The lady trainers are making a huge impact on horse racing in Nelson Mandela Bay this season.
A look at the trainers’ log, for the most winners in the season, reveals that there are three ladies in the top six. Sharon Kotzen is in third, Kelly Mitchley is fourth and Tara Laing occupies sixth.
Kotzen is just one winner away from her 50th winner for the season and the chances are good she will reach this milestone at Friday’s meeting on the Fairview Polytrack.
Zietsman Oosthuizen (26) is in fifth and Tara Laing is in sixth position.
South Africa hasn’t been producing many female jockeys but in the training ranks, especially in Gqeberha, it is a different story.
The East Cape trainers’ title will once again go to either Gavin Smith or Alan Greeff when the season comes to a close, at the end of July.
These two have dominated the title race for decades, and coming to the end of this season only three winners separate them.
Smith, the defending champion, is leading with 109 winners and Greeff is on 106. Smith has been in front all season, but the Greeff stable is now within striking distance.
There are only nine meetings left.
Richard Fourie (85 winners) is way clear of the other jockeys and will be crowned the East Cape champion at the end of the season.
There was good news for the former Pearson High pupil, Kyle Strydom, over the weekend.
The 21-year-old, campaigning in the United Kingdom since May, received official word that he is now a fully-fledged jockey.
In the rest of the country’s racing is also going into overdrive, building up to Africa’s biggest race day, the Hollywoodbets Durban-July, on July 1.
Fairview in June
16: Poly
23: Turf
26: Poly
30: Turf – Breeders Stakes
