straight. All races at Hollywoodbets Greyville are run around the turn – and Rachel needed to earn her stripes first. Talking to the Sporting Post after the announcement of the final field at the Hollywoodbets headquarters in Umhlanga on Tuesday, Rachel was clearly over the moon. “I am so very excited! This is such an honour and a privilege. I cannot thank Mr Joey Soma and the owners enough. Some guys wait years and years for an opportunity like this. Here I am as a newbie, and I get the call-up. It feels surreal!” Rachel, who hails from
a dynasty of showjumping champions headed by her Dad Brett and has been riding since the age of 4, competed in the show arena, and rode work on racehorses from the age of 14. She is loathe to harp on the past and the obstacles she faced to realise her dream. But her reference to surreal is squarely appropriate given the fact that she was still riding in workrider events in 2021! After a meeting with her parents, the respected veterans Michael Roberts, Garth Puller and Kevin Wright made a presentation to