whipping boy
It was during a night meeting at Greyville in Durban, four months ago, that horse racing seemed to go through the looking glass into the realm of the absurd. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, until jockey Andrew Fortune stepped into the footlights with his own brand of tragicomedy.
Fortune’s mount, a smart-looking three-year-old called Monastery, was supported like the very best of good things. Even as the odds plunged, money continued to pour on to the horse until he jumped at a prohibitive 3-10. Fortune paraded his ride with much gesturing and thumbs-up to those watching on Tellytrack and at Greyville.
In the race Fortune kept Monastery some way back before taking him to the front on the rail in the short Greyville straight as the field fanned out for the run home. The plan was coming together.
Then things started to fall apart. Still Mr Entertainment, the jockey took one hand off the rein, the better to make a show of congratulating his mount. Monastery, unbalanced, shifted to the centre of the track, losing lengths but still passing the post first. Unfortunately, no one could miss that he had obstructed about four runners in his unexpected cross-course dash.
Having virtually ensured the red-hot favourite’s disqualification, Fortune left punters aghast at his next stunt: even before the objection hooter sounded he blithely confided to the shocked Tellytrack interviewer and the watching world his low opinion of the intelligence of the stewards who would rule on the case. They were so dumb, he said, they’d probably rule in his favour. Well, of course they didn’t. Monastery, clearly superior to his rivals, was placed fifth.
Another rider, representing the jockeys’ association, was moved to dissociate his organisation from Fortune’s sentiments.
Monastery and Fortune resurfaced in February, horse fresh from a six-week lay-off and jockey calmed by suspension and a stiff fine. The strange thing was that the clearly disturbed jockey was allowed near the horse again, and these doubts were confirmed when they were embroiled in yet another objection. This time, though, Monastery was promoted to first after finishing second.
Monastery’s connections, their nerves understandably shot, engaged the less flamboyant Nicholas Shearer. When Monastery recorded his fourth win from his last six starts this month, Mad Andy was nowhere in sight.
Shearer accompanies Monastery up to Turffontein, Johannesburg, on Saturday for the Grade Two Mondi Sprint. It’s the gelding’s toughest test to date, but memories of the crazy December night when the money rained on to him indicates the opinions his connections have of him. Expect a high-class run. Sleek Marvel (race 3) and Mike de Kock’s star-bound Velvet Green (race 9) look like other good bets. At Kenilworth, Cape Town, Norinco (race 5) and Top Slot (race 8) should pay to follow. At Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, on Sunday, Kelly (race 3) looks good, as do the lightning-fast Pillar to Post (race 6), Zaba Star (race 8) and Dancing (race 9).