Ride of the Month: Oswald Noach

The fourth in our series of the most eye-catching ride by a Cape-based jockey each month. We ask former Cape Town 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 (September): Oswald Noach – Princess Of Bayeux

With the weather turning my job is getting a little more difficult – but I love it! We had fewer than seven completed meetings through the entire July and August combined due to the Cape winter, but in September we managed to get in six full meetings.

Now that October is here, things will ramp up and we can all enjoy what’s coming up.

We managed to see 54 races at Hollywoodbets Durbanville in the month and it was a good period for Luyolo Mxothwa and Grant van Niekerk who both enjoyed nine winners. In total we had 15 different jockeys win races, and I’m going to take you through the pick, culminating in my Ride of the Month.

There’s no ranking order to my other mentions – they are what caught my eye through the month!

On the 3 September, JP van der Merwe won the opener with Groovejet, but he had to work hard all the way and was also carried out during the race. He rode rather well to win. The same day Anthony Andrews won on Fly To Rio. He was the only jockey to go to the outside fence, with the whole field going to the inside and he ended up winning from a clever tactical ride.

On the 7th, Oswald Noach was back on Naushon for a sixth time so he knows him quite well. He takes a specific ride and Ossie gave him a good one, switching him in and making up the ground to get past Mohandas.

On the 14th, Richard Fourie won the “lucky last” on Radicchio. He brought him to the outside fence with only one other runner and that was smart, as the third horse finished six lengths back.

It was good to see Rachel Venniker in town and her win on Ozark on the 21st was the result of a very clever, patient ride. She couldn’t get a run but was patient and held Ozark and then got the gelding up. The race after that Mpume Mjoka also showed admirable patience when he couldn’t get a run on Ischyro and he had to switch once or twice. He eventually got a gap and got up.

The next race meeting was a week later and Anthony Andrews won the first on Terminator. He was riding him for the fourth time but this time got his horse to settle and when everyone went to the outside rail, he went down the inside and Terminator kept going gamely.  In the sixth race, Sean Veale won on the 100-1 outsider Devil A Saint. Something happened with the bit in the race and he changed tactics, letting the horse strode out. He won really well and that was a good ride.

But in picking my Ride Of The Month I’m going back to the 14th. And as was the case in May, I’m giving it to Oswald Noach. He changed tactics on Princess Of Bayeux and sat just off the pace. In the straight he and Grant (Van Niekerk) on Among The Clouds went hammer-and-tong for the last 300m and I think the fittest jockey that day won the race.

MJ’s previous rides of the month

May: Oswald Noach – Little Miss Pink

June: Craig Zackey – Green Isle

August: Corne Orffer – Master Redoute