Work Riders’ Challenge.

Phumelela, the Racing Association, the Thoroughbred Horseracing Trust and Betting World have joined forces to present the 2009-10 Work Riders’ Challenge, which starts at the Vaal this Thursday 3 December.

The Work Riders’ Challenge carries R50 000 in prize money for the riders and a Racing Association Highveld Feature Seasons award.


It comprises three race meetings:


Vaal Turf Thursday 3 December 2009

Vaal Turf Sunday 7 February 2010

Turffontein Standside Saturday 1 May 2010

Work riders will score points in each race at the three meetings as follows:

FIRST - 10 points;

SECOND - 7 points;

THIRD - 5 points;

FOURTH - 3 points.

The work rider accumulating the most points at each of the three meetings will win R5 000.

In addition, there are grand prizes for the three riders who score the most points in total across the three meetings:

CHALLENGE WINNER - R20 000; RUNNER-UP - R10 000; THIRD - R5 000.


A special award will be made to the Work Riders’ Challenge winner at the 2009-10 Racing Association Highveld Feature Seasons Awards ceremony.



Abram Makhubo won the Challenge last season in spite of not riding in the final leg.
He scored 74 points in the first two legs and finished 13 points clear of runner-up Jackson Feni.


“Phumelela is delighted to welcome Betting World aboard as a co-sponsor of the Challenge,” said Phumelela Sales Executive Clyde Basel.

“We will approach Theta with a view to them co-sponsoring the last leg of the Challenge as they did last year. Their participation was most welcome last year and we hope to have them on board again,” Basel added.

The Work Riders’ Training Programme is an ultra-successful empowerment initiative that was established by the Thoroughbred Horseracing Trust, which also manages the programme.

The Horseracing Trust’s BEE Work Riders’ Training Programme is an ultra-successful empowerment initiative and is run on the Trust’s behalf by trainer James Maree, a former champion jockey, at his Alewynspoort establishment.
The programme comprises courses for grooms and work riders from Turffontein, Vaal and Randjesfontein training centres as well as private establishments on the Highveld. Those who pass the basic course are allowed to ride in races down the straight, while those who pass the advanced course can also compete in races round the turn.

Regular trial gallops are held after Highveld race meetings to allow advanced work riders to familiarise themselves with the racetracks and to qualify to ride in races, and in conjunction with the Racing Association, stages work-riders’ races almost once a week at Turffontein and Vaal race meetings, in which riders are paid standard riding fees and pocket the jockeys’ share of any stakes their mounts earn.

The programme has been a resounding success and more than 230 people have passed the basic course, while about 50 have graduated from the advanced course. The programme has improved the earning potential of many previously disadvantaged grooms and opened new career opportunities for some of them.

Five graduates have gone on to become professional riders and others have travelled overseas to compete for rides with work riders from every corner of the globe. Many have become freelance work riders for different trainers and their earnings have quadrupled.

Nel looks good on Thursday...

Chad Cooke
Any card of eight races that is made up of five maidens and three handicaps, two of them being for fillies and mares, is already a daunting task for punters but when you make all eight races for workriders too, then the possibility of a tough afternoon at the office becomes very real.

However, there are some very talented workriders that will be in action on Thursday at the Vaal, some of whom could even hold their own in the professional ranks.

The main event on the eight-race programme at the Free State track is the seventh, a fillies and mares 72 MR Handicap over 2 000m in which a full field of fourteen of the fairer sex will do battle for the R71 000 stake money on offer.

As is the case with most handicaps of this nature, this is a tough race to decipher. At a minimum, four horses have good chances of winning this race but strong cases could be made for at least half the field.

The horse that makes most appeal is the Paul Matchett-trained Precedent which made its debut for this yard last month after having been based in KwaZulu-Natal where she recorded a win and two placings from five outings.

This R420 000 daughter of Model Man has ability and is sure to strip a fitter horse now that she has a run under her belt and if she can reproduce her penultimate effort she looks capable of winning here.
She has drawn well and is a must for the short list of potential winners. Next best could be the Dominic Zaki-trained La Creole. This four-year-old daughter of National Emblem has some very good recent form and has been a model of consistency barring her penultimate outing when she missed the break and never got close.

She will have no trouble with the trip but has a wide draw to overcome which is going to put her rider to the test Sishebo and Boho Chic have joint top weight of 60kg to shoulder but they have the form to justify carrying those weights.
Sishebo never got close last time but is far better than that run suggests and has some good form prior to that. She has one of the top workriders in the irons and the pairing cannot be ignored.

Boho Chic came off a break last time out and put up a very promising effort when only being run out of it late. She will strip a fitter horse tomorrow and the stable appears to be coming into a purple patch of form.

Will this meeting be a turn off for the punters?

Hibs,

I have been looking to sit a few meetings out, even though I have been doing quite well.
This meeting is the perfect one for me to sit out. I have NEVER had any luck when trying to back a winner with the work riders. This is only a personal preference and should in no way be taken as me not wanting to support the work riders.

I need to take the dog to the vet anyway.

Maxibet's Nominations For Today's Vaal Meeting

R1-5 ( WIN BET )
R2-5 ( PLACE BET )
R4-1 ( WIN BET )
R5-12 ( PLACE BET )
R6-1 ( PLACE BET )
R8-5 ( WIN BET - NAP )

GOOD LUCK GUYS

Normally these Work Riders Meeting work out to form.

Race 1: Luscious Lucy
Race 2: Modern Revelation (eachway)
Race 3: .......
Race 4: Thirty Nine Steps
Race 5: Castanelli/Tarachello
Race 6: ........
Race 7: ........
Race 8: Autumn Splendour (Exotic banker)

I love work riders - they try to listen to instructions and you may be suprized that payouts are not that bad - don't change a thing except where you see to rider engaged on formless horse - If a top rider engaged on a horse(makuba, Feni) with obvious chance it will be in the first 3 9 out of 10 it will be in the money. I personally like Feni and Wiid combo and makubo on almost anything.

I see Mr Stanley Ferreira is having his second runner today all the best to him & i hope it comes home lonely

tabgold site says 34mm of rain in last 24hrs but the pen is 22 and the going is good..

Castinelli surely a big runner today?

pirates Wrote:

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> tabgold site says 34mm of rain in last 24hrs but
> the pen is 22 and the going is good..

34mm and the going is Good?