How come SA was not invited to the Jockey challenge?

Agreed.....very difficult to ride there....so suppose guys who make it there should make it anywhere....except "the cape crawl" or a kenilworth 1200m.....

Easy, He is a nice guy and a good jockey. He rode a lot for William when I was there so know him pretty well and not in Antons class. Would not even think twice about who to put on but we all entitled to our own opinions.

well SA racing is tough is you South African, for petes sake if the TOP 5 jockeys from Gauteng decided to ride in Cape town every week they would GET KAK rides and therefore appear inferior!

Craig

you correct we are all entitled to our opinions BUT SA racing is NOT an Island and even though SA racing folk think that SA racing is "important" ITS NOT.

With all due respect you might not think about putting hanagan on instead of Marcus BUT Saeed Bin Suroor would and i would side with him most times......

Well SA racing may not be important to you but it's amazing how how quickly the Sheik opens his petty cash box to come to buy our horses?and when they hit Dubai they clean up there most of the time......

Easy you can put Paul on and I will put Anton on. I will tell you another thing about our Island. Our farriers and especially our Vets are better as well. Give me them any day but maybe I dont know what I am talking about.

thats right the "petty cash" boxes, and the reason (except for a few ) that they win and as you say "clean up" is because they are SA Group horses running in listed and handicaps. So the numbers win but the numbers dont end up conquering the world. There are notable exceptions, Ipi Tombe/Lizzards Desire / J Peg and a few more BUT by in large they arrive in Dubai and win a few races (for huge cash) and then find their place.

Bottom line...Anton is WORLCLASS and WOULD be competitive anywhere in the world.......he gave us a glimpse in DUBAI and SINGAPORE.....if I recall correctly Dettori,Soumillon and the boys rode in both big races Anton won?Ah....must have been the meat under him that gave him the advantage?

Craig

I dont want to get into a slinging match with you, i sat with Mr Lafferty at lunch at a very good friend of mine here in the UK in xmas of 2010. My good friend is withdrawing substantial investment from SA because of VETS, my good friend (ask laff) is NOT a MUG nor on these forums like i am.

Mr Paul Nicholls has a vet at his stable once a week, Mr Louis Goosen has a vet at his stable once a month, now if you need a vet at your stable and then need to praise a proffesion that has a cartel and monopoly in SA than i feel sad for you, a profession that invoiced another substantial investor in SA racing for a GELDING operation on a filly.

There is a VET in SA that is the dogs bollocks, well i say from SA but actually he is from Australia but was in SA for many years. I am sure you either know his name or will find out. This guy was the "university" of vets,The rest fanks but no fanks.

Hotline,

did i not say 1 full season? I have not disputed his ability BUT he won the SA championship riding 20% winners, he got the pick from stables that showed fuck all loyalty to the guy that rode the horse into 2nd the previosu start.

i want to salute him as champion of the UK after he rides at 15%-18% and over 1000 horses in 8 months (shorter season ) and has to ride in 2 meetings a day and on a left handed course in the afternoon and a right handed uphill course in the evening IN THE RAIN.

you CANNOT compare the skills, yes SA jockeys appear more "fluent/stylish" on horses but then if you in a the parade ring tomorrow at kenilworth you will hear the following 400 times " i want you to bounce out , sit 4th 5th and make your move at the 400m"

NOTED...but why would he want to not have a life whilst doing all of that in England?Anton chooses when and where he wants to ride and has a great life here.....just to get him to come to ride in CT is an uphill task.....but when he does come he rides superbly.Very seldom do you see him ride a poor race.....
When he rode for the title sure he got the premium rides and that would occur anywhere in the world.....cant hold that against him.
And by the way we have lots of UK owners here so there must be something drawing them here....good food ,great weather, good racing and cheap keep ....easy when u earning GBP.....
Hope you going to watch good racing here today....not bad for the bottom of Africa...

Easy I am not condoning what the vets charge at all. They are far to expensive here by far and agree with you there. What I am talking about is the quality of our Vets Jockeys Farriers etc. Louis only has a Vet in once a month? Is that right Louis? Find that hard to believe unless you are talking about average per horse.