Breaking News: Jockeys stop racing in Cape Town... A consultation is currently underway between jockeys and the National Horseracing Authority (NHA) following growing dissatisfaction over fines and penalties. Racing has stopped at Durbanville. Many riders feel the sanctions are too harsh or inconsistently applied, impacting their earnings and livelihoods. The meeting aims to address these concerns, with jockeys pushing for fairer regulations and greater transparency in the disciplinary process. The outcome could have significant implications for racing in South Africa.
www.sahracing.com/index/contents/news/33832
This says Jockeys.
clearly they standing up for each other which is absolutely admiral.
I have personally heard lots of other things on interviews by Jocks worse or not is not debatable. Apply the same rules.
I am 100% certain someone in the ANC is connected to someone at the top of NHA it's the only explanation for this typical government style of behavior. The operators have still not given any clarification to weather SA racing is moving to weekends only and then the NHA just wants to silence people, weather the jockey is right or wrong he's only expressing an opinion and even he was brining nha name into disrupte who even knows what the nha is only a few punters and employees of the industry. This is not goof for racing what happened today
.....this fiasco could have been de escalated by Moodley issuing his notice at the end of the day.....this fascist attitude to almost immediately lay down the law and with poor timing coupled with thoughtless execution is the very reason for racing being in the crap....oh my
Last edit: 2 months 2 weeks ago by Muhtiman. Reason: this not his
I would laugh if this situation wasn't such a tragic reflection of where South African racing finds itself currently.
There seems to be a difficulty in separating emotion from logic and professional conduct, some are so blind that they accept in Grant's opening gambit, he insulted the public, punters, general stakeholders in racing as well as the NHA. The NHA had every right to impose a sanction today, while it may be debatable as to the timing, they have that right and Grant signed those conditions as part of his contract. Or maybe we now operate in the realm of 7'de Laan. He bravely put forward that it was not worth racing in South Africa... what a joke, please leave and race somewhere else or go into another industry. I wonder which global racing jurisdiction is just waiting to snap him up? Maybe Hong Kong are calling him, just begging to have him back. Maybe this behaviour is reserved just for South African racing, I do not see any other South African jockey do this in any other jurisdiction.
How delusional must one be to believe that you did absolutely nothing wrong, transgressed no rules and if this manure didn't stick then the last soldier in his defense is that there is favouritism. I have seen stronger tee bags in an argument.
Grant is an independent contractor with his own business who has contracted through the NHA to conduct his business in South Africa under certain conditions. A simple example for the lay man would be to invite all of your customers to your business and let an independent contractor sling off negatively to all of your customers because they thought you, the company, providing them work, handled a situation unfairly last week. This would be without even raising it with the company prior to the outburst. "In their opinion" i.e.
Grant has every right to raise his concerns and disagreements through the correct channels, including the Jockey Association he belongs to as well as his legal representative. If you believe you have done nothing wrong, why not simply prove it, in court if you have to? The obvious avenue to follow would be an emotional outburst on a national broadcast, insulting all stakeholders. I may agree that change needs to happen in South African racing, however, i do not belong to the shoot from the emotional hip school.
The icing on todays cake was the reaction by the other jockeys. This makes me laugh as most South Africans with an operating system uninfected by emotional malware understands what legal and illegal strikes are as well as wildcat strikes. If todays illegal strike was not a wildcat strike then the leadership of their Jockeys Association must have been present in the jockeys room and authorized it. What a disgrace.
I am all for our wonderful democracy that grants us all so many civil rights and liberties however some people believe that they can selectively apply whatever rights they would like whenever they want. This jockey and his association as well as the other jockeys involved could have put forward their complaints prior to this race meeting and also informed trainers, owners, punters and the NHA that they would not be riding until the sanction and fine Grant received was sorted out. They would have been totally within their rights to do so.
Owners, trainers, and sponsors beware. Those calling to be treated like professionals whilst behaving unprofessionally is just an indication of what is to follow.
Last edit: 2 months 2 weeks ago by Tigershark.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Dave Scott, mr hawaii, Contest, durbs
ADDENDUMS26 March 2025 – Durbanville Races Jockey JP van der Merwe was charged with a contravention of Rule 72.1.27 in that he, as a Rider who was carded to participate in scheduled races, and without any lawful justification, was party to a protest action which resulted in the abandonment of the race meeting held at Hollywoodbets Durbanville Racecourse on Wednesday, 26 March 2025. Jockey JP van der Merwe signed an Admission of Guilt and a monetary fine of R100 000 (One Hundred Thousand Rand) was imposed, of which R50 000 (Fifty Thousand Rand) is suspended for a period of five (5) years on condition that he is not found guilty of contravening Rule 72.1.27, during the said five (5) year period.
