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Cape Town - With just over two weeks left in the current 2014/15 racing season, it seems that Gavin Lerena should be far enough ahead to be a sure bet for this year’s Champion Jockey of the year title, a feat that Lerena is yet to achieve in his career.
He is 16 points ahead of S’manga Khumalo who is currently on 189 wins in total this season. In third place is Gregory Cheyne.
Lerena, who turned 30 on July 2, comes from a family deeply entrenched in horse racing. His cousin Brandon is a successful jockey and his father Tex Lerena was once the chairperson of the South African Jockey’s Association and a jockey himself.
Racing. It's a Rush officially acknowledged Lerena at Turffontein last weekend for setting a new South African record for riding the most winners within one calendar month, 42 winners for the month of June.
He is donating R500 for every winner he rides until the end of the season to the Horse Care Unit in each particular racing jurisdiction where he wins, a gesture that is also being matched by others within in the sport.
Donations are desperately needed by this organisation that assists with the welfare of working horses and donkeys, providing care, re-homing and assistance which can cost over R1 000 per month to keep just one horse.
The Champion Jockey of the Year will be announced at the annual Equus Awards being held on August 11.
