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Jockeys Muzi Yeni and Billy Jacobson have been placed under “immediate interim suspension” by the National Horseracing Authority (NHA) after an incident at Greyville on February 13.
In a statement, the CEO and racing control executive of the NHA said they “considered this action necessary as, in their opinion, the continued participation in races of Yeni and Jacobson may pose an unacceptable risk of prejudicing the reputation, integrity, safety and welfare of racing and its participants”.
Apparently two scuffles broke out between the two jockeys before and after the first race at the Durban track.
Later the Coastal Jockeys Association contacted NHA CEO Vee Moodley and stated that in their opinion the behaviour of one of the jockeys involved has been unacceptable, unprofessional and dangerous and as a licenced jockey “we can’t have this behaviour from a fellow jockey”.
The incident has caused debate on racing websites and the sport’s fans will be hoping the NHA takes action sooner than has been the case with another inquiry involving jockey S’manga Khumalo.
Khumalo has been suspended for 10 days for failing to ride out his mount in the closing stages of a race at Fairview on September 16 last year.
It seems astonishing that this inquiry has taken five months to resolve yet Khumalo has agreed to take the suspension from February 21 to March 2. This will ensure he doesn’t miss the SA Classic at Turffontein scheduled for March 4.
With racing abandoned at Turffontein on Thursday, there can only be a 50-50 chance of Saturday’s meeting at the city track taking place as more rain is forecast.
The feature race is the Egoli Mile and — with a first prize of R109,375 — it's no surprise several of the top stables — including Mike de Kock and Sean Tarry — have runners in the 1,600m event.
In early betting, De Kock’s three-year-old, Arividicio, is the 9-2 favourite and he has earned this position as a result of his second behind Royal Victory in the Tony Ruffel Stakes and second in the Secretariat Stakes. Randall Simons gets the ride and should go close if reproducing that form.
Though Laguna Verde has top weight of 60.5kg, Lucky Houdalakis’s runner has a definite each-way shout from a favourable draw with Denis Schwarz riding the three-year-old for the first time.
Laguna Verde was left with a lot of ground to make up on his latest outing at the Vaal and — if he reproduce the form he showed behind Cousin Casey on July day last year — will be a serious contender.
Sean Tarry saddles Silver Hills and Billy Spellbound with narrow preference for the first-named who will be ridden by Gavin Lerena.
Drawn in pole position, Ashley Fortune's runner, Meridius, will have his supporters but — at the bottom of the weights — it is Gareth van Zyl’s KwaZulu-Natal raider Captainofthegreen who makes most appeal.
Captainofthegreen had not raced since October when finishing a close fifth behind Bend The Rules at Greyville and — with just 52kg on his back — looks poised to run a big race.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (2) Powers That Be (10) Radu (8) Convocation (1) Count Your Chances
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Two jockeys suspended after scuffles at Greyville
Jockeys Muzi Yeni and Billy Jacobson have been placed under “immediate interim suspension” by the National Horseracing Authority (NHA) after an incident at Greyville on February 13.
In a statement, the CEO and racing control executive of the NHA said they “considered this action necessary as, in their opinion, the continued participation in races of Yeni and Jacobson may pose an unacceptable risk of prejudicing the reputation, integrity, safety and welfare of racing and its participants”.
Apparently two scuffles broke out between the two jockeys before and after the first race at the Durban track.
Later the Coastal Jockeys Association contacted NHA CEO Vee Moodley and stated that in their opinion the behaviour of one of the jockeys involved has been unacceptable, unprofessional and dangerous and as a licenced jockey “we can’t have this behaviour from a fellow jockey”.
The incident has caused debate on racing websites and the sport’s fans will be hoping the NHA takes action sooner than has been the case with another inquiry involving jockey S’manga Khumalo.
Khumalo has been suspended for 10 days for failing to ride out his mount in the closing stages of a race at Fairview on September 16 last year.
It seems astonishing that this inquiry has taken five months to resolve yet Khumalo has agreed to take the suspension from February 21 to March 2. This will ensure he doesn’t miss the SA Classic at Turffontein scheduled for March 4.
With racing abandoned at Turffontein on Thursday, there can only be a 50-50 chance of Saturday’s meeting at the city track taking place as more rain is forecast.
The feature race is the Egoli Mile and — with a first prize of R109,375 — it's no surprise several of the top stables — including Mike de Kock and Sean Tarry — have runners in the 1,600m event.
In early betting, De Kock’s three-year-old, Arividicio, is the 9-2 favourite and he has earned this position as a result of his second behind Royal Victory in the Tony Ruffel Stakes and second in the Secretariat Stakes. Randall Simons gets the ride and should go close if reproducing that form.
Though Laguna Verde has top weight of 60.5kg, Lucky Houdalakis’s runner has a definite each-way shout from a favourable draw with Denis Schwarz riding the three-year-old for the first time.
Laguna Verde was left with a lot of ground to make up on his latest outing at the Vaal and — if he reproduce the form he showed behind Cousin Casey on July day last year — will be a serious contender.
Sean Tarry saddles Silver Hills and Billy Spellbound with narrow preference for the first-named who will be ridden by Gavin Lerena.
Drawn in pole position, Ashley Fortune's runner, Meridius, will have his supporters but — at the bottom of the weights — it is Gareth van Zyl’s KwaZulu-Natal raider Captainofthegreen who makes most appeal.
Captainofthegreen had not raced since October when finishing a close fifth behind Bend The Rules at Greyville and — with just 52kg on his back — looks poised to run a big race.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (2) Powers That Be (10) Radu (8) Convocation (1) Count Your Chances
2nd Race: (1) Stratospheric (2) Nazare (11) Storm Dominator (9) Global Impact
3rd Race: (11) Broadlands (8) American Biscuit (9) Breeze Over (2) Bronze Sword
4th Race: (1) Good Council (6) Tamarisk Tree (2) Diesel And Dust (3) Tabebuia
5th Race: (11) Flashy Apache (5) Litigation (2) Nebraas (4) Second Base
6th Race: (8) Battleground (3) Flying First Class (2) White Fang (7) Banha Bridge
7th Race: (11) Captainofthegreen (2) Arividicio (1) Laguna Verde (7) Silver Hills
8th Race: (7) Indlamu (3) Outofthedarkness (4) Forever Mine (9) Homely Girl
9th Race: (6) Lushozi Shoop (5) Celtic Rumours (7) Vitellius (2) Houston
10th Race: (1) Mover And Shaker (4) Smith And Wesson (3) Aniara (5) Tre Amici
11th Race: (1) Cool Winter (11) Power Ranger (4) Admiralty Arch (7) Written In Stone
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