Jockeys' time to walk tall

11 November 2011 - 02:19 By Mike Moon
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Mike Moon.
Mike Moon.
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Jockeys suffer a lot, poor things. Eating lettuce and bean sprouts while trying to stay alive is bad enough, but they're also on the receiving end of much loathing and malicious humour.

"A dwarf in jewellery who drives an absurd car with a cushion on the seat and blocks on the pedals." That's how I heard someone describe one of our knights of the saddle the other day.

Anyone taller than five foot six, feeling foolish as their racetrack enrichment strategy turns to paw-paw, will pick on a jockey.

The jockeys often make it easy for whingers and wisecrackers. Their size has always invited lame jokes, but some also attract slings and arrows by driving the flash cars and doing daft things.

Last month Frankie Dettori, the celebrated Italian-British jockey, was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree. There was confusion when the garrulous Dettori thought he was being made fun of with a "Doctor of Silence" award.

If jockeys are a little crazier than the rest of us, it's probably because of the strange parallel universe they inhabit. It's a world of deprivation, danger and delirious excitement as they hurtle along, hungry, at high speed, balanced on great beasts, with colleagues yelling foul language at them.

I admire jockeys a lot - for the bravery and a certain devil-may-care goofiness. And the best of them are serious athletes.

We see the world's best in South Africa. Not just the overseas aces here for this weekend's International Jockeys' Challenge. Every day we see superb riding. South Africa is the best producer of jockeys in the world.

Our little giants of the irons, if you'll excuse the phrase, have ridden their counterparts to sleep in just about every major racing jurisdiction on the planet. Michael Roberts, Basil Marcus, Doug Whyte . these guys are revered everywhere.

South African team victories in the previous International Jockeys' Challenge events might be down to fortunate draws of mounts and local knowledge, but there's no denying our boys are a match for anyone.

Still, it's a great pleasure to see foreign stars in action here again.

The international captain is brilliant Irishman Richard Hughes, the tallest of jockeys at 1.8m. His crackerjack squad is Jimmy Fortune (England), Olivier Peslier (France), Tom Queally (Ireland), Jamie Spencer (England), and Andrasch Starke (Germany).

National champ Anton Marcus captains the local team, made up of: Anthony Delpech, Muzi Yeni, Felix Coetzee, Weichong Marwing and Piere Strydom.

The International Jockeys' Challenge comprises two legs - tonight's Turffontein meeting in Johannesburg and Sunday's Kenilworth meeting in Cape Town. There are four challenge races at each venue, with points awarded according to finishing positions.

TAB is betting on the contest, with the 12 jockeys allocated numbers and Win, Place, Swinger, Trifecta and Quartet wagers available on the overall outcome of each leg.

  • Turffontein, tonight: PA - 5,8 x 4,12 x 1,4 x 3,11 x 5,9 x 4,6,11 x 2 (R96).
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