International Jockey Challenge.

Appearance fees?? Must be a BIG number to get Frankie here??

Lerena stepped into shea`s shoes...

PRESS RELEASE


Gavin Lerena steps in for Kevin Shea in International Jockeys Challenge

JOCKEY Kevin Shea has decided to do duty for Mike de Kock on Eagle Mountain in the Group 2 Cathay Pacific Mile Trial on 22 November at Sha-Tin in Hong Kong, and as a result will miss the International Jockeys Challenge on 21 November at Turffontein. He will be replaced by the South African team’s Reserve, Gavin Lerena.

Shea said: ”This is a $3 million race and an important stepping stone for Eagle Mountain, going into the Hong Kong Cup on 13 December. I tried my best to keep my commitment to the SA team, but wasn’t able to get on a suitable flight. I wish young Gavin Lerena well, I am sure it will be a big moment for him!”

Eagle Mountain won the Hong Kong Cup in commanding style last year, but hasn’t raced since due to injury. He has recovered however and for the last several months has been prepared by De Kock’s team at Newmarket in the UK.

Lerena, three times South African Champion apprentice, is over the moon with the opportunity to represent his country against the best in the world and said: “My thanks to Kevin and I hope he does very well in Hong Kong.”

Lerena, at only 23 years of age, has ridden just under 500 winners and has 15 Graded victories to his credit.

A replacement for Lerena on the SA bench has not been announced

gavin lerena gets in before karl neisius and shaun cormack and theres no place for don mansour in other team..joke

Karl Neisius is captain of the veterans team..
all we need is to select the other members...
then Phumelela will announce the veterans team..

Paul Whitmore, Brett Smith, Lucky,

Dave I'm sure Rhys can be persuaded to put a leg over?

The lads start to arrive RXP

Irishman Kinane jetted in with other top jockeys Seb Sanders (UK) and Jimmy Fortune (Ireland), all members of the International Jockeys’ Team to take on South Africa in the International Jockeys’ Challenge this Saturday, 21 November.

The other three members of the six-man squad. Frankie Dettori (UK), Richard Hughes (IRE) and Halis Karatas (TUR), are expected in South Africa on Tuesday.

Kinane and company will be spending the next few days poolside at Sun City. Like last year, they will join their fellow jockeys and a group of trainers, officials and members of the public in a Golf Tournament at the Lost City on Wednesday.

Kinane, the man who partnered the great Sea The Stars to six breathtaking wins this season, commented: “I’ve been looking forward to this trip. We had a great time last year and met many new friends.” Mick enthused about his wonderful year with the horse regarded as one of the best of all time. “He is absolutely awesome and we looked after him, we pulled the right strings,” said the 50-year-old veteran who is riding better than ever.

The South African Team consists of Andrew Fortune (Manager), Anton Marcus (Captain), Piere Strydom, Felix Coetzee, Anthony Delpech, Richard Fourie and Gavin Lerena.

The International Jockeys’ Challenge will comprise four races, the first of which will be off at 14:50. The race meeting starts at 13:35. Souvenir race programmes will be available on course and time will be set aside for the jockeys to hand out their autographs.

Getting worried about the weather we had another bad night, heavy heavy going

They should have these things in Cape Town. The recent downpours there were a fluke but Jhb weather at this time of year is just too dodgy.

Frankie missed 2 winners yesterday and about £500 comission he will be sick as a pig..lol

Previews of weekend feature races - by Ryan Roberts

INVESTEC BANK HANDICAP (R100 000 RACE 4 TURFFONTEIN SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER 14.50, LEG 1 INTERNATIONAL JOCKEYS CHALLENGE)

SELECTIONS NO 5 ONEHUNDREDACREWOOD
NO 4 JET SCENT
NO 2 AUTUMN GOLD
NO 3 THIN RED LINE

A very tough and competitive first leg of the jockeys international but if Frankie Dettori can overcome a wide draw then the three year old NO 5 ONEHUNDREDACREWOOD could easily prove to be the right one in this race. She was clearly not disgraced when fifth against the colts in a much stronger looking race last time. She is a decent filly on the her day and trainer Gavin Van Zyl is having winners on the highveld so they would be a big run. Trainer Weiho Marwing has been a bit quiet of late but his horses may have turned the corner and the four year old filly NO 4 JET SCENT ridden by Mick Kinane also has a poor draw to overcome but is capable of a big run and the drop to 1400m could see her contest the finish. NO 2 AUTUMN GOLD, the mount of Felix Coetzee disappointed in her latest but she is clearly better than that and holds a winning chance . Others to consider for Jackpot and Pick Six purposes are NO 3 THIN RED LINE , NO 1 APPLE PRINCESS and NO 6 MUAMBA.

