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DERERE.
NHLAPO.
LITTLE.
NDHLOVU.
THE THOROUGHBRED HORSERACING TRUST
Extensions and renovations to the Gauteng Jockeys’
Academy at Randjesfontein were completed at the
beginning of November. Accommodation has been increased
to cater for both male and female apprentices.
A small gymnasium has been added on, together with
a games room and swimming pool for recreational
purposes.
At the beginning of 2003 fi ve apprentices were resident
at the Academy. In October Louis Nhlapo, one of two
Special Apprentices who came through the ranks of
the Racing Trust’s Work Riders’ Training Programme,
was granted an open jockeys’ license and moved out of
the Academy. He had to ride 50 winners in three years
in order to secure a jockey’s license and succeeded in
reaching the required total in just two years. Petrus
Ndhlovu, the other Special Apprentice, is indentured to
trainer James Maree and at the end of November had to
ride six more winners before he, too, would become a
fully fl edged jockey.
Kevin Derere was Champion Apprentice for the 2002-
2003 racing year with 55 winners. His mounts earned
R3,15 million in stakes and his victories included a
Grade 1 event and two Grade 3 races.
All six apprentices based in Gauteng featured in the top
10 in the 2002-2003 apprentice riders’ log.
Derere was chosen to represent South Africa in the Apprentice
Championship in Macau but, unfortunately,
the meeting was abandoned due to the SARS outbreak
in the Far East. Marco van Rensburg, who tops the apprentice
log for the 2003-2004 season, is to travel to
Mauritius this month to represent South Africa in The
Young Stars Festival.
At the end of the year, Chad Little and Jacques Combrink
become fully fl edged jockeys and Van Rensburg
will follow them a month later. Derere will soon enter
the fi fth and fi nal year of his apprenticeship and will
remain in the care of Gauteng Academy Master Robert
Moore.
A new intake from the Racing and Equestrian Academy
at Summerveld will join Derere at the Gauteng
Jockeys’ Academy in January 2004.
The new inmates include S’Manga Khumalo, Sylvester
Mtshali, Lance Pagel, Christopher Puller and Randall
Simons, who will all enter the fourth year of their apprenticeships.
Samantha Freedman and Candice Jacobson
will both come up to Randjesfontein once they
have completed their qualifying rides. They will both
be third-year apprentices.
L J Katjedi is an “older apprentice” who was sent by the
Racing Trust to the Racing and Equestrian Academy at
Summerveld in January 2003.
With the agreement of Summerveld Academy Principal
Patrick Salvage, Katjedi, who has passed Matric and is
considerably older than the usual aspirant apprentices,
was accepted for initial riding training.
He has progressed well and is in the process of completing
his qualifying rides in Kwa-Zulu Natal. He has
already ridden a winner.
Moore is looking forward to having him back at the
Gauteng Jockeys’ Academy in January 2004 when he
will go into the second year of his fi ve-year apprenticeship.
With the exception of Puller, who may claim a 2,5 kg
apprentice allowance, these young riders are 4 kg
claimers.
The Work Riders’ Training
Programme continues to be
well supported. The prime
objective of the project remains
to enhance the skills
of work riders.
Work riders’ races were
introduced to foster enthusiasm
and to enable riders
to put into practice the skills
acquired on the courses attended.
These races have
become highly competitive GRAY.
and in recognition of the
Trust’s fi fth anniversary,
and with the assistance of Phumelela, two work riders’
races were run at the Newmarket night meeting held
on 14 October. These races carried added stakes and
both were won by horses trained by St John Gray. The
fi rst was ridden by Simphiwe Tshaka and the second by
Elijah Kubeko.
Name Weight Points 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Rides
1 Abram Makhubo 58,0 484 2 4 2 - 17
2 Simphiwe Tshaka 56,0 399 2 1 4 1 14
3 Zolile Matshokotsha 51,0 391 3 - 1 2 16
4 Piet Nhapo 50,5 386 1 - 3 3 16
5 Elijah Kubeko 54,5 381 3 1 - - 17
6 Goodwell Mjwara 57,5 377 1 2 3 1 13
7 Jackson Feni 58,0 255 1 2 - - 14
8 John Buckley 56,6 254 1 - 1 1 15
9 Twoboy Zulu 57,5 252 1 - 2 1 9
10 Kerry Meyer 50,0 241 - - - 2 14
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