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IN PICS | Champion jockey is hard at work training his horse for Durban July

24 June 2023 - 15:38
By SANDILE NDLOVU
Horse trainer Michael Roberts,69, with See It Again at a stable in Summerveld Horse Training Centre.
Image: Sandile Ndlovu Horse trainer Michael Roberts,69, with See It Again at a stable in Summerveld Horse Training Centre.

Horse trainer and former British and South African champion jockey Michael Roberts is hard at work training his horse hoping to end a drought that has seen no KwaZulu-Natal horses win the Holywoodbets Durban July for two decades.

Roberts wakes up at dawn every day to train See It Again, this year's favourite to win the race on July 1.

Roberts, a previous Durban July winner, says he aims to use his vast experience and international knowledge to take See It Again to victory at this year's race.

“I had a couple of winners for the queen (Elizabeth II) . She used to love racing and was very knowledgeable. It was a great honour for me being from South Africa to meet the royal family. I won the Durban July with Super Quality in 1997. I have over 53 years' experience in horse racing” said Roberts.

At Summerveld Horse Training Centre, 36km from Greyville racecourse where horses will be racing for the R5m prize-money, See It Again and 17 other horses are being trained for the 2,200m race.

Horse trainer Michael Roberts,69, feeds See It Again at a stable in Summerveld Horse Training Centre.
Image: Sandile Ndlovu Horse trainer Michael Roberts,69, feeds See It Again at a stable in Summerveld Horse Training Centre.

Three-year-old See It Again is a half brother of Do It Again who won the HDJ in 2019 and 2022. They are both the offspring of Twice Over, a stallion which won the UK Champion Racehorse 2009 and Joint European Champion 2009 titles. See It Again's mother is the sister of Do It Again's mother.

Roberts says See It Again is regarded as one of the top race horses in the country due to his achievements.

“Nick Jonsson bought it at the CTS yearling sale and he gave it to me [to train]. He said he could see from an early stage in training that he was above average. He progressed and matured so nicely and he just keeps improving and improving. He won the Group 1 Cape Derby in March, returned home and also won the Group 1 Daily News 2000 in Durban.

Horse trainer Michael Roberts,69, wakes up at dawn with other trainers to prepare their horses for the Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Image: Sandile Ndlovu Horse trainer Michael Roberts,69, wakes up at dawn with other trainers to prepare their horses for the Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Rachel Venniker ride See It Again who is the favourite horse for this year's Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Image: Sandile Ndlovu Rachel Venniker ride See It Again who is the favourite horse for this year's Hollywoodbets Durban July.

“I believe I have the best horse in the race but the race is not over until I go past the winning post [finish line]. With that being said, jockeys can make mistakes but we also have an experienced jockey in Pierre Strydom. He has won the July [HDJ] four times before. I am happy with that but the July is a rough race, the jockeys don't give much room for it. You've got to be alert. We have got experience which I think is a bonus. You also got to have luck in the running. The pace is different in the July because the jockeys are excited.

“It's tough because it is a handicap and the horses get weights according to what the handicap gives them. We are carrying a little bit more weight because we are a little better than the others.”

Roberts will be looking to only be the fourth person in history to both ride and train a Durban July winner after Syd Garrett, David Payne and Bert Abercrombie.

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A trainers helper ride a horse during a morning training at Summerveld Horse Training Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.
Image: Sandile Ndlovu A trainers helper ride a horse during a morning training at Summerveld Horse Training Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.
Trainers and jockeys are hard at work training horses for the Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Image: Sandile Ndlovu Trainers and jockeys are hard at work training horses for the Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Rachel Venniker, who is the only female jockey currently, will be racing in four of the Hollywoodbets Durban July races.
Image: Sandile Ndlovu Rachel Venniker, who is the only female jockey currently, will be racing in four of the Hollywoodbets Durban July races.
A horse with a speed will be trained on a short distance while the one with less speed will be trained on a long distance scale and that requires a lot of stamina.
Image: Sandile Ndlovu A horse with a speed will be trained on a short distance while the one with less speed will be trained on a long distance scale and that requires a lot of stamina.
Horses are silhouetted as they train for the Holywoodbets Durban July at Summerveld Horse Training Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.
Image: Sandile Ndlovu Horses are silhouetted as they train for the Holywoodbets Durban July at Summerveld Horse Training Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.
Horses going back to the stable after a morning training at Summerveld Horse Training Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.
Image: Sandile Ndlovu Horses going back to the stable after a morning training at Summerveld Horse Training Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.
Horses lineup as they train in the morning at Summerveld Horse Training Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.
Image: Sandile Ndlovu Horses lineup as they train in the morning at Summerveld Horse Training Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.
Doctor Lembede photographed while chatting to Michael Roberts during horse training at Summerveld Horse Training Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.
Image: Sandile Ndlovu Doctor Lembede photographed while chatting to Michael Roberts during horse training at Summerveld Horse Training Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.

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