RACING SA HANDICAP (RACE 5 15.30, LEG 2 IJC)

SELECTION NO 11 WINTER CRUISE
NO 7 AMERICAN GANGSTA
NO 1 A QUIET RUSH
NO 2 MONSIEUR ET MADAME

NO 11 WINTER CRUISE seems well handicapped running off a rating of 69 and the extra 450m of this race could see this son of Winter Winter to good effect and he is my selection to win. NO 11 WINTER CRUISE is improving with each run and jockey Gavin Lerena has the ideal opportunity to shine on this horse. There are however many dangers and jockey Richard Fouries mount NO 7 AMERICAN GANGSTA is definitely one for the shortlist after a good win in his latest and is another that should go well over this distance. NO 1 A QUIET RUSH is holding form well enough and despite a wide draw and topweight he should be considered.NO 2 MONSEUR ET MADAME is a fair horse on his day and tries the extra and is capable of an upset. NO 6 SPARKIE, NO 8 BAMBELELA and NO 10 SONIC GANG also hold upset possibilty chances.

GLOBAL TRADER HANDICAP (RACE 7 16.35, LEG 3 IJC)

SELECTIONS NO 7 MEMORY
NO 3 JET FLYER
NO 10 RED AZALEA
NO 8 WATER NYMPH

Another tough looking competitive Fillies and Mares handicap awaits punters here and we are opting with the mount of visiting Turkish jockey Halis Karaktas NO 7 MEMORY as our selection. NO 7 MEMORY is holding her form very well and looked a winner of her latest before being outrun very late. She is one and a half kilos better offf at the weights with NO 3 JET FLYER which should see her overturn her one and a quarter lengths beating. NO 3 JET FLYER is the obvious danger and she did well when hard ridden by Jockey Strydom to win her latest narrowly and as she is both course and distance suited she is a must for all permutaions. The recent easy maiden winners NO 8 WATER NYMPH and NO 10 RED AZALEA could be anything but both hold wide draws so there runs will be watched with much interest for the future. NO 2 SILVER JET and NO 11 GO FIRST CLASS are two others that could run into the frame.

PHUMELELA GOLD HANDICAP (RACE 8 17.10, LEG 4 IJC)

SELECTION NO 8 JACK SPARROW
NO 5 PHUNYUKA
NO 9 PLEASANT VALLEY
NO 1 DINNER FOR ONE

Trainer Sean Tarry seems to have NO 8 JACK SPARROW in good heart and a hattrick of wins could be on the cards from this son of Fort Wood. Jockey Richard Hughes has been drawn to ride this horse and this could be ideal as Richard Hughes is at his very best when adopting hold up tactics and NO 8 JACK SPARROW is suited by those tactics. Being a handicap the race is open and the much improved in blinkers NO 5 PHUNYUKA is one of many dangers to my selection. NO 5 PHUNYUKA is ridden by jockey Strydom for the inform yard of Roy Magner and although he is yet to win over this 1600m trip a big run is expected of him here. NO 9 PLEASANT VALLEY has been off the track since winning his latest over this distance on the inside track and if overcoming a wide draw he is capable of winning. NO 1 DINNER FOR ONE recorded an impressive win when dropped in distance and visiting jockey Seb Sanders should be well enough pleased with drawing this runner as he is very capable of following up. The Spike Lerena trained coupling of NO 7 BLUE TOOTH and NO 12 ROYAL EXPRESS are both in good form and should be considered whilst NO 10 FIRST IMPRESSION and NO 11 HANDSOME BULLION are two others to consider.

OCEAN BASKET GREEN POINT STAKES (GRADE 2 R300000 KENILWORTH RACE 7 21 NOVEMBER 1540)

SELECTIONS NO 12 SPARKLING GEM
NO 1 BIG CITY LIFE
NO 3 BILL OF RIGHTS
NO 10 ROYAL CHALON

The feature race season is really warming up now in the Cape and this race looks really interesting with the JULY winner NO 1 BIG CITY LIFE returning to the track but I prefer the chances of NO 12 SPARKLING GEM . Ridden here by in form jockey MJ Byleveld and trained by Justin Snaith. She won very easily last time and if she is able to dictate matters from the front she will be hard too beat. Jockey Byleveld will be searching for his third consectutive feature in as many weeks. NO 1 BIG CITY LIFE ridden by stable jockey Karis Teetan and trained by Glen Kotzen has been rested since reeling off an impressive hattrick of big feature race wins and is well in at the weights and although this is a prep run for the big featues that are coming up this Cape winter season, he is still in with a big winning chance here. NO 3 BILL OF RIGHTS is very well at the moment and looked a winner when narrowly beaten by Surfin USA at Fairview and he will be running on strongly at the finish and is a danger. NO 10 ROYAL CHALON from the bang inform Dean Kannemeyer yard is improving with every run but this is his toughest task to date and probably a place is the most than can be expected from him. NO 7 BUSH PIRATE anf NO 9 RED RAKE are both out at the weights but might be capable of running into the frame.