French star to ride in SA

Young French rider Maxime Guyon is being hailed as the world’s next superstar jockey and the 23-year-old will ride at four South African race meetings at month end.
Guyon began his career in the saddle in 2005 and has rocketed into the ranks of Europe’s top jockeys under the guidance of leading French trainer Andre Fabre, who believes his protégé has the makings of one of the best riders of all time.
Guyon only became a fully-fledged jockey in 2008 and already has 91 Graded and Listed race successes to his credit.
He has finished runner-up in the French Jockeys’ Championship for the last three years, finishing eight winners behind globally acclaimed Christophe Soumillon in 2012 and only six winners behind Soumillon the year before.
More than 50% of his 1,104 rides in France last year finished in the money, comprising 157 winners and 404 places.
His major-race wins include the French 2000 Guineas and Derby on Lope de Vega and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes on Byword.
He had a short stint in Hong Kong in the 2010-11 season and his 15 winners there included taking the Grade 1 Hong Kong Derby on former South African trainer Tony Millard’s charge Ambitious Dragon.
Guyon will ride at four consecutive meetings here – Fairview 30 January, Clairwood 31 January, Fairview 1 February and at Kenilworth at the J&B Met race meeting on Saturday 2 February.
His presence will add spice to the J&B Met meeting, which is set to be a fabulous afternoon’s racing with five feature races on the card.
Phumelela Horseracing Executive Patrick Davis said Guyon’s visit was an initiative hatched by newly appointed Phumelela director Brian Finch in conversation with PGE International director John Stuart to further stimulate French interest in South African racing.
“The French PMU, which is the third-biggest tote operator in the world, has significantly expanded their usage of South African racing this year and will take the first four races on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays during the European winter, as well as selected major races on Saturdays throughout the year. They generate significant betting turnover on us, for which we are paid a royalty that benefits both the business and sport of racing in this country,” he said.
Davis added that he hoped owners and trainers would support the initiative by giving Guyon rides at his four meetings here. Guyon’s minimum riding weight is 53kg.

Which SA jock will be going to France???

Robbie Sham rode there once many years ago and his first and i think only ride was a winning one

Our boys will ride him to "sleep" aka the cape crawl

?......wonder which genius is canvassing for his book of rides.....sure to get 10% of some lovely moola.......:)o

Shea
Marwing
Randolph
Latham
Jacobsen
Herholdt
Have all ridden there in recent years
I wonder who will be going if this is an exchange program

Graham Hawkins doing his Dbn rides. He did Magic's rides as well. Did not take any commission.

Lerenas must be candidates

Fayd'herbe also been recently and can speak the lingo...

That's like sending an English Premier League team to SA and saying its going to stimulate the English interest in SA football...()

.....fark he is no star on what I saw earlier....drops the whip on Wiese horse in the 2nd race and cannot get up for my trifecta.....hope he does a lot better at other centres..... because if you cant get an average horse into the frame in PE then you are robbing the local jocks of their riding fee's....how were his other rides....could he have done any worse than a local jock....:

I saw him ride 2 winners!