Jockey Juglall called up for the overseas team
Mauritian-born Nooresh Juglall has been confirmed as the final member of the overseas team which will take on SA in the WSB International Challenge at Turffontein on November 16.
Juglall, 28, won two apprentice titles in SA before relocating to Singapore. He has enjoyed considerable success in the citystate and rode 50 winners in 2017, but in April he announced he was returning to Mauritius due to problems with his wife’s visa.
Juglall rode in the 2019 Vodacom Durban July finishing third on Twist Of Fate.
The other five members of the overseas team for November’s meeting are Rab Havlin, Hayley Turner, Martin Dwyer, Paul Hannigan and Andrea Atzeni.
Racing fans will be delighted Muzi Yeni has been named as the captain of the SA side. The popular rider again gave it his all last season, competing in more races (1,822) than any other jockey and finishing in second place in the national log with 215 winners.
It is hoped that former champion Gavin Lerena, sidelined with a wrist injury, will recover in time to ride at the meeting. If not, the Racing Association will have to find a replacement rider.
Yeni has six booked rides at Saturday’s Turffontein meeting
and the pick of the sextet could be Viscountess Vivien, who rates a solid each-way chance in the first leg of the Pick 6.
The daughter of Duke Of Marmalade will have needed her comeback run when second behind Comet Crystal and gets the vote to beat home Bold Ellie and Sean Tarry’s runner Vi Va Pi Pa.
Viscountess Vivien is trained by Robbie Sage and her stablemate Steak And Ale also has a shout in the third race. However, the three-year-old clashes with the unbeaten Tallinn, so the swinger coupling the two horses could be the right way to bet.
One of the most open races on the card is the fifth in which a number of the top stables field runners. Candice Dawson runs her useful five-year-old D’Arrivee, but the gelding might find it difficult conceding 8kg to stablemate Lumber Jackeroo.
Though outpointed by Tierra Del Fuego last time out, Lumber Jackeroo stayed on for second place and bookmakers might be taking a chance quoting the grey at 10-1.
With Piere Strydom booked for the ride, Tarry’s four-yearold Russian Beat could be sent off favourite though stable companion Silver Spectrum arrives in good form to give the champion trainer a strong hand.
The final race on the card —a handicap over 1,000m looks tricky and all of True Charm, Battle Creek, Brigtnumberten and Rebel Renegade warrant inclusion in Pick 6 perms.
Both trainer Corne Spies and jockey Muzi Yeni will be delighted True Charm has drawn well, and the daughter of Captain Al could notch the second win of her career.
There are a number of firsttimers in the opening event on the card and punters will need to check the betting market. The horse with the best form is Pure State, with Strydom also booked for this Tarry runner.