S’Manga Khumalo got his first look at Happy Valley on Tuesday ahead of the International Jockeys’ Championship. Photo: Kenneth Chan

It’s fair to say that of the 12 riders lining up in tonight’s contest, none boast such an inspirational tale as the 29-year-old’s unlikely path to stardom.

Plucked from a Durban school as a 14-year-old by a South African Jockey Academy talent scout, Khumalo rose through the ranks to become the first black jockey to win his country’s most prestigious race, the Durban July, and then again made history when crowned the first black champion jockey of South Africa this year.

Just as winning last year’s July earned Khumalo respect and opened up opportunities for the ambitious rider, he hopes success tonight can do the same here.

A model representing South Africa takes a selfie with S’Manga Khumalo.

“It was a huge breakthrough for me to win the July, and I wouldn’t be here riding against these great jockeys if it wasn’t for that win,” he said.

“That’s the race that showed people I have the talent. But there’s still a lot I want to accomplish and, ever since I was an apprentice, I wanted to come and race here in Hong Kong.

“This is definitely that same sort of chance to show what I can do. I want to show I belong and prove it on the track. I want to show the trainers and let them make the decision, and say, ‘Wow, this guy rides well’ and then want me to come back.”

Khumalo said his freelance status allowed him some flexibility if a short-term contract were to become available in the latter part of the season.

“I’m not tied to a stable and I would love the chance to ride here,” he said. “We watch the racing here closely and when I look at the jockeys I have tried to learn from and look up to like Piere Strydom, Anton Marcus and Anthony Delpech, they all spent time here and became better riders.”

A solid book of rides has Khumalo in the top half of betting in the four-race series, and while he only got his first glimpse of the unique city track yesterday, he was not intimidated.

“Hopefully, my experience at Greyville can help me,” he said. “It is a bigger track than this, but right handed as well and with very tight turns.

“It’s all about having the right horse, but at least racing at Greyville is the same sort of style.

“It’s all about getting your horses out of the gates quickly and getting them into position early.”

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Inspirational Khumalo eager for Happy Valley success

In the Victress Stakes Snaith stable jockey Richard Fourie will be aboard Acrostar, who has burst into prominence with two impressive displays over 1400m and 1600m in her last two starts.

Snaith said about the four-year-old Australian-bred by Danehill Dancer, “She is a late maturing filly who has come well. We have gelled with her and everything we are doing she is enjoying. She has come into her own and is doing well at home, so we are expecting a similar race to her last two.”

Acrostar finished second in last season’s Listed Winter Oaks over 2200m, so should have no problem with the 1800m trip. She came from last in both of her recent wins, so her draw of eight will be of no concern either. This will be her last run before the Paddock Stakes.

The five-year-old Jet Master mare Jet Supreme returned from a three month rest on November 8 in a MR 88 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1400m and ran on strongly to finish second, beaten 0,2 lengths.

Snaith said, “She is a very nice filly and that was a very impressive first run back. She was unlucky not to win as she found a bit of trouble early on. She is doing well and is consistent, so will run a good race, and Sean Cormack is the best rider for her.”

Jet Supreme (Nkosi Hlophe)

Jet Supreme beat Acrostar a short-head when winning the Gr 3 weight for age Final Fling Stakes over 1800m on August 3, so will enjoy the trip. She has a difficult draw of nine, but Cormack is skilled at placing horses in the running.

Star Jet is also a five-year-old Jet Master mare and has finished 3,5 lengths and 3 lengths respectively behind Acrostar in her last two outings, although she was giving the latter 3kg in the first of them. Snaith said, “Her runs back from a break have also been very good and she is primed for a big run on Saturday. I wouldn’t be surprised if she is the fastest finisher, especially over this distance.” She is drawn in pole position with Karl Neisius up.

Snaith summed up his Victress Stakes chances, “We are very strong and I will be disappointed if we don’t walk away with a win.”

The yard have four runners in the Premier Trophy and Fourie has surprisingly chosen to ride True Master, who is the lowest merit rated of them on 93.  The five-year-old Jet Master gelding won his second race this season in a MR 95 Handicap over 1600m and  Snaith said, “He had a successful wind operation after Durban and it has made a lot of difference, he might be better than his form suggests and he has come on from his last run.” He is drawn well in four.

