The teams for the Air Mauritius International Jockeys’ Challenge have been finalised and some well-known UK jockeys will be flying to South Africa for the test. It will be held at one venue this year, Turffontein on Sunday 19 November, and the test will be held over six races.
OCTOBER 19, 2017
Anthony Delpech
Captain. This Seychelles-born 48-year-old has ridden for South Africa in every International Jockeys Challenge held so far. He won the national jockeys’ title last season, riding 43 more winners than second-placed Greg Cheyne and maintaining a high 22% win rate. That was his third jockeys’ title after 1998-99, when he set the standing record in South Africa for number of winners in a season – 334, and 2002-03. “Bonji” won four Grade 1 races last season. Although only 10th on the 2017-18 log, he is maintaining his high strike rate this season with 20 wins from 94 rides and a win-place strike rate of nearly 60%. He has ridden in Singapore, Mauritius, Hong Kong and Dubai. He rides at 53kg.
Greg Cheyne
This 41-year-old Pretoria-born rider was in the South African team in the 2015 International Jockeys’ Challenge. He has a diverse international CV that includes appearances in Malaysia, Germany, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore Macau and most recently in England where he partnered Whisky Baron in his UK debut. His second on the national jockeys’ log in 2016-17 was his highest finish to date, although he did finish third on a couple of occasions before that. He made his one Grade 1 victory for last season count – it came in the Cape’s biggest race, the Sun Met, aboard Whisky Baron. Cheyne is currently 18th on the national jockeys’ log with a win-place strike rate of nearly 60%. He rides at 53kg.
Gavin Lerena
Champion SA jockey 2014-15 and third on the log last season in spite of spending almost three months in the UK. The 32-year-old Johannesburg-born won the Grade 1 Gauteng Sansui Summer Cup on Master Sabina last year and his four Grade 2 wins included the Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile. He has ridden in Hong Kong, Mauritius, China, Dubai, England and Zimbabwe. This is the sixth time he will represent South Africa in this challenge and he rode in the Hong Kong International Jockeys’ Challenge and Shergar Cup in 2015. He is third on the log and more than a quarter of his rides so far have won. He rides at 57kg.
Anton Marcus
Four-time champion SA jockey, he has captained the “Proteas” four times in the International Jockeys’ Challenge and ridden in this test six times. The 47-year-old, who was born in Cape Town and is retained jockey to the powerful string belonging to Markus Jooste’s Mayfair Speculators, won six Grade 1 races last season when he finished fourth on the national jockeys’ log with a winning strike rate of 25.52%. His winning strike rate so far this season is even better, 29.27%, so he continues to ride with finesse. His international experience includes rides in Australia, Macau Dubai, England, Hong Kong, Mauritius and Singapore.
S’manga Khumalo
Two-time champion SA jockey – the first person of colour to achieve that honour – this KwaMashu-born 31-year-old has ridden in the International Jockeys’ Challenge five times and was captain in 2014 when the local team won by a country mile. Finished fifth on the log in 2016-17 with a winning strike rate of 16.6% and a tally of three Grade 1 wins. Has made a fairly slow start to the current season and is 25th on the table. Has represented his country in jockey tests in England and Hong Kong and has also ridden with success in Australia, China, Kenya, Mauritius and Zimbabwe. Weighs in at 53kg.
Craig Zackey
The Benoni, Johannesburg-born 22-year-old rides in the International Jockeys’ Challenge for the first time but has already represented his country twice, in the Asian Young Guns in Seoul in 2014 and 2015. Finished sixth on the SA Jockeys’ log last season with 138 winners and his second Grade 1 trophy, when Nother Russia won the HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes. His best finish came in defeat, though, when the filly was beaten two short heads into third by hard-knocking males Deo Juvente and Legal Eagle in the Premiers Champions Challenge. Is currently ninth on the national jockeys’ log. Rides at 53kg.
Pat Smullen
Represents Ireland. This 40-year-old rider, who rode his first winner in 1993, has won the Irish flat-racing jockeys’ title nine times and has won major races in his homeland, England, France and the United States. He has ridden several times in the Shergar Cup, although his team failed to win on any of those occasions. He will be riding in South Africa for the first time. Is currently second on the Irish jockeys’ log behind Colin Keane with a 14% winning strike rate. Biggest win this year came in the Moyglare “Jewels” Blandord Stakes (Group 2) aboard Dermot Weld-trained Shamreen. His lowest riding weight this year was 54.5kg.
Seamie Heffernan
Represents Ireland and eighth on the Irish jockeys’ log this year with a 10% winning strike rate. The 45-year-old, who was born in County Kildare, rode in the International Jockeys’ Challenge in South Africa in 2012 when he won a race at Clairwood and helped his team win the test. He has also ridden in England, France and the USA, where he won the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Highland Reel last year. Rides mostly for Aidan O’Brien and his big-race wins this year include three Grade 1s – the Irish Derby on Capri, the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes on US Navy Flag and the Prix de l’Opera on Rhododendron. Rides at 54.5kg.
Corey Brown
Represents Australia. The 41-year-old Taree-born jockey has ridden in Mauritius, Singapore (fourth in the premiership there last year) and Hong Kong but comes to South Africa for our International Jockeys’ Challenge for the first time. Champion Australian jockey in 2001-2002, he is best known internationally for riding Shocking to victory in Australia’s premier race, the Melbourne Cup, in 2009. Has ridden a lot for Godolphin this year winning on a third of his rides for them. Currently 39th on the Australian jockeys’ log. Rides at 53kg.
Martin Dwyer
Represents England. The 42-year-old Aintree, Liverpool-born jockey has ridden in Mauritius but visits South Africa for the International Jockeys’ Challenge for the first time. Has recorded Group 1 wins in England (including winning the Oaks on Casual Look in 2003 and the Derby on Sir Percy in 2006), Canada, Hong Kong, Italy, Dubai (where he won the Dubai Sheema Classic on Phoenix Reach in 2005) and India. Rides a lot for his father-in-law Willie Muir. Has a 10% winning strike rate this year and is 46th in the British Flat jockeys’ standings. Was licensed to also ride over jumps this year. His lowest riding weight in 2017 was 52kg.
Thierry Thulliez
Represents France. The 43-year-old Paris-born jockey, affectionately called “Thuthu”, started his life in the saddle as a jump jockey, winning 17 races over obstacles before moving to Chantilly to ride in Flat races. Although without a Group 1 win and a 6% winning strike rate this year, he is no stranger to big-race success, having won at the highest level in France, Italy and the USA, where he won the 2002 Breeders’ Cup Mile on Domedriver, and his international experience also includes Germany, Mauritius, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Dubai and Czechoslovakia. Has ridden as light as 53.5kg this year.
PJ McDonald
Represents Ireland but the 35-year-old jockey works in the UK and is in the top 10 on their jockeys’ log. Was recently crowned Flat jockey of the year at Ayr. A former jump jockey, he switched codes after winning the 2007 Scottish Grand National on Hot Weld as an apprentice, and has won 645 Flat races in his career. Is having his best season yet with 97 wins to his credit at the time of writing. His first Group 1 Flat race success came on 13 October aboard Laurens in the bet 365 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket. That was his third win aboard trainer Karl Burke’s charge. McDonald’s lowest riding weight this year has been 53kg.
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