South African horse-racing fans will be delighted to see champion jockey Gavin Lerena return to action on 15 November after spending seven weeks on the sidelines through injury.
The Hollywood Racing-retained jockey has been recovering from a fractured foot following an unfortunate accident at the Vaal Racecourse.
The incident happened when his mount, Blunderbore, reared and fell on top of him while walking towards the starting stalls.
Despite the lengthy absence, Lerena remains among South Africa’s top ten jockeys, having recorded 20 winners at a strike rate of 17.1%.
His return comes at an important time in the racing calendar, with the Betway Summer Cup and Cape Summer Festival approaching.
Lerena is also a three-time winner of the prestigious Betway Summer Cup, having claimed victories aboard Dancewiththedevil in 2011, Master Sabina in 2015 and another successful campaign in 2016.
His experience and ability to deliver on major racing occasions could make him an important figure during the upcoming summer racing season.
With some of South Africa’s biggest races approaching, racing fans will be eager to see how quickly the accomplished jockey finds his rhythm again.