Snaith’s former Investec Cape Derby runner up Dynamic, a 99 merit-rated five-year-old Dynasty gelding, returned from a break of well over a year to win both his starts this season over 1600m.

However, Snaith said, “We were very disappointed with his last start. He did win it but in that Graduation Plate race he should have won easier. He was a bit heavy and I have given him a gallop and he will strip fitter. He is a high quality horse but could be just one run short at this level. On ability he is the best of our runners, but there is a question mark over his fitness.” Dynamic is drawn six and Cormack is aboard.

True Master (Liesl King)

Snaith was bullish about the 97-merit rated four-year-old Silvano gelding Arion, who finished a 2,5 length third to Equus Horse Of The Year Legislate in last season’s Investec Cape Derby. He returned from a seven month break to run fourth on his reappearance over 1300m and was then fifth as joint-favourite in the Gr 3 Betting World Algoa Cup over 2000m at Fairview.

Snaith said, “This is one who I’m expecting a good race from and he could be the dark horse. I don’t think he was given a good ride last time and needed the run too. He will strip a lot fitter.” Arion is drawn in pole and Bernard Fayd’Herbe rides.

Snaith said about his other runner, the five-year-old Jallad gelding Johnny Rockets, who jumps from draw 8 with Greg Cheyne aboard, “He runs on strongly but is not the soundest so I am going in fresh and hoping for a good race.”

He concluded about his Premier Trophy runners, “It will take a nice horse to beat them. There is very little in it and it will just depend on which one of them is fittest and soundest on the day. Any one of them could win at their best.”

Snaith said about his other runners on the day, “(1st race) – Captain Blackwater, these workriders’ races are impossible to predict. (2^nd race -) I haven’t been hard on my two-year-olds this year, so both Carmina and Rock Jo Emma have chances but are not readied up. (3^rd race -) Carmen Silver will run a better race and is almost ready to win. (4^th race -) Cap Alright is trying 1400m, so there’s a question mark, Paulo is running fresh, which he likes, so they have each/way chances.  (5^th race -) Tell Me More is looking for the extra ground and could run a big race, he is a nice one to follow on the day.”

Kochka caused a 25/1 upset on debut over 1000m at Scottsville when beating subsequent Gr 1 winner Captain Of All. He then finished fourth in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Medallion behind Captain Of All over 1200m at Scottsville, before exacting revenge in the Gr 1 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m on Vodacom Durban July day, where he went down by a hair’s breadth to Forest Indigo with Captain Of All a further 0,25 lengths back in third.

He then clinched the champion colt award when beating Forest Indigo by 0,75 lengths to win the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m on Gold Cup day.

All of those runs were in 2013 and he was then given a deserved rest. However, he rapped a tendon in training in March this year shortly before his comeback and the veterinarian advised a long rest as a precautionary measure.

Upon his return to Summerveld he was “hacked” for about a month and has now just begun light workouts.

The Wrights expect him to be racing again in about March next year.

The dark bay lost none of his good looks during his forced holiday and race fans will be looking forward to seeing his long stride in action again during the Champions Season.

He has not raced since the Golden Horseshoe on July day, when he weakened in the closing stages after leading early on, but Dennis Drier (pictured) confirms that he is reasonably ready.

“The Golden Horseshoe was too soon but I think he is an out-and-out sprinter,” Drier adds. “The Betting World Cape Flying Championship is a big ask for a three-year-old but it is at the back of my mind.”

Stable companion Beckedorf has also been off for four months – “He is a smart little horse and it’s just unfortunate that he has to bump one like Guiness” – but Sean Cormack’s mount looks the one. He was 9-10 with Betting World yesterday and that looks reasonable considering how far he is in front of the opposition on both ratings and last season’s form.

Second favourite Harry Lime (22-10) has the advantage of race fitness and seemingly he did not run up to his best when over six lengths behind Guiness in the Medallion. “He pulled up shin sore after that race,” explains Justin Snaith.

Western Force proved costly when starting favourite last time. He was found to be making an abnormal respiratory noise and not striding out on his right fore, but seemingly his problems were of a more delicate nature.

