Gerrit Schlechter to ride abroad

Gerrit Schlechter & Abe Join Foreign Jockey Ranks At Busan

There are two new foreign jockeys in town at Busan.

Japanese Yukio Abe made a winning debut last weekend while South African veteran Gerrit Schlechter will ride for the first time this coming Friday.


New Boys: Gerrit Schlechter and Yukio Abe
Forty-three year old Abe, who usually rides at Nagoya, has over 2600 career victories to his name and opened his Korean account with victory on 7/1 shot Fine Fine in race 3 at Busan last Sunday. Officially freelance, Abe has so far been booked by a wide range of trainers.

Cape Town rider Schlecter, who also has over 2600 victories over the course of his near thirty-year career, is already known to Korean racing fans having ridden in and won the 2007 International Jockey Challenge at Seoul Racecourse.

At the time, this blog described him as a “man with a truly incredible head of hair” – which in retrospect may have been a slight exaggeration – and also noted that he wasn’t afraid to interact with heckling punters, suggesting confidence that may serve him well here full-time.

It appears that Schlechter, while also officially freelance, will replace Nathan Stanley as de-facto first-choice jockey for Australian trainer Peter Wolsley. Joe Murphy also puts the forty-six year old up this weekend.

Schlechter is the fifth South African to take up a riding licence in Korea. They’ve had mixed experiences.


Chris Taylor lasted a month at Seoul in 2008 while the less said about Willie Uys’ one weekend in the Capital, before he dashed to the airport, the better.

Down at Busan Deryl Daniels had the misfortune to be riding at the track at the same time as Toshio Uchida was monopolizing the winners and not only went home after a few months but decided to call time on his riding career altogether.

The one successful exception was Martin Wepner who was arguably Busan’s top jockey for a while in 2009 and early 2010, picking up victory in the Minister’s Cup on Namdo Jeap.

His was a turbulent stint, however, which wasn’t made any easier by his being inadvertently stuck in the middle of a bitter dispute between the Jockeys’ Union and the Trainers.

With backing from Wolsley though, it is likely that Schlechter will have every opportunity to do well. Both he and Abe have been granted initial licenses for four months.

Thank the Lord, can never ever get Schlecter right

he's 9 years younger than Karl yet he has 2600 wins - is that from PE and Kim?

i bet he wont reach 3000 in the next 9 years.

Can someone show his stats for his last 100 rides? I'm sure he can't have more than 5 wins

PeeKay Wrote:

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> i bet he wont reach 3000 in the next 9 years.
>
> Can someone show his stats for his last 100 rides?
> I'm sure he can't have more than 5 wins


4 PK...he has however won both the July and the Met

one of the best lightweight riders to come out of south africa for many years ...very good rider

pirates Wrote:

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> one of the best lightweight riders to come out of
> south africa for many years ...very good rider

I agree Hilt...I did his rides for 1 season (kim and PE) 2005/06 when we finished on a frustrating 99 winners...but did win the July with eyeofthetiger and also won a maiden on a fairly nice horse from the Bass yard (Pocket Power) was stable jock for Ramsden and also rode for Bas and Kanameyer...great guy ..I wish him well.

Titch Wrote:

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> pirates Wrote:
>

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>

---

> > one of the best lightweight riders to come out
> of
> > south africa for many years ...very good rider
>
> I agree Hilt...I did his rides for 1 season (kim
> and PE) 2005/06 when we finished on a frustrating
> 99 winners...but did win the July with
> eyeofthetiger and also won a maiden on a fairly
> nice horse from the Bass yard (Pocket Power)
> was stable jock for Ramsden and also rode for Bas
> and Kanameyer...great guy ..I wish him well.


Titch, i am not against the guy. I like him a lot as a rider. I think he was done in when Kannemeyer gave the winning July ride on "i think" Dynasty to Fradd (again i think). That was very sad, but he got his chance after that on EyeoftheTiger......anyway, i was actually getting at that he is someone who is no longer getting the better rides from any stable.

I think this is the right move for him to go and try something different. I won't be betting against him making a success of his time over there. (tu)

His Met win on Past Master was top drawer

PeeKay Wrote:

> I think this is the right move for him to go and
> try something different. I won't be betting
> against him making a success of his time over
> there. (tu)

100% PK his form of late has slumped big time and a new challenge could be just the thing to turn it around

How many wins on top Hear The Drums

mr hawaii Wrote:

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> How many wins on top Hear The Drums


12 or 13 on HTD but none in the 05/06 season