Lerena eyes lucrative payday in Hong Kong jockey championship
by David Mollett,
2015-11-24 05:55:12.0
SA’s champion jockey Gavin Lerena must be licking his lips at the prospect of an early R905,000 Christmas present.
That is what the 30-year-old rider will receive if he manages to emerge top jockey at the Longines International Jockeys Championship in Hong Kong on December 9.
The event carries total prize money of 800,000 Hong Kong dollars ($103,224) with HK$500,000 going to the winning rider.
The opposing jockeys in this four-race contest, scheduled to be run under floodlights at Happy Valley racecourse, are the most successful in the world at present. UK-based Ryan Moore, who has won 65 grade 1 races, is back to try to retain his title after emerging victorious last year.
He is joined by Victor Espinoza who has enjoyed his best year to date after partnering American Pharoah to a historic Triple Crown triumph in the US.
Other members of the eight-strong international team include UK champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa, Australian Hugh Bowman, New Zealander James McDonald, Maxine Guyon from France and Keita Tosaki from Japan.
The Hong Kong side will be headed by ruling champion Joe Moreira, who has excelled in the former British colony following a successful stint in Singapore.
Lerena will only be able to exploit the ever-decreasing rand if he is among the winners at Tuesday’s eight-race programme at Turffontein.
His two best rides may be Master ’n Commander in the second race and Lucky Houdalakis’ Australian-bred gelding, Street Flyer, in the final leg of the Pick 6.
Master ’n Commander is trained by Geoff Woodruff who on Saturday will bid to win the Sansui Summer Cup for the third year running.
The five-time champion trainer has backup to Master ’n Commander in the form of Shadowofhissmile who is a useful performer on his day.
Street Flyer was recently bought from owner Michael Leaf and should start at reasonable odds in Tuesday’s eighth race as he is opposed by Oreo Shake who represents Justin Snaith’s stable.
Piere Strydom will hope to take top honours on Oreo Shake, but this is a competitive race with both Steelway, the mount of promising apprentice Callan Murray, and Urgent Fury on the short-list of possible winners.
Jockey Weichong Marwing is riding as well as ever in his illustrious career and his mount, Tripp Force, makes plenty of appeal in the fifth race. His chief rivals are likely to be Oculus and William Nicol.
Jockey and horse. Picture: THINKSTOCK
SA’s champion jockey Gavin Lerena must be licking his lips at the prospect of an early R905,000 Christmas present.
That is what the 30-year-old rider will receive if he manages to emerge top jockey at the Longines International Jockeys Championship in Hong Kong on December 9.
The event carries total prize money of 800,000 Hong Kong dollars ($103,224) with HK$500,000 going to the winning rider.
The opposing jockeys in this four-race contest, scheduled to be run under floodlights at Happy Valley racecourse, are the most successful in the world at present. UK-based Ryan Moore, who has won 65 grade 1 races, is back to try to retain his title after emerging victorious last year.
He is joined by Victor Espinoza who has enjoyed his best year to date after partnering American Pharoah to a historic Triple Crown triumph in the US.
Other members of the eight-strong international team include UK champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa, Australian Hugh Bowman, New Zealander James McDonald, Maxine Guyon from France and Keita Tosaki from Japan.
The Hong Kong side will be headed by ruling champion Joe Moreira, who has excelled in the former British colony following a successful stint in Singapore.
Lerena will only be able to exploit the ever-decreasing rand if he is among the winners at Tuesday’s eight-race programme at Turffontein.
His two best rides may be Master ’n Commander in the second race and Lucky Houdalakis’ Australian-bred gelding, Street Flyer, in the final leg of the Pick 6.
Master ’n Commander is trained by Geoff Woodruff who on Saturday will bid to win the Sansui Summer Cup for the third year running.
The five-time champion trainer has backup to Master ’n Commander in the form of Shadowofhissmile who is a useful performer on his day.
Street Flyer was recently bought from owner Michael Leaf and should start at reasonable odds in Tuesday’s eighth race as he is opposed by Oreo Shake who represents Justin Snaith’s stable.
Piere Strydom will hope to take top honours on Oreo Shake, but this is a competitive race with both Steelway, the mount of promising apprentice Callan Murray, and Urgent Fury on the short-list of possible winners.
Jockey Weichong Marwing is riding as well as ever in his illustrious career and his mount, Tripp Force, makes plenty of appeal in the fifth race. His chief rivals are likely to be Oculus and William Nicol.
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