Workaholic Habib the busiest jockey in the country
Rider has booted home 23 winners and is in fifth place in the national log
When it comes to job attendance, no doubt that jockey, Calvin Habib, is top of the class. In the first seven weeks of the new term, he has had 70 more mounts than top riders Keagan de Melo, S’manga Khumalo and Muzi Yeni.
Though he’s a long-shot at 28-1 to win his first title, Habib is continuing where he left off last season and has booted home 23 winners. He is in fifth place in the national log.
Habib came close to a double at Durbanville last Saturday, winning on Northern Song and being beaten a shorthead on the Business Day tip, Han Solo, in the Settlers Trophy. Last season was the young rider’s best to date and his successes included three grade 1s, the grade 2 WSB Fillies Guineas and the grade 3 Zimbabwe Guineas.
In an interview with Turftalk, Habib said: “I have been given good opportunities and taken them with both hands.”
Habib has four mounts at Turffontein on Tuesday and could land a double on Flying First Class (third race) and Batik in the first leg of the jackpot.
Trainer David Nieuwenhuizen has done well with Flying First Class, Habib partnering the Silvano mare in most of her races. She cost R150,000 as a yearling and has earned three times that amount.
Owner Colin Bird may have also secured a bargain in paying R80,000 for the Global View filly, Zazu. She notched her second win at Turffontein in July but hasn’t raced since then.
The market will be the best guide to her chance but she receives 4kg from Flying First Class and could make life difficult for Nieuwenhuizen’s runner.
Summerland could be a threat with just 52kg on her back and trainer Corné Spies fits a compression mask to the R175,000 daughter of Querari.
Habib rides Batik — a daughter of Rafeef — for the first time in the fourth race. How Brett Webber managed to buy the filly for just R25,000 is amazing and the four-year-old has found some form in her past two races.
The dangers to Batik include Fanie Bronkhorst’s filly, Sassy, and she holds Streets Ahead on their running behind Raratonga Rose.
Trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren holds a strong hand in the seventh race with three runners — Tuscan Winter Ultra Quick and Ridgerunner — doing duty for the stable.
Tuscan Winter was just denied a fifth career win last time out, but could well defy top weight of 60kg. She is preferred to her two stablemates though Ridgerunner has scope for improvement having raced only five times.
The right horse for the swinger with Tuscan Winter could be Mathis who has joined the stable of Billy Ruiters. The grey caught the eye last time out when in the care of Paul Peter and can make his presence felt from a favourable draw.
De Melo, who rides Tuscan Winter for the first time, has another good book of rides and should go close on Kalahari Blue in the final leg of the Pick Six.
Kalahari Blue bumped a useful sort in Thunderstruck last time out and should run well, though narrow preference is for the two-year-older Power Ranger who also has a light mass.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (4) Global Approach (3) Futurewolff (1) Trident King (6) Greenlightforgo
2nd Race: (5) Green Bubbles (2) Tried And True (3) Southern Style (6) Sky Velocity
3rd Race: (1) Flying First Class (2) Zazu (5) Summerland (3) Go Dream Machine
4th Race: (5) Batik (3) Sassy (4) Streets Ahead (6) Unapologetic
5th Race: (4) Mr Bodacious (2) Lord Of Light (5) Prime Example (1) Clap Of Thunder
6th Race: (5) Gilded Butterfly (4) Lilliana (3) Paton’s Tears (6) Code Zero
7th Race: (1) Tuscan Winter (7) Mathis (9) Anfields Rocket (3) Ridgerunner
8th Race: (12) Power Ranger (11) Kalahari Blue (8) Mescal (1) Chyavana