Early years
How did you first get involved in horse racing? Was there a particular moment or person who inspired you to become a jockey?
You could say I was born into racing with my father being a jockey and most of my family being involved in the sport. I would say my father was definitely my inspiration.
Can you share a bit about your upbringing in South Africa and how that environment shaped your path into the racing industry?
I grow up in the south of Johannesburg, where everyone knows everyone and it is a big racing town.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced starting out as an apprentice jockey, and how did you overcome them?
For a jockey, I’m pretty tall, measuring at 172cm so it was a bit of a challenge for me to get into the South African Jockey Academy because they were won’t that I would grow and be too heavy to make the weights. I had to work really hard on keeping my weight down and went through an amateur course and I rode in amateur races before being accepted into the Academy.
Life as a jockey
Walk us through a typical race day for you – from the moment you wake up to when the gates open. What does your routine look like?
The first thing I’ll do when I wake up like I think like most jockey will do is check my weight. All depending on what that is and what weight I’ll be riding on that day will determine how the rest of my day goes… After that I will get ready for track work, I would than drive to track which would take me about 35mins. Do my morning work, riding for several different trainers for about 2 hours. I would than get home, have a small breakfast, jump into a hot bath for about 1hour. I would than head off to the races. I like to be on time and everything to do with my racing kit has to be neat and clean. That’s about it really.
Jockeys are known for discipline and fitness – how do you stay race-ready mentally and physically throughout the season?
Physically, I normally race ride about 5 to 6 times a week with track week 3 days so that keeps me pretty fit, off days I’ll head off to the gym to do some recovery and stretches. Mentally, I like to remain focused and positive, I’ve always leant that as much I want to, I can’t win even race and as long as I give my horse every chance of winning, I know I’ll sleep well at night.
What’s the biggest difference between riding in South Africa and overseas (if applicable), and how have those experiences shaped you as a rider?
I would say the biggest difference between riding in South Africa and for example Singapore is the tracks are much tighter than they are in South Africa, and the pace is much faster in running.
Career highlights and challenges
Looking back on your career so far, which wins or rides stand out as the most memorable – and why?
Well I’ve won 8 Grade 1s in my career so far so I would say that they are pretty high up there. I’ve won the Summer Cup twice which is African’s richest race and it was a race I always wanted to win since I was a kid. Also winning the Horse Chestnut 1600m was great because it was named after probably South Africa’s best horse ever! There are many more but it’s going to take up to much space if I have to tell all the stories about all of my favorite wins.
Every jockey faces tough moments – is there a particular setback or defeat that taught you an important lesson?
Yes, we all go through tough times when things aren’t going our way but I believe that’s what makes you stronger and you have to rise above it and just keep showing up!
Mindset and future goals
What goes through your mind when you are behind the gates before a big Group race? How do you handle the pressure?
For me, I treat the big races the same way I would treat a normal race. I have my routine and I stick to it. I also believe that at the end of the day, the big races are just races and you have to ride them according to the pace of the race and what would benefit your horse best!
What goals are you still chasing in your career, and where do you see yourself in the next five years in racing?
The big races are my main goal; I would like to win as many Grade 1s as I can. My next goal after that would be to ride in Hong Kong. I love the race and the whole setup of it all.
