WHAT ARE SA JOCKS DOING WRONG ON THE ISLAND???

The performance of SA jocks, controversy and early cancellation of contracts has been very interesting to watch over the last 18 months.

There has been no formal report or story on the goings on which leaves much to speculation.

Do the SA jocks refuse to follow race instructions?
Do they not pitch to ride work?
Are their riding skills so poor that yards just end their contracts early?
Do they miss home so much that they lose their drive?

It is not just SA jocks. Jockeys get hired and fired here all the time no matter where you from.
Firstly you have to ride to instructions here otherwise face a big fine or suspension.
You have to be at work a minimum of 4 mornings a week (Saturday and Sunday the track is closed)
Top jocks from SA and other countries have ridden here this season and been booted (Pierre jumps to mind)
The lifestyle is good here, riding track work 4x a week and racing once a week. Its a beautiful place to live and I personally never got homesick but I cant talk for others.

The problem in Mauritius is there is massive gambling and when things dont go well the 1st persons head to roll is the jockeys. SA jocks are not the only ones who have their contracts ended prematurely although its fair to say they never had a good season in the axing department this season.

Champion jockeys like Jeff LLoyd and Robbie Fradd have done excellently well on the Island!!

maybe some of the jocks are too young and inexperienced to travel- Strydom had great stats there I recall-Personally I think far too many young jocks are leaving SA too soon and have not honed their skills properly regardless of the Grade 1 success they may have had in SA - I realize that as a youngster you might think that Racing in SA might have limited legs but I do think that there may be a culture shock for many of our young riders who are not accustomed to foreign conditions - I recall a young rider that continually got baulked on the inside of the Vaal track .. took him years to work that out yet this kid probably thinks he's good enough to ride internationally ....

One thing that is unanimous among our jockeys that race in Mauritius and Hong Kong is the obligatory " things are very strict here " comment when asked about the difference between their new homes and SA. This clearly begs the question why things are so relaxed here.

The reason is not hard to find. Poor race control, and an even poorer individual that heads that department up. That position requires a solid backbone. When I think of some of the legends that went before Dr. Jeckyll, individuals like Jock Sproule and Frank McGrath, it becomes quite clear why we have the problems that we have.

Denicious Smith has rode in quite a few countries, from the Middle East to even New Zealand, I think.

At the moment, he is currently in Australia if I am not mistaken. His work ethic must be really good for him to be travelling so much and not miss home.

What ever happened to Kevin Derere. Was quite a good youngster but now in Zimbabwe. Read somewhere he could not even afford Medical Aid when supposed to ride in South Africa a couple months ago. Wasted talent.

....too many jocks are short of proper mentorship and coaching.....they earn too much too quickly instead learning about the many pitfalls in the profession.....if guided and coached correctly they will have longer and more successful careers.....instead they get too clever and greedy and are soft targets for unscrupulous shenanigans.....Keven Derere is just one such prime example......:ohmy:

.....and Robbie Fradd is no shining example.....he may be hugely successful but has been tarnished by his exploits in Hong Kong....:whistle: