High flying Cape Town jockey Richard Fourie believes he is finally back to his “old self”. Ironically it was a horrendous fall which appears to have done the trick.

He also spoke forthrightly on the end to his “first call rider” status for the Justin Snaith yard. The latter gave his views on the matter too.

Fourie fell off the ill-fated Rock Stewart on October 12 at Durbanville.

However, rather than speaking of any adverse effects, he said, “I had been experiencing a pinched feeling in the Thoracic (chest) area for a while and the fall appears to have released it.”

Fourie had been blossoming into a truly world class jockey at the time of his horrific fall on Jet Explorer in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Clairwood in June 2014.

A lot of the niggles he has felt since then could well have been an after effect.

It is exciting news he now feels back to his very peak and he is definitely a jockey to follow.

Fourie believed he was within his rights to take the ride on the highly regarded Michael Robinson-trained Smokey Affair in a handicap on October 5 at the expense of a Snaith-trained horse. He said, “I was not being paid a retainer by the Snaith yard.”

Justin Snaith agreed the jockey was within his rights, but added, retainer or not, “we need a jockey who is fully committed to the yard for both the sake of the yard and all of our owners.”

Earlier in October Snaith said, “If we have a horse that we think will suit Richard then he will ride it.”

Fourie did in fact ride the Snaith-trained three-year-old Zodiac Ruler on Saturday in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1200m and was highly impressed with his 1,9 length fifth.

Snaith was also over the moon with the run and said, “He does not have a sprinting bone in his body and to finish heads up and heads down with Marinaresco in his preparation for three-year-old features was very impressive.”

If most pundits are to believed the Gr 1 Cape Guineas on December 17 is a foregone conclusion, so impressive was the Joey Ramsden-trained Table Bay on Saturday.

However, Snaith is of the opinion Zodiac Ruler’s performance was just as impressive.

Fourie rode Smokey Affair on Saturday in the Gr 2 Choice Carriers Championship, where she finished a 2,05 length fourth over 1400m.

He said, “She is still a contender for the Cape Fillies Guineas, it didn’t go my way.”

The Elusive Fort filly looks likely to enjoy a mile as she was doing her best work late.

Meanwhile, Snaith, who had smashed his own fastest 50 winners in a season record by October 2, admitted he had a very powerful string this season.

His chief headache is the program for champion filly Bela-Bela.

“Our three options are to run her against the boys, run her carrying 64kg, or run her over 1000m.” He added he had in the past sent fillies straight into features with success and this would also be an option. Her chief target is the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes.

Bela-Bela has been doing “very well” at home, as has Black Arthur, who will take the WSB Green Point Stakes, L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and Sun Met route.

It’s My Turn’s chief aim would be the Met.

Snaith said the smart Bishops Bounty would be perfectly suited to 1400m and would go for the R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes on November 19, where he will attempt to go one better than both of his full brothers, Red Ray and Brutal Force, respectively.

The unbeaten Dynasty gelding African Night Sky would be aimed at the Selangor Cup and the CTS US$500,000 race in January.

By David Thiselton