3 March 2008
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Nairobi — RECENTLY, WHEN TOM TOM Fraser, one of the premier Ngong racecourse commentators, invested in some fine young two-year-old fillies for his wife Gilly to train at their Naivasha farm, they did not have any particular rider in mind.
And with no contracted stable jockey, they contacted Nico, a presenter in Johannesburg to suggest a candidate. He recommended Timothy Pretorius, 21, and the Frasers approved.
Pretorius flew to Nairobi from South Africa for the Guineas on January 13. In the Classic race, he came in third, riding Motion Picture behind dead-heaters African Storm and Sound Whisper. In another race on Pirates Coup, he was beaten to second place by Olympic Spirit.
This quick adaptation to Ngong ensured Pretorius was an instant hit. Fraser re-engaged him and he came back to Kenya for the Fillies Guineas on February 17.
Again riding Motion Picture, Pretorius did not have a good race and the horse gave up after being harassed by other horses who boxed her in repeatedly. He came in fourth behind Pirates Coup, Kamari and Bronzewing.
The young rider is currently in his final year as an apprentice in Johannesburg and will become a fully fledged professional upon completion. Any monies accruing from prize money and riding fees go into a trust fund, which he occasionally raids when the need arises, as when he needed to buy a sports car recently.
Apart from his father being a bookmaker, the family had no previous connection with horses but Pretorius always had an intuition that horses would "frame" his life.
Brothers Nicholas and Oliver are not the night build to be jockeys either; says Pretorius, "I was the lucky one. My ambition to ride materialised on account of naturally being small. Timothy enlisted at the South African Jockeys Academy where he passed his Metric examinations, in between learning the ropes of racing.
With a twinkle in his eye and an easygoing charm, the rider recalls some of his narrow escapes.
"A horse once ran amok and carried me straight onto an embankment after a long haul. I fell at full speed. I suffered a concussion and some serious injuries that required three months recuperation. I had to have my spine reshaped through intense physiotherapy, but I still get spasms."
In another incident, he had problems in the starting stalls when the horse he was on reared and flipped over. He banged his head on the gates and suffered another concussion.
Pretorius believes some horses get claustrophobic when they are delayed in the starting stalls.
They then break through by force, flip, go down on their knees or just refuse to move.
Pretorious races every Thursday in Kimberley and the Northern Cape on Mondays. This is why he rushes off after riding at Ngong. He said, "Horses are stockier and have more advanced breeding in South Africa than in Kenya. Pirates Coup might be able to compete in weaker fields there. Jargon, from Ken Coogan's yard, has already managed five strikes."
KIMBERLEY IS A TRACK OF river sand that allows horses to move much faster. It is far kinder to the feet and spindly thoroughbred legs. Six days a week, Pretorius works between 25-30 horses.
This is a concentrated five hours, necessitating early mornings.
Pretorius has a steady companion, Tanita, who is a daughter of course farrier and veterinary officer Big Chief, aka Henry. In South Africa, owners Michael Azzie, Fred Warren and Roy Maggler regularly employ Pretorius as a freelancer in Johannesburg. Not being tied to any particular stable, he manages to ride for the Frasers in Kenya on demand.
Pretorius will be returning to the Ngong racecourse for the Kenya Derby in April. It has not been confirmed which horses he will be riding.
"This time round I will be accompanied by Tanita," he said. "We intend to visit the Masai Mara, Tsavo and Mombasa. I am extremely grateful for the hospitality of Paul and Maggie Walker who house me in Nairobi," he concluded.
"Tanita has been my steady companion for one a half years. We live together with Henry, his wife Beverly, sister Deandra, cat and dog.
They love riding horses, but not racing per se. Tanita encourages me no end."
Sundays he will chill with Tanita at the movies, or, watching cricket and rugby. Occasionally, there are Sunday race meetings.
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