Andrew Harrison

All Jockey Academy apprentices get their first taste of riding work in the quieter climbs of Ashburton where those trainers play guinea pig. But one soon knows when an apprentice has caught the eye of the Summerveld hordes when their trips to the riding ‘kindergarden’ become fewer and fewer.

Kaidan Brewer is now a rare sight at Ashburton and after watching his ride on Miss Emblem in the card opener at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday, it is not difficult to see why. It was a ride out of the top draw, Brewer showing tactical nous and nerves of steel to get his mount home for Carl Hewitson who has taken him under his wing.

Considering that Hewitson mentored his son Lyle, who will in a fortnight’s time collect his second jockey championship, Brewer is in good hands as “long as he keeps his head screwed on,” commented Hewitson Snr post-race.

After tugging hard in the early stages, Brewer settled Miss Emblem into rhythm as Tostada went clear. Once in the straight, Brewer sat almost motionless until 300m out before asking his mount for an effort. It was a comfortable win in the end but a ride well worth watching in a few replays.

There were a few ‘wag-n-bietjie’ races on Sunday and the trend continued in the second. If the early pace had been any slower the field would have broken into a canter, but it played into the hands of Keagan de Melo aboard Lord Of The Manor. Going 1800m for the first time and not certain to see out the trip, De Melo had the opposition behaving as if it was a false start as he slowed them up to a crawl. Richard Fourie final took up the challenge, sending What A Blast to the front but the damage had already been done. Lord Of The Manor kept rolling in the home stretch to hold on narrowly from a fast-finishing Cane Lime ‘N Soda.

Apprentice Thabiso Gumede, who rides regularly for Duncan Howells, employed similar tactics on the Howells-trained Parallax in the third in a bid for a second successive win, but fellow apprentice Jabu Jacobs delivered Smart William with a sweeping late run and there was little Gumede could do to hold the challenge from Peter Muscutt’s runner.

Jacobs was back in the winner’s enclosure three races later, again for Muscutt, as he produced Mr Piggalle with a telling late effort up the outside of his rivals to win going away.

Rachel Venniker’s determination to become a jockey is paying off in spades as she booted home her third winner in less than a month. Two of her wins have been for former 11-time SA Champion Jockey Michael Roberts including yesterday’s triumph on reserve runner Tupelo Honey, the grey leading from the jump to win the fifth.

 Female jockeys are making waves around the world with Rachel Blackman winning the Grand National, one of the most fearsome steeplechases in the world, Haley Turner and Hollie Doyle top riders on the flat in the UK and Lisa Allpress the four-time champion jockey in New Zealand to name but a few.

Gabriel Pieterse rounded off a fine day for the apprentices as he had Mind Set up with the pace from the jump and then pinching a break at the top of the lane. From there Louis Goosen’s runner never looked like getting caught although the line came in time as the pack was closing fast.