Charles and Lyle neck n neck

Attention All Media: For Immediate Release

The 2014/2015 Workrider’s Challenge will reach an exciting
conclusion on Saturday May 2 at Turffontein as Charles Ndlovu
and Kearsney College matriculant pupil Lyle Hewitson are going
neck and neck out in front and Francis Semela is also in with
an outside chance.

The Challenge, presented together by Phumelela, The Racing
Association and the Thoroughbred Horseracing Trust, consists of
three legs, each of them a dedicated Workrider’s eight-race
meeting.

There is an overall first prize of R20,000 for the rider who
accumulates the most points over the three legs and there is a
R10,000 second prize and R5,000 third prize.
The winner of each of the legs also receives R5,000.

The first leg took place at The Vaal on 23 October last year
and Francis Semela landed the R5,000 prize for top rider after
booting home two winners and also having a third and a fourth.
He collected 28 points for his efforts, one point ahead of
Calvin Habib. Lyle Hewitson rode a double and ended the day in
a tie for third with Charles Ndlovu on 25 points.
Hewitson and Ndlovu, who are from KZN and Gauteng respectively,
dominated the second leg, which was held at The Vaal on
February 3. Hewitson rode a memorable four-timer, but Ndlovu
scored points in six races and his two winners, three seconds
and a third accumulated a massive 46 points. Ndlovu duly
collected the R5,000 prize for top rider of the day and found
himself six points clear in the overall standings on 71 points.
Hewitson is in second place on 65 points and Semela, who won
the Challenge two years ago, is on 48 points.
Last year’s Challenge winner Chamu Mabaya is in fourth place on
34 points. Calvin Habib is in fifth on 27, but has not taken
part since the first leg as he has joined the South African
Jockeys Academy.

Ndlovu, who never fails to impress with his balance and race
riding skills, has ridden nine winners this season at a strike
rate of 20,93%. Hewitson, who intends following in the
footsteps of his father Carl by joining the professional ranks
after he has completed his schooling, is also a magnificently
balanced rider with an astute tactical nous. His 12 winners
this season have come at an amazing strike rate of 36,36%. Both
riders would be deserving winners of the Challenge.

The Workrider’s Challenge had been running since the 2008/2009
season and a special award is made to the winner at the annual
Racing Association Highveld Feature Seasons Awards
ceremony.Most of the Workrider’s Challenge contestants are
products of the excellent Work Rider’s Training Program funded
by the Racing Trust and run by James Maree, who is assisted by
top Highveld jockey Marthinus Mienie.

It would be well worth paying a visit to Turffontein on May 2
as the Challenge looks set to go down to the wire and there
should be a buzz around the parade ring and in the stands.

Just looked at Hewitson's rides for Saturday, he's good for at least 4 wins I reckon. Doesn't have a bad ride.

Go Lyle all the way!! Good guy and top A student on bursery at top Natal Private School..very humble and great manners.

oscar wrote: Go Lyle all the way!! Good guy and top A student on bursery at top Natal Private School..very humble and great manners.

He just achieved his 50th cap for Kearsney's 1st hockey team, obviously won't be playing on Saturday against The Horseflies.

DREAM COMES TRUE FOR MATRICULANT IN WORKRIDERS’ CHALLENGE

Kearsney College matriculant pupil Lyle Hewitson was crowned winner of the
Workrider's Challenge series at Turffontein Racecourse on Saturday after a
thrilling tussle with Charles Ndlovu that went right down to the wire.

The matriculant pupil earned R20,000 for his efforts, Charles Ndlovu earned
R10,000 for finishing second and Francis Semela earned R5,000 for finishing
third. Samuel Mosia earned R5,000 for being the leading rider in Saturday’s
meeting.

The points system awards 10 points for first, seven for third, five for
third and three for fourth and Hewitson was locked in a gruelling struggle
with Charles Ndlovu throughout the three legs of the series, which
consisted of three dedicated eight-race meetings.

This culminated in a thrilling finale as Hewitson led by just four points
going into the last race of the series on Saturday, meaning there would
virtually be a match race within a race.
Ndlovu’s mount Regency Romance overtook Hewitson’s Grand Opera in the
closing stages, but it was all in vain as he only finished fifth.

Hewitson thoroughly deserved the title as he rode eight winners in the
three meetings at a strike rate of nearly 45%. He had ridden a double from
four rides in the first leg of the Challege series on October 23 and a
memorable four-timer from six rides in the second leg on February 3. Even
then he still had to make up a six-point leeway on Saturday as Ndlovu had
achieved consistent results in the first two legs.

Hewitson closed the gap to one by winning the first race on the Mike
Azzie-trained Hot August and took the lead when riding a fourth place
finish in the second race. His win on the Gavin van Zyl-trained Rascality
in the fourth race took him into a seven point lead, but he was forced to
hold on grimly when a fourth place finish by Ndlovu in the fifth race
closed the gap to four points. Both riders scored blanks in all of the last
three races.

Kearsney College’s headmaster Elwyn van den Aardweg was thrilled upon
hearing the news and commented “Lyle is proving to be an all-rounder of
note having just achieved 50 caps for the school’s first hockey team. The
boys and staff alike are behind him in his racing endeavours and we
continue to keep a close eye on his fantastic progress”.

Mosia earned 32 points on Saturday through two winners, a second and a
third. Hewitson earned 88 points in total during the series to Ndlovu’s 84
and Semela’s 63. Hewitson will receive an award for Work Rider of the
Season at the annual Racing Association Highveld Feature Seasons Awards
held on May 16 at Turffontein.

Well done!