Gavin Lerena (photo: hamishNIVENPhotography)
It was confirmed late last week that South Africa’s 2015 Champion Jockey Gavin Lerena, has secured a stint in the UK.
It is a brave move for the 31-year-old, who will be giving up strong claims to the 2017 SA Champion Jockey title, but he feels it is an important opportunity to develop his career.
Gavin will be based with Charlie Hills at Faringdon Place Stables in Lambourn. Hills expects to give Lerena plenty of opportunities, while many other trainers have expressed an interest in his services. Gavin will be sponsored by Chelsea Thoroughbreds whose principals Richard Morecombe and James Ramsden have been impressed with his riding on the South African circuit. They are delighted to add Lerena’s skills to their rapidly growing syndicate operation and will be supporting him with opportunities on their horses, which are spread across a total of nine different trainers around the country.
“I was really impressed with the winners Gavin rode at Ascot last summer and there’s a real opportunity for him here in the UK at the moment,” said Richard Morecombe. James Ramsden added: “My brother Joey, who trains in Cape Town, couldn’t recommend Gavin to us strongly enough while I saw that talent for myself when he rode at the Shergar Cup last summer.”
Not since former Racing Post editor Graham Rock brought Michael Roberts over in 1991 has a leading South African jockey based himself permanently in the UK, and Lerena is looking forward to the challenge. He enthused: “I’m so excited to get over to the UK and start riding winners there. The Shergar Cup was an experience in itself last summer and I cannot thank Richard and James at Chelsea Thoroughbreds as well as Charlie himself for offering me this wonderful opportunity.”
Lerena was a three-time champion apprentice, amassing 283 winners and breaking a record Roberts had held for three decades. He was also SA Champion Jockey for the 2014/15 seasons. His CV boasts close to 50 South African Graded race successes, including 11 Group 1s. Recent highlights include a Gr1 Sansui Summer Cup double, winning in 2015 and 2016 on the Geoff Woodruff-trained Master Sabina. Other achievements include a record of 42 successes in a single month and he has around total 1,400 career wins.
His international experience includes wins in Hong Kong’s 2015 Longines International Jockeys’ Challenge and Gavin was part of the victorious Rest Of The World Team in Ascot’s 2016 Shergar Cup. He hopes to add further Pattern race triumphs overseas to that portfolio.
Neil Morrice, who brokered the deal and will act as Lerena’s agent and business manager during his stay, commented, “I am going to spend the entire summer in the UK assisting Gavin and I think he has a great opportunity, especially with trainers that train for Chelsea Thoroughbreds. I think Gavin is a world class jockey, and am honoured to help him in this exciting venture.”
Gavin is scheduled to leave for England on Friday and will be joined by his family once he has settled in. We wish him the best of luck.
