PHUMELELA-RACING ASSOCIATION MEDIA RELEASE
SUBJECT: Dettori to lead international team against SA
DATE: Wednesday 21 October 2009
RELEASED BY: Phumelela Gaming and Leisure Limited
LEGENDARY Italian jockey Frankie Dettori will again lead a top international team in the International Jockeys’ Challenge at Turffontein Racecourse on 21 November.
The international riders will face strong South African opposition, captained by the country’s current leading rider Anton Marcus.
Reigning South African champion jockey Andrew Fortune is unable to participate due to injury, but has been named team manager – thus ensuring him national colours.
Last year the South African team, captained by five-time South African champion jockey Mark Khan and managed by former great Michael Roberts, took the honours on the day. Khan is also out of action this year because of injury.
Apart from Dettori, the international team boasts evergreen Irish rider Mick Kinane, who recently made headlines again when piloting now-retired superstar Sea The Stars to victory in the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Both Dettori and Kinane were at Turffontein for last year’s International Jockeys’ Challenge and so enjoyed their visit that they vowed to return. Other top jockeys making the return trip are Belgian ace Christophe Soumillon and Englishman Darryl Holland.
Completing the international team are leading Irish rider Richard Hughes and a top jockey from Turkey, who has yet to be named.
The full South African team is due to be named on Tuesday 27 October. The top four jockeys on last season’s SA jockeys’ log automatically qualify for the team if they are available and a selection panel will have two “wild card” picks.
The 2009 International Jockeys Challenge will comprise four races on the day with mounts being drawn. The runners will be seeded before the draw in order to balance the chances of the two teams as much as possible.
The draw for rides takes place on 11 November and national colours will be awarded to the South African team at a special ceremony on 20 November.
In a new initiative this year, the Thoroughbred Horseracing Trust is sponsoring a fifth challenge race in which young, up-and-coming riders will take on the international jockeys.
Racing Association chairman Larry Wainstein has been instrumental in ensuring that the International Jockeys’ Challenge goes ahead despite the event not having a main sponsor.
“We have worked incredibly hard to ensure that this great event continues and we are delighted to have the biggest names in horseracing on the day,” said Wainstein.
“I would like to thank the RA board for their belief in supporting this event, thus protecting the ethos of racing. The event is important to our jockeys for two reasons: firstly, to have their talents recognised with the awarding of national colours and, secondly, to be able to compete in our own country against the world’s best.”
Speaking at the media launch of the 2009 International Jockeys Challenge at Turffontein, Wainstein paid tribute to Tex Lerena of the South African Jockeys Association, who has conducted negotiations with the international riders.
Phumelela Gold Enterprises (PGE) spokesman Peter Benton said he would be pleased to welcome the international jockeys back to South Africa after the success of last year’s event. He was particularly pleased that Turkey’s leading jockey would be joining the line-up as the Turkish Jockey Club has become an important simulcast partner of PGE.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
Topic Author
