SA jockeys don't all charge the same commission by David Thisleton

Owners have on recent occasions been caught unaware when a higher than expected jockey’s fee has been deducted from their stake cheque.
Jockeys used to earn 7% of stakes for a win and 5% for places, but during the 2006/2007 racing season some of the best jockeys in the country made a move that resulted in them increasing their percentage to 10% for wins and 7% for places.
However, since then many others have jumped on the bandwagon and it would appear that there has been no effective line of communication between jockey and owner that has informed the latter of any changes in rate.
Owners and trainers should be aware that it is up to trainers to inform owners of the official percentage of stakes that booked jockeys take as commission for winning and placed rides.
A joint decision can then be made whether to go ahead and declare the jockey or whether to try and book one who demands a lesser percentage.
Jockeys are able to officially notify Gold Circle and Phumelela of a change to the stakes percentage they ride for by attaining a signed letter from the two trainers who give them their most rides.
However, the role of Gold Circle’s or Phumelela’s Finance Departments is merely to facilitate the payment of the percentage of stakes owed to the jockeys.
Once the percentage a jockey demands is on the system, that percentage will automatically be deducted from the stakes cheque.
It is possible for an owner or trainer to reach an agreement with a jockey whereupon the latter rides for a lesser percentage than his official rate.

However, Gold Circle or Phumelela will not facilitate the changes in these special cases. Instead an agreement would have to be made between the jockey and the owner whereby the difference is transferred from jockey to owner.

There are currently 45 jockeys on Gold Circle’s system who have changed the commission they ride for from the old 7% for wins and 5% for places to 10% and 7% respectively.

They are (roughly in order of notification of this change):

Jeff Lloyd, Anton Marcus, Sean Cormack, Johnny Geroudis, Robbie Hill, Glyn Schofield, Bernard Fayd’herbe, Piere Strydom, Weichong Marwing, Karl Neisius, Mark Khan, Francois Naude, Piet Botha, Stuart Randolph, Marco van Rensburg, Marthinus Mienie, Anthony Delpech, Corne Orffer, Randall Simons, Gavin Lerena, Donavan Habib, Alec Forbes, Muzi Yeni, Guillermo Figueroa, Felix Coetzee, Glen Hatt, Richard Fourie, Raymond Danielson, Chad Little, Greg Cheyne, Karl Zechner, Brandon Lerena, Wayne Agrella, Chris Taylor, Francois Herholdt, MJ Byleveld, Gerrit Schlechter, Barend Vlooh, Derryl Daniels, MJ Odendaal, Deon Sampson, Paul Whitmore, Derreck David, Billy Jacobson and Devin Habib.

The rest of the jockeys in the country are on the 7% for a win and 5% for a place rate.

How many are worth the 10%? some average jocks charging the premium!!!

There are some jocks on the above list that will have to pay me to ride my horses, and then I will still not have them!!!

I agree - there definitely are a number of jockey's that cannot call themselves in the same league as e.g. Anton Marcus, Pierre Strydom...

Andrew Fortune a notable absentee

I can only identify 7 off that list that I would pay the "extra"

Rob I see 10 that qualify for the 10% (in my books) and count 17 that ought to go for 5% or less!! The rest should stick to the 7%.

Hibernia I think the " other " jocks - run of the mill jocks get 7% win & 7 % place, but I stand under correction.

Yes the 5% for a place was a mistake, the others charge 7% wins and 7% places.

Yup Element,I didn't mention the 10 that I would rather not have aboard at any cost!

There are a couple who hardlyt get any rides at all so who convinced them to up their fees...unbelievable IMO.

I always have to remind myself that 10% is 42.8% more than 7%.

My last 2 trainers have charged 100% more than the computerized deduction and I'm shocked and amazed that the jocks haven't cottoned on that there's much more if they only reach out.

I remember that day when the NHRA emailed me the referendum form and I ticked the box entitled "I want to pay my jockey 42.8% more because it's still 33% less than the 15% the trainer gets".

We shouldn't complain so. It's the western way to want more.

The only problem Jack is that there are a few on that list that should be getting 3% instead of 7%.The 'best' are entitled to more,that is the western way,but there are a few blokes there that are overrating their ability wouldn't you say?