Head Boy is a 'Star'

T was a big weekend for apprentice Damyan Pillay.

- ANDREW HARRISON

Announced as Head Boy of the South African Jockey Academy at their year-end awards ceremony at the Summerveld Clubhouse on Friday morning, he rode out his 4kg claim just a few hours later.Riding a superbly judged race on Soho Star for Yogas Govender he scored the 20th win of his fledgling career in the Middle Stakes that headed the card at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

Soho Star

The form was there to see, Soho Star finishing a closeup third to Gril winning Gladatorian, but a wide draw was always at the back of many punters minds. However, Pillay managed to navigate a handy position as Tara Star set sail from the jump.

For a long way up the straight and barely moving a muscle, Pillay looked to be ‘no good’, as the saying goes, but once he put his foot on the gas 250m out, Soho Star accelerated in a matter of strides with the apprentice timing the gelding’s run to perfection to get the better of Magic Surprise.