Jockey saddles up for a bumpy ride
Durban July winner determined to beat charge that he held horse back at Vaal race meeting
THE jockey who made history last year by becoming the first black rider to win the prestigious Durban July now faces the greatest challenge of his short career — to clear his name.
S’manga Khumalo enjoyed just five months of glory before an apparent stumble at the start of a Vaal race in November led to a 60-day anti-competitive ban a month later.
The 28-year-old rider, who says he has been unfairly judged, will try to have the ban overturned on Wednesday.
If Khumalo loses his appeal before the National Horseracing Authority’s three-member committee panel, rival Piere Strydom will overtake him to claim the coveted prize of champion jockey. Right now, the KwaMashu “Durban Darling” leads the jockey championship standings with 113 winners, 22 ahead of the former champion.
“I don’t think it [the authority] has a case against me,” said Khumalo this week. “It was hasty and made a scene out of the incident and I’m appealing it to prove my innocence. My trainer and lawyer are confident that we’ll get the result overturned.”
The controlling body’s inquiry board found that Khumalo had “failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures” to ensure that his horse, Supertube, was given full opportunity to win or obtain the best possible placing. The horse finished fifth. “After a slight stumble at the start, Khumalo failed to take measures to improve his position in the first 900m of the race and in the final 500m he failed to ride with his normal vigour and determination,” the inquiry found.
“That they went and slapped me with a ban without knowing the full picture has really affected my career,” said Khumalo. “It will have a major im- pact on the dream I’m chasing.”
He said winning the July had put him in the spotlight.
“I did something that had never been done before in a century of the race,” he said.
And it is not just Khumalo’s career prospects at stake — a ban means he is not earning money. “If I don’t race, I can’t earn an income. But I’m confident that we’ll get the decision in our favour,” he said.
He has won 30 races since launching his appeal and aims to become South Africa’s first black champion jockey.
National Horseracing Authority racing control executive David McGillivray said: “The rules are there to ensure that the horses are run and ridden on merit. If it believes that is not the case, the onus is on the authority to investigate the matter. Punters back horses and one has to protect them and make sure they get their value for money.”