South African Champion Jockey Gavin Lerena leaves for Hong Kong on Sunday where he will free lance as a Jockey Club rider.

Lerena will be up against the like of Joao “Magic” Moreira, commonly regarded as the best jockey in the world.

However, he confirmed it was every sportsman’s ultimate dream to test themselves against the best and added, “He is probably the best jockey the world has ever seen and there will never be another like him, but I am mentally and physically prepared to take him on.”

Lerena has proved his mental toughness and it is well documented how his darkest moment, when reflecting upon a Championship which had somehow slipped through his grasp, took just three years to erase. His winning of the Championship last year included an astonishing streak of form when the pressure was at its highest, including  a record-breaking 42 winners in one month.

Lerena is grateful to Felix Coetzee, a veteran of 16 seasons in Hong Kong, for the “fantastic advice” he has provided ahead of his sojourn. He has also received pointers from Weichong Marwing and Anthony Delpech.

He is thus aware not only of aspects pertaining to his profession but also of Hong Kong life in general, including the important role luck plays in Chinese Culture and of the need to conduct oneself in a manner acceptable to the Culture.

He said, “Luck is everything over there but you can also make your own luck.”

Lerena confirmed the strictness of the Hong Kong stipendiaries placed added pressure on jockeys, especially as the two racecourses were relatively tight.

He has never been short of confidence and quipped, “It’s very different over there and hard to adjust, but it took me three races to win so I think I adjusted quite well!”

He was referring to the International Jockeys Challenge he took part in last December, where he won both the third and fourth legs to emerge as overall winner.

His South Africa Championship combined with his Jockeys Challenge victory no doubt helped him secure the contract with the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Lerena has only had four rides at Happy Valley but has already grasped the ins and outs. He said, “Its much faster than South African racing and you’ve got to ride the race from the jump and find the right position and the right passage. If you make one wrong move, or just one hesitation, it will be the difference between winning or running fifth, you must have the best passage and a flowing passage. Sha Tin also has a short straight but is fairer.”

Lerena will be provided with an interpreter for the first few weeks, but will otherwise be left on his own to secure rides.

However, trainers are unlikely to be slow in offering him mounts, considering his two winning rides in the Challenge were brilliant, and on the night he downed eleven of the best jockeys from around the world, including Moreira, Ryan Moore, Douglas Whyte, Brett Prebble, Victor Espinoza, Hugh Bowman, Silvestre de Souza, Derek KC Leung, Keita Kosaki, Maxine Guyon and James McDonald.

Furthermore, South Africans have a reputation in Hong Kong which dwarves all other nations considering the dominance of the Championship by Basil Marcus (seven times champion), Robbie Fradd (one championship) and Douglas Whyte (thirteen championships) since Bartie Leisher laid the foundation by winning it in 1988. Coetzee, Delpech, Marwing, Glyn Schofield, Jeff Lloyd, Piere Strydom, Anton Marcus, Richard Fourie and Karis Teetan, a Mauritian who learnt his trade at the South African Jockeys Academy, have also all made a big impact on Hong Kong racing.

Lerena will be accompanied by wife Vicky and young son Ashton on the venture.

In Hong Kong the jockeys and trainers all live together in an apartment block near Sha Tin racecourse, another factor which adds pressure.

He said, “Living side by side with your competitors and the people you ride for is not going to be easy, but luckily we’re a quiet family.”

Ashton currently attends nursery school in Gauteng, but Gavin and Vicky will play it by ear before rushing him into a new educational institution.

Gavin concluded, “It’s a big step in life but I’m mentally and physically ready for it, although obviously we going to miss the family, we’re a very close family.”

By David Thiselton

With his turf rating of 111, four-year-old Ertijaal (AUS) will race under top weight of 60kg in Thursday evening’s Land Rover Discovery Sport Handicap over 1900m at Meydan.

This is a sand (dirt) contest, however, and the question that needs to be answered is whether the 2015 Gr1 Cape Derby winner will be similarly effective in his first run on the new surface in the hands of jockey Paul Hanagan.

Ertijaal’s pedigree suggests that he is likely to enjoy racing on sand. He is by Hard Spun, a terrific top-level performer who raced only on dirt and the Polytrack, winning seven of 13 starts from 1100m to 1800m, including the Gr1 King’s Bishop over 1400m on dirt at Saratoga.

Hard Spun’s places included a second in the 2007 Kentucky Derby (2000m) to Street Sense and he was runner-up to the star Curlin in both the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic (2000m) and the Pimlico Stakes (1900m).

Nothing is clear-cut however, and while the outcome of this race will determine the rest of Ertijaal’s Carnival campaign, Mike de Kock wasn’t too fazed on Tuesday, saying: “He will either go well on dirt or he won’t and if he doesn’t we’ll switch him back to turf. He’s fit and very well, it’s a competitive handicap, a real test but he is well drawn and I think he is massive runner even under his big weight.”

Judging by apparent stable confidence this could be “a good night at the office” – De Kock was bullish too about the chances of Sanshaawes (Christophe Soumillon) and Tellina (Wayne Smith), his contenders in the Gr3 Dubai Millennium Stakes over 2000m on turf.

“This doesn’t look like the best ever renewal of the race and we have two runners who are very fit and well. They should both get their share of the action here.”

Another runner considered to have a winning chance is Prayer For Relief (Soumillon), who was touched off by Le Bernardin on his seasonal debut in Gr2 mile on dirt; then beaten over seven lengths by the smart Frosted over 1900m on dirt.

“We’re bringing Prayer For Relief back to the mile, he seems to fade when he races beyond 1800m. He drops in class and we fancy he’ll be right there to contend this one.”

