the next head ache for the fast asleep nhra

but sascoc and phum are big buddies they sponsor triple crown...we need phindi on board quickly she cant do worse than the current clowns in charge

l

the funny thing will be

richard hughes will wear the GB colours





and he is IRISH

Much ado about nothing I say .... just tip me a farking winner {belch}

"THE `craic’ (fun), as the Irish jockeys would call it, is about to begin again and the newswires are starting to rattle in the lead-up to the annual Avis Coach Charter International Jockeys’ Challenge, in which six top South African riders will lock “bridles” with a mega-star cast of overseas jockeys in a total of eight races at both Turffontein and Greyville.

This event, now in its 5th year and growing from strength to strength is currently the only international horseracing event in South Africa. Staged by the Racing Association in conjunction with racing and betting companies Phumelela and Gold Circle will be held over two race meetings – the first leg will be at Turffontein in Johannesburg on Friday, 16th November and the action moves to Gold Circle’s Durban flagship racecourse, Greyville on Sunday, 18th November.

The local team, who will again be awarded their Protea colours for their participation following negotiations between the South African Jockeys Association’s Tex Lerena and the South African Equestrian Association, took the honours at the first three International Jockeys Challenges but lost out to the International Team last year. The South Africans, who will be captained by current champion Anton Marcus, will be going all-out to reclaim the trophy.

Marcus will have a fine band of men to help him achieve that goal with his team including former South African and Mauritian champion Jeff Lloyd, who will be jetting in from Australia to don his Protea colours at the two meetings. The other team members are Gavin Lerena, who so narrowly missed winning his first premiership last season by one race, former SA champion Piere Strydom, internationally renowned Anthony Delpech and Muzi Yeni (who won the Victor Ludorum at the first leg last year), with S’Manga Khumalo penned in as the reserve.

The South African team will definitely not have everything their own way, with the likes of Richard Hughes on the opposing team. The hot streak of form he has maintained this year continued at Windsor on Monday night when his seven winners equalled Frankie Dettori’s record and virtually secured him the UK jockeys’ premiership for 2012.

Hughes was the leading point-scorer on the International side last year and is no stranger to riding in South Africa. He will lead a brilliant team that includes fellow Irishmen – Jimmy Fortune, Tom Queally, Jamie Spencer and Seamie Heffernan. Brazilian Joao Moreira, who is set to win the Singapore jockeys’ title again, gives the team a more international flavour.

Racing Association CEO Larry Wainstein, is thrilled with the quality of riders who will participate in this year’s Challenge.

“It’s amazing that we’ve been able to put together such a hot International team to defend the title,’’ he said. “There are only two changes from last year – Seamie Heffernan and Joao Moreira replace Olivier Peslier and Andrasch Starke in the side.

“Moreira is a coup. He’s coming from Singapore where he is a phenomenon and rides two to three winners a meeting on a regular basis. The same can be said about Richard Hughes, who is probably going to be the UK’s champion jockey this year, and Tom Queally, who has been Frankel’s regular partner.’’

He is as excited about the Protea team, particularly the inclusion of Jeff Lloyd, “who has been a great ambassador for South African racing’’ since he left our shores to ply his trade in Australia and Hong Kong in 2007.

The Irish jockeys will be flown to South Africa via Cairo by Egypt Air, while accommodation will be provided by Emperors Palace in Johannesburg and Fairmount Zimbali Resort in Durban. The international jockeys will spend the last three days of their trip at Sun City.

Extract from the press release clearly says that local jockey's will receive their national Protea colours......:S

Do you think Lloyd deserves to be in this team?

l

...if things were being done properly in racing then it would not be in such a mess..:....and again after the debacle about silks and rules being broken etc of yesteryear one would have thought that Larry&Co had finally got their ducks in a row....especially when there is a legal eagle with a sharper than sharp eye watching every move... shame poor guy...the international racing challenge is a good concept and good for the game...but not doing it properly...is a crying shame!!!

gregbucks Wrote:

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> Do you think Lloyd deserves to be in this team?


Good man but wasn't born and doesn't live in SA.............Oh fark the detail..............lol

bear in mind i was the biggest lloyd fan,but imo he should not be in the team.he chose to leave our shores,so they should hv given his place to a derserving local jock.plenty that comes to mind,but thats just the way it is.

Your getting too excited about "our team" and making a big thing out of 12 R60k handicaps imo

I like the challenge but it`s only a bit o fun that larry and co like to get over excited about...

j