Khumalo, Fortune and Delpech in hunt for title
by Dave Mollett,
2016-03-01 05:00:00.0
WE LOOK set for one of the most exciting finishes in this season’s jockeys championship, and betting suggests it will be a three-cornered contest between Andrew Fortune, Anthony Delpech and S’manga Khumalo.
In the UK, betting on the jockeys title is popular from the first day of the season, but bookies in SA have needed some prompting to price up on our contest.
Betting on the Lance Michael Bookmaker website quotes Khumalo as the 12-10 favourite followed by Fortune and Anthony Delpech at 22-10. Quite possibly, the layers have got it right, as S’manga has been booting home the winners in recent week.
Even so, Fortune has been a revelation this season and is clearly keen to bag another title after his success in the 2008-09 campaign.
Back in October, Fortune hinted that a big season was in the offing when telling the media: "I’m hungry and I’m in the type of mood that you’ve got to put me on anything."
Fortune has his fans and his detractors, but surely it is better for the racing public to have his forthright views rather wishy-washy stuff that everything in the garden is rosy.
A perfect comparison is football star Wayne Rooney.
In interviews, it is like pulling teeth to get any constructive comment from him other than "it was a team effort". That’s why Andrew is so refreshing.
However, some sort of disciplinary action seems to follow him like a curse and, in a recent inquiry, Fortune was fined R5,000 for "verbally abusing and threatening Muzi Yeni" at Flamingo Park in July last year.
Why this inquiry took so long to be finalised is puzzling, but it brought plenty of comment on social media.
What is not in dispute is that Muzi is one of the sport’s workaholics.
He rode in 1,263 races last season and booted home 147 winners, just seven less than Delpech.
If you fancy a long-shot punt at the title, then Muzi’s your man. The 29-year-old is on offer at 120-1 and he will be flying to any centre, where he has a chance of riding winners.
Yeni feels he is in a good place. In an interview he said: "I am a kindly person and easy to be around; at least that’s what I think. But the other side of me surfaces when I get into the parade ring: I am ambitious, determined and have a will to win.
This brings us to Delpech, who has been in the top flight for many years.
Will his recent unexplained split from Mike de Kock affect his title chances? Possibly not, because trainers with fancied runners who had previously thought they were unlikely to book his services will now know he is more freely available.
The big question is whether he will be prepared to travel to the minor centres in June and July if, as is probable, he is in contention.
It is not as if Delpech is chasing his first title and there is no financial reward at the Equus awards.
Picture: THINKSTOCK
WE LOOK set for one of the most exciting finishes in this season’s jockeys championship, and betting suggests it will be a three-cornered contest between Andrew Fortune, Anthony Delpech and S’manga Khumalo.
In the UK, betting on the jockeys title is popular from the first day of the season, but bookies in SA have needed some prompting to price up on our contest.
Betting on the Lance Michael Bookmaker website quotes Khumalo as the 12-10 favourite followed by Fortune and Anthony Delpech at 22-10. Quite possibly, the layers have got it right, as S’manga has been booting home the winners in recent week.
Even so, Fortune has been a revelation this season and is clearly keen to bag another title after his success in the 2008-09 campaign.
Back in October, Fortune hinted that a big season was in the offing when telling the media: "I’m hungry and I’m in the type of mood that you’ve got to put me on anything."
Fortune has his fans and his detractors, but surely it is better for the racing public to have his forthright views rather wishy-washy stuff that everything in the garden is rosy.
A perfect comparison is football star Wayne Rooney.
In interviews, it is like pulling teeth to get any constructive comment from him other than "it was a team effort". That’s why Andrew is so refreshing.
However, some sort of disciplinary action seems to follow him like a curse and, in a recent inquiry, Fortune was fined R5,000 for "verbally abusing and threatening Muzi Yeni" at Flamingo Park in July last year.
Why this inquiry took so long to be finalised is puzzling, but it brought plenty of comment on social media.
What is not in dispute is that Muzi is one of the sport’s workaholics.
He rode in 1,263 races last season and booted home 147 winners, just seven less than Delpech.
If you fancy a long-shot punt at the title, then Muzi’s your man. The 29-year-old is on offer at 120-1 and he will be flying to any centre, where he has a chance of riding winners.
Yeni feels he is in a good place. In an interview he said: "I am a kindly person and easy to be around; at least that’s what I think. But the other side of me surfaces when I get into the parade ring: I am ambitious, determined and have a will to win.
This brings us to Delpech, who has been in the top flight for many years.
Will his recent unexplained split from Mike de Kock affect his title chances? Possibly not, because trainers with fancied runners who had previously thought they were unlikely to book his services will now know he is more freely available.
The big question is whether he will be prepared to travel to the minor centres in June and July if, as is probable, he is in contention.
It is not as if Delpech is chasing his first title and there is no financial reward at the Equus awards.
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