Newly crowned Cape Jockey of the Year Greg Cheyne also finished third on the National Jockeys log rankings for 2014/2015. This is a fine season -ending achievement, behind new champion Gavin Lerena and former winner S’Manga Khumalo, but ahead of legendary hoops Piere Strydom and Anthony Delpech.
Years ago, Cheyne was more of a journeyman jock, having his fair share of winners without threatening at the top echelon of the sport. But he has always worked hard and smart – even gaining valuable experience riding in the Far East. Since his return to South Africa, Cheyne’s career has lifted. Key to the clever jock’s resurgence is his astute tactical grasp and the professional manner in which he maximises his race-riding skills. He is not the strongest in the finish by any stretch of the imagination, but gets the job done through other more subtle methods.
Cheyne is a strategic thinker, “There are a lot more variables riding here than in the East. 90% of the time it’s the same in the East but here I always take the conditions into account – with wind and exceptionally wet going things can pan out quite differently. I study form closely and carefully plan races beforehand. Plus, I have a good sense of how the race should be run and am willing to adapt quickly if it is not unfolding that way.” Indeed, Greg believes that adaptability is an attribute that distinguishes the better SA jockeys.
He stresses the fitness of the horse as a crucial factor when deciding how best to ride it. Cheyne rides plenty of work and knows the well-being and peculiar quirks of his mounts. If primed and ready to rock then he will be more aggressive on them, sometimes making decisive mid-race moves to seize control of the race. He explains how he finesses those in weaker physical shape around the track, “If the fitness is slightly suspect, it may be hard to sustain a strong pace on front-runners whilst off pace closers need to be carefully conserved without getting too far out of their ground.”
Fine judgement is required, and whilst he never mechanically counts down the tempo, he has an instinctive feel for pace on different surfaces. He is deadly in partnership with trainer Alan Greeff in PE, and has plenty of experience riding the Poly track there. The serious- minded rider shows great clarity when discussing riding strategy. “Fairview Poly is a fantastic racing surface which rarely shows a bias. Sometimes though, when it’s slightly heavier it can be hard for horses to sustain a run or make up ground. Also, the temperature and moisture level can have an effect on how best to prep these surfaces and that influences racing tactics.”
Proud as Cheyne is entitled to be after such an excellent season, he remains grounded in his outlook. “You can’t just measure performance solely on results. I rather try to give my mounts the best ride possible and not worry about the outcomes. There are many variables completely out of my control, so I simply try do everything that I can do – exactly right.” This focus on performance and controllable factors, rather than getting hang up over results, has served Cheyne well and conforms to accepted sports psychology wisdom.
One of the most industrious around – only Lerena, Khumalo and Muzi Yeni rode more often last season, Cheyne has a solid record. His 974 mounts yielded 156 winners at a strike rate of 16%. With a neat place percentage of 60%, he brought in R11.6 million in stakes from his round- the -country adventures. He has a long association with supportive conditioners such as Glen Kotzen and Greeff, and is motivated to keep building his career by riding for trainers nation-wide. Meanwhile, bettors can follow the in-form Cheyne with some confidence – knowing he places horses in the right positions, typically carries out smooth, balanced rides and is currently competing at the peak of his canny powers.