Ride Of The Month: Gavin Lerena

The eighth in our popular series of the most eye-catching ride by a Cape-based jockey each month. We ask former Cape Met-winning rider and renowned jockey MJ Byleveld, now a member of Cape Racing’s on-course commentary team, for his verdict.

Ride Of The Month (January): Gavin Lerena – Rascova

We saw some top-nothing racing through January, and although we were short of midweek meetings we had enough quality stacked into the start of 2025 to make it a memorable month. Richard Fourie had the most winners, with eight, while all of JP van der Merwe, Aldo Domeyer, Craig Zackey and Gavin Lerena booted home five winners. 

The two cherries on the cake – the L’Ormarins Kings Plate and the WSB Cape Town Met – were picked off by Lerena and Fourie and both of their rides in winning those Grade 1 races goes into my book as candidates for Ride of the Month for January.

Lerena had done well when winning in One Stripe to win the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas in December, when his mount was hanging out and he straightened him, and in the King’s Plate he rode another good race. He put him in the right place and when he saw a gap he put him in there, knowing One Stripe would fight like his dad One World did.

Fourie’s best ride came when winning the Met on Eight On Eighteen. He was on the youngest horse in the race and had to work hard on him, before he responded so well and came through down the inside rail.

Sean Veale also caught my eye when he won on King’s Plate day with Rascallion. He was forced to fight hard and ride vigorously to see off Magic Verse by a short head, so that goes onto my list, as does Lerena again, for his ride on Meu Capitano.

The strongly-fancied Snow Pilot had gone off as usual, but Lerena was patient on Meu Capitano who is a proven sprinter going the 1400m for the first time. He gave him a chance to quicken and he did so in style.

But for me Gavin’s best ride came on Met day when he and Fourie were involved in a ding-dong battle to the line in the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes. They really threw everything at each other and it was brilliant to watch and that stood out for me this month.

MJ’s past rides of the month

June: Oswald Noach – Little Miss Pink

July: Craig Zackey – Green Isle

August: Corne Orffer – Master Redoute

September: Oswald Noach – Princess Of Bayeux

October: Richard Fourie – King Viserys

November: Gavin Lerena – World Of Pleasure

December: Chad Little – Azzurri