered his form reverting to sprints with close-up finishes over 1200m in his two subsequent starts, including at a higher level last time out when a creditable fifth just 1.20 lengths behind the winner.
Former Equus Champion Sprinter Rio Querari is good value to make a belated return to winning ways in Race 8 over 1000m and bookend the meeting for red-hot Richard.
Snaith’s stable stalwart, a multiple Grade 1 winner, may not be the force of old and has not won since 1 May 2023 – under Fourie, mind you – but this seven-year-old gelding proved he still has running in him by maintaining a high level of form and consistency throughout the Cape Summer season, during which he finished fourth in the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship over the same course and distance on Cape Met day.
This son of Querari is closely matched on that form with familiar foes Mr Cobbs and Mufasa – who are 3kg better off – but could have the measure once more given the “Fourie effect” being produced in the saddle.
Rio Querari has run 12 times with Fourie aboard and boasts an impressive record of three wins, five seconds, and two third-place finishes under the in-form rider.
Clive Robinson
