No discouraging Van Niekerk
GRANT VAN NIEKERK is on the horse in Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July that every other jockey would give his eye teeth to ride and the one that the vast majority of punters think is going to win. The pressure must be well-night intolerable. How does he cope?
“I tell myself to try and be confident,” he said when the question was put to him in the Kenilworth weighing room yesterday.
“The more confidence you can bring into a race the better the result. It’s always like that.”
So how do you get that confidence? He doesn’t hesitate.
“I just try to ignore what everyone else is saying and in particular to ignore any negativity. There are a lot of negative comments going around about me riding African Night Sky at the moment including that nonsense on Winning Ways.
“I concentrate on cutting out all that. And in the race I don’t worry about the next person, I just ride my own race. Me and my horse are what matters.”
There is no set way to ride the Durban July in Van Niekerk’s experience – and he has twice finished second in five rides in the race.
“You have to ride it as the race pans out and according to the pace.
Smanjemanje
“On Smanjemanje in 2012 I was three wide and only just got beat. When I was second on Marinaresco two years ago I was drawn 17 and came from almost last.
“African Night Sky is a straightforward ride but he has to be given a chance. He likes to be rid- den confidently as well so you need luck in running. “I am going to switch him off but I am also going to try and sit closer because I know there is not going to be much pace on.”
Bernard Fayd’Herbe, successful on deadheater Pocket Power ten years ago and on Marinaresco last year, has ridden in every one of the last 13 runnings.
He said: “It’s usually quite a rough race and I think the most important thing is to make sure that your horse is comfortable throughout and that he finishes well.”
Jockeys in the July often report that they went fast early on and then the pace slowed.
This time many believe that there will be no mad gallop early but Fayd’Herbe’s view is slightly different.
“There are several horses that, in order to give themselves every chance, are going to have to be up there and that will automatically increase the pace. In any case it’s a big race so they won’t be hanging around too much.” His mount Elusive Silva is drawn 14. “It’s not ideal but he is a straightforward ride, you can put him anywhere and I don’t think stamina is a problem.”
No prizes for guessing which one he would like to be on if he wasn’t riding Elusive Silva.
He won last year’s Winter Series on African Night Sky and said: “He is the one to beat but after that I think it’s wide open.”
Hewitson
Champion elect Lyle Hewitson, still only 20, will be riding in the great race for the third time –“The July is always exciting. We don’t often race in front of a crowd that big and this makes it such a special day.
“You can feel the tension building when you canter down and it gets a lot more serious as you are led into the pens.”
He has ridden Tilbury Fort to victory in two of his last three starts but is drawn widest of all: “He is a four-year-old with a nice low weight. Despite the draw that puts him into it and I think he will be doing good work late.
“Obviously I will be giving him a chance and I just hope that the right gaps open thereafter. The main thing is to get him covered up and relaxed. Once he settles he does it for you.”