Serino Moodley
Serino has been in smart form of late and his services are in high demand. He is especially strong in a finish and booted home seven winners from his 50 mounts with a further seven in second. He also made successful raids on the Highveld where he teamed up with Summerveld-based trainer Lorenzo Karriem.
Serino is Gold Circle’s Jockey of the Month for January.
Rachel Venniker
Rachel Venniker walked off with a number of awards at the end-of-year South African Jockey Academy speechday, a few days before she lost her apprentice tag to become a fully fledged jockey. She had already ridden over 200 winners as an apprentice and rounded her time off with six winners at a healthy 17% winning strike rate and over 50% of her rides finishing in the money.
Rachel is Gold Circle’s Jockey of the Month for December.
Western Cape-based Richard Fourie continues to dominate as he hunts for rides around the country with his agent, former NHA handicapper Ken Nicol picking the plums. Fourie banged home 14 winners in KZN in November but local rider Tristan Godden has also hit a purple patch. He went through a lean spell, as most in this sport often do, but is now riding at the top of his game. He has always been a talented rider but seldom gets chances on the big stage. However, he has built up a relationship with seasoned trainer Mike Miller and together they have been having their fair share of success. Tristan rode seven winners in November at a 16% winning strike rate.
Tristan is Gold Circle’s Jockey of the Month for November.
Richard, second to Keagan de Melo in the national jockey championship last season, is making a concerted effort to go one better this term and is currently in a title race with Muzi Yeni. He tributes much of his success to his agent, former NHA handicapper Ken Nicol, but he has received solid support from local trainers and from his 47 rides he booted home 15 winners, six more than local rider Serino Moodley.
Richard is Gold Circle’s Jockey of the Month for October
James Lihaba
The official racecard has his name down as Kobeli Lihaba but he is better known as James in the racing fraternity. Only recently having sing his papers, apprentice Kobeli ‘James’ Lihaba has caught the eye of many trainers with his balance and strength with one of his main supporters being Duncan Howells. “He is balanced and listens to instructions. I see other trainers have also noticed, mostly the ex-jocks,” he said. James, who cut his teeth in bush racing in the Eastern Cape, is full value for his 4kg claim and had three winners and three seconds from his 27 rides last month.
James is Gold Circle’s Jockey of the Month for September
Muzi Yeni
Based in Gauteng, Muzi Yeni is making a concerted effort to land the National Jockey Championship, having come close on a number of occasion in the past. He has got the current season off to a cracking start, and has been well supported by KZN trainers. He finished the month with 15 winners in KZN, seven more than local weighing room rivals Serino Moodley and Sean Veale. Being a natural light weight helps his cause and he has adopted the maxim of ‘have saddle will travel’ in his quest for the championship.
Muzi is Gold Circle’s Jockey of the Month for August
The Gold Circle Jockey of the month award is generally reserved for a KZN-based rider but South Africa’s Champions Season attracts the full spectrum of the country’s riders for three months of brilliant racing and it would be remiss not to honour Richard Fourie as jockey of the month. The country’s leading rider and KZN-based Keagan de Melo, hit a figurative ‘roadblock’ in the last month of the season which yielded eight winners while Richard, charging in pursuit of the Jockey’s Championship, rode 15 winners that included a host of Gr1 features, thanks mainly to Sean Tarry but falling 19 short of Keagan’s national total of 277.
Richard Fourie is Gold Circle’s Jockey of the Month of July.
Athandiwe Mgudlwa has always been a talented rider but with limited opportunities. That has all changed since he has teamed up with Gareth van Zyl and his fortunes have turned for the better. Success brings success and ‘Tandy’ as Garth Puller calls him, has become increasing in demand by other trainers. He visited the winner’s enclosure eight times in May, equal to S’Manga Khumalo.
Athandiwe is Gold Circle’s Jockey of the Month for May
Ashton Arries
It has taken Ashton Arries time to mature from sheltered apprentice to fully fledged jockey but the talented rider appears to have settled down and it shows in his recent results. His achievements have not gone unnoticed and apart from getting regular support from leading trainer Glen Kotzen, both in KZN and the Western Cape, he is getting regular calls from local trainers. Rachel Venniker led the April winners table with seven from her 50 rides while Ashton rode six winners from 29 rides in KZN at an impressive strike rate of 20% and a R1 bet on each of his mounts will have yielded a tidy profit of R53.70.
Ashton is Gold Circle’s Jockey of the Month for April.
Robert Khathi
Title-chasing Keagan de Melo is the usual suspect at the top of the KZN jockey log for March. He has enjoyed a super month with 18 winners on his march to the national title. Rachel Venniker also had a productive month with ten winners but it was Robert Khathi who had his best month since relocating from the Western Cape with seven winners. Joint third on the monthly log with Tristan Godden, the majority of his winners were for Byron Forster, Andre Nel’s KZN assistant for leading owner Sabine Plattner. Robert’s talents are starting to be recognised by other trainers and we wish him well during Champions Season.
Robert Khathi is Gold Circle’s Jockey of the Month for March.