Seven-year-old Pylon is in the same race, making his own seasonal debut. The big sand galloper is short of his best and De Kock commented: “Pylon has suffered a few setbacks so this run after his long break will serve to bring him on, he will improve for it.”

Mastermind (Hanagan), is effective over 1400m on turf and will be yet another stable ace to be reckoned with in the Range Rover Trophy (Race 2).

“Mastermind gives of his best, he is doing well at home but he was penalised 8 pounds for his Gr2 placing last time so has a big weight to shoulder and there are several other hard knockers in the race. He has eachway prospects.”

Mikedekockracing.com

Picture: Ertijaal (Liesl King)

Trainer Frank Robinson scratched his classy filly Olma from her last start out of concern for the betting public, while in the Summerveld training ring next door to his Dennis Drier’s expectedly strong South African Champions Season string could well be bolstered by the up and coming filly Mater Familias.

Olma missed some crucial work in the lead up to her intended last race on February 10 due to rain affected training tracks, so Robinson asked permission from the stipendiaries to scratch her because in his opinion the 5/10 price would likely be misleading to the public.

The classy four-year-old Dynasty filly has come into her own and made it two in a row when winning the Gr 3 Flamboyant Stakes over 1600m at Greyville last time out in cosy fashion. She is now being targeted at the Gr 3 Acacia Handicap over 1600m at Turffontein on Guineas day, February 27, where she will run off a 101 merit rating.  Olma has run twice at Turffontein before, finishing tenth in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas against an ultra strong field, and then sixth in the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks over 2450m, a distance which Robinson now believes was too far.

The three-year-old Trippi filly Mater Familias powered to a 5,75 length victory over 1400m on the Greyville poly last Friday night under Anton Marcus and still looked to have plenty in hand at the line. On debut she dwelt at the start before running on over a too sharp 1000m, but a subsequent re-schooling session did the trick because she jumped on terms on Friday night. The yard are not getting carried because she did not beat much and said they would take it “one step at a time”.

The horse she beat on Friday night, The Alyson Wright-trained Ovelord four-year-old filly Overly Impressed, now has two seconds and a third to her name, not bad for one who cost a mere R10,000. She started 7/10 favourite on Friday night, but was coming off an interrupted preparation and the yard also believes she is looking for 2000m.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Olma (Nkosi Hlophe)

Anton Marcus flies into Cape Town on Saturday for six rides at Kenilworth’s Prawn Festival meeting including last year’s winner Coltrane in the CTS Chairman’s Cup.

Coltrane’s trainer Joey Ramsden traditionally dominates this two-miler – he has won it seven times this century – and he is responsible for half the six runners with Bernard Fayd’Herbe on Grade 1 winner King Of Pain and Donovan Dillon partnering Gallica Rose.

Lohnromance, despite being officially the worst horse in the race, will be one of the focus points in the Vasco Prix Du Cap. She has won her only two starts with ease and Andre Nel was thwarted in his bid to run her in the Klawervlei Majorca when she suffered an over-reach.

J & B Met hero JP van der Merwe will also be in town. He has three rides including the Paul Reeves-trained Sea Cat in the Smart Call colours in the Prix Du Cap.

The Juvenile Plate was scrapped yesterday morning when the 12 entries attracted only three acceptors. There will be draws throughout the day for household appliances worth R50 000.

By Michael Clower

Bishop’s Bounty is odds-on for the opening maiden juvenile at Kenilworth today and understandably so. Justin Snaith fancied him to make a winning debut in the Listed race on Met day and he almost certainly has much less on his plate here.

He started evens favourite last month and, despite not being able to get a run when he needed it, he was beaten less than a length into third.

“Bishop’s Bounty was a bit green that day but he has done very well since and we think he is a decent horse,” says Chris Snaith. “This is 200m further which will probably suit him.”

World Sports Betting opened him at 9-10 on Monday and he shortened to 4-10 yesterday with the twice-raced In Your Face second favourite at 6-1. “He has come on a bit and, if there is no superstar among the first-timers, I think he will finish on top of them,” says Paul Reeves.

Mike Bass, who has won the last three Cape Town two-year-old races, has no runner but three of the seven newcomers carry the Jooste colours including the Joey Ramden-trained R2 million purchase Attenborough (7-1).  “All three are nice horses and we are hoping for the best but I think Justin’s will be hard to beat,” says Derek Brugman.

Starrett City opened evens favourite for race two and has since hardened to 9-10. Although he was only eighth first time, it was a good maiden and he was only beaten four lengths. He looks the form horse. “He was a little shin-sore after his run but he is fine now and he has come on a bit,” says Neil Bruss. “Looking at the field I think he should go very close.”

Newcomer Hero Quest is second favourite at 33-10 while Mike Robinson’s pair The Best Of Me (4-1) and Zama (backed from 12-1 to 7-1) showed form before disappointing last time. Declarator (4-1) was third to runaway winner Orion Quest but the form of that maiden has a question mark over it.

Andre Nel’s once-raced Liberal Sally is 22-10 joint favourite with Prize Peg for the fillies’ maiden (race three) but Pixelate at 9-2 makes more appeal. Shane Humby’s filly has been off since the end of December but she had Prize Peg half a length behind when second that day.

The handicappers left Cuban Emerald on an unchanged 79 after his close third in the opener on Met day and, while Shadlee Fortune may not be in the same league as S’Manga Khumalo, he is good value for his 2.5kg claim and the top weight looks the one to beat in race four. His opening price of 13-10 was short enough and he has since eased to a more realistic 15-10.

By Michael Clower