July jockeys raring to go

THE jockey booking are always of interest in the Hollywoodbets Durban July and of interest this year is that only six current jockeys plying their trade in South Africa have won the big race before, Piere Strydom, who has four wins, Richard Fourie, who has three wins, S'Manga Khumalo, who has two wins, Gavin Lerena, who has one win, Kabelo Matsunyane, who has one win and JP van der Merwe, who has one win.

- DAVID THISELTON

Piere Strydom needs just one more win to join Anton Marcus on a record five July victories, but it would seem he couldn't get a ride this year due to the weights.

He is limited to rides of 58kg and more and having lost the ride on topweight See It Again to Raymond Danielson all of the rest of the rides of 57kg and above look to be taken, unless there is an unforeseen circumstance.

Fourie

Richard Fourie will be out to join Strydom, Harold "Tiger" Wright and Antony Delpech on four July wins, although he has not yet been declared on any runner.

Fourie's first win came after the Justin Snaith-trained Legislate successfully objected against Wylie Hall in the 2014 renewal and he then had successive July wins on Do It Again in 2019 and on Belgarion in the lockdown July of 2020. Fourie joined the elite group of C MacDonald (1900 and 1901), Syd Garrett (1919 and 1920) and Anthony Delpech (2010 an 2011) to win successive Julys.

In 2021 he could have been part of numerous July records in one go as his mount Do It Again was attempting to become the first horse to win the July three times. Fourie was attempting to become the first jockey to ever win three Julys in a row, Justin Snaith was attempting to join the legendary Fred Murray as the first trainer to win four successive Julys, while Do It Again's joint owners Bernard Kantor and Nick Jonsson were attempt-ing to become the first to be winning owners for three years in succession.

Alas, Do It Again was continually hampered down the straight and finished a desperately unlucky 1,90 length fourth.