“We found that he had a twist in the string of one of his testicles,” Joey Ramsden explains. “He has been gelded since and I would like to think he is now a better horse. He works like a nice one.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount is 33-10 favourite and looks the one in the opening maiden while stable companion Icy Winter Air (3-1) may follow up half an hour later. She is 3kg better with Nonki Poo (9-2) for two lengths.

However watch out for 4-1 shot Azarenka who hasn’t been out of the first three in five starts, all of them over 600m less. “She couldn’t go with them last time,” says the champion trainer, explaining the step up in distance. “But this is a test – it’s a big jump – so be cautious.”

Four-year-olds in maidens are not normally the ones to be on – if they haven’t won a race by this stage the chances are that at least one of three-year-olds will be better – but Big Ed didn’t start racing until June and he looks a worthy favourite for race three.

Smiling Mistress would have gone close against Cuvee Brut had she not lost so much ground at the start last time and Darryl Hodgson is expecting a big run from the 11-2 chance in race six, particularly if the wind is in the right direction. “I’m hoping the South-Easter blows,” he says. “She must have an outstanding chance on the way she worked on Saturday.”

But Mike Stewart is keen on the shoeless Promicing Polly (9-2) who is a kilo better with Abyssinia for three-quarters of a length. “She’s got a big chance,” says the Noordhoek trainer.

That said, this is Abyssinia’s third run after a rest and that may just swing the balance in favour of the 7-2 favourite.

Latham has plenty of overseas experience already, having left to ride for Herman Brown in Dubai shortly after graduating from SAJA in 2007 and then riding for three seasons in Ireland for Ger Lyons. He also had a short stint in Mauritius last year.

Latham had a few rides in the UK during his three season stint in Ireland and among them was a win in the Gr 2 Temple Stakes over five furlongs at Haydock in 2011 aboard the remarkable Edward Lynam-trained Sole Power, who as a seven-year-old this year increased his career tally of Gr 1 wins to four after winning both the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Nunthorpe at York.

The closest Latham has come to thoroughbred Gr 1 glory was when finishing a head back in third on Sole Power in the Gr 1 Prix De L’Abbaye over five furlongs at Longchamp in 2011.

However, he does have a Gr 1 win to his name in purebred Arabian racing, landing the HH The Presidents Cup in Abu Dhabi on a horse called Dynamite in 2008. He made a bit of history in the process as Dynamite became the first locally bred horse to win the prestigious event.

The win in that race attracted the attention of legendary Irish jockey Johnny Murtagh, who then recommended Latham to Lyons.

Latham rode 113 winners in his 2008-2010 stint in Ireland with a high of 44 winners in 2009. He had three winners in the UK in that period.

Latham rode over 100 winners as an apprentice and received a lot of support from Mike de Kock, which brought him a victory in just his second year of race riding in the Gr 2 Gold Vase aboard Wise Son in 2006 and in that same season he also won the Listed Flamboyant Stakes on the top class De Kock-trained Bold Ellinore.

Latham’s other Graded successes in South Africa have been in the Gr 3 King’s Cup on the Glen Kotzen-trained Moscow Rising in 2007, the Gr 2 Senor Santa Handicap in 2012 on the Herman Brown/Frank Robinson-trained Antious and the Gr 2 Post Merchants on the Michael Roberts-trained Mike’s Choice in 2012.

He is hoping to be based around Newmarket in the UK next year. Jockeys ride seven days a week in the UK and spend a lot of time on the road travelling to the many racecourses, so every one of them has an agent. There are more than 35 jockeys’ agents over there and a rider’s success is partly determined by their astuteness in finding competitive rides.

Latham has a British passport as his father Kevin, who now lives in Hillcrest, was born there.

Latham said upon returning from overseas a few years ago that race riding in Ireland and Britain was generally easier than over here, “The horses are bred to handle softer going and are also fitter. They don’t train them faster, but rather further. The average horse that is race fit will have two hard gallops over a mile per week and on the other days will canter over a mile. They are consequently easier rides than the ones over here as they are not as tuned up. Generally the horses train themselves and will let us know when they are ready to race.”

Picture: Keegan Latham (Nkosi Hlophe)