SPOTLIGHT ON THE APPRENTICES

Henk Steenkamp

The spotlight will be on the apprentice jockeys at Friday’s Fairview Turf track meeting of nine races.

In two of the races it will only be apprentice jockeys who will be trying to win for their connections.

They are races five and eight and both Classified Stakes looks very competitive.

The Fairview Welcomes The SA Jockey Academy Apprentice Classified Stakes over 2000m is race five where champion trainer Alan Greeff has two runners very well suited to the conditions of the race at the top of the betting boards.

Brevan Plaatjies will be riding Olive Oyl and Girish Dookhit is on Back For More.

Plaatjies is the current national apprentice champion and has ridden out his apprentice claim. Dookhit takes off 4kgs.

The TAB 4Racing App Apprentice Classified Stakes over 1200m is the eighth race. The Roaring Rock is another Greeff favourite and Plaatjies takes the ride. 

The apprentice jockeys are extremely keen to show what they are capable of in these special races for them.

At the recent Fairview meetings there were exciting discussions amongst the role-players about who will be successful on the day, while some of the senior jockeys offered some advice for the apprentices.

The apprentices are an integral component of racing in South Africa and races of this nature will help to raise the standard of apprentice riding.

Three apprentice jockeys currently based at Fairview, Dookhit, Nirvan Nastili and Bavish Soodoo, have found the winners’ box since the start of the season in August.

They will be keen to use their knowledge of the track to add to their winning tallies.

The meeting starts with a Maiden Plate at 12:00 and the second race gets the Bipot underway at 12:35.

In this handicap over 1200m the smart Fire Away gelding Pop Chart will be looking to follow up for the Gavin Smith stable after his eye-catching win earlier this month.

The Place Accumulator kicks off with the third race at 13:10 and the first leg of the Pick Six is the fourth race at 13:45.

It is competitive racing throughout the day and although there are some strong favourites on the card, finding a standout banker is not easy.

One to consider as a banker is Buffalo Bill from the Tara Laing yard in the ninth and last race. He is the horse to beat in this handicap over 1000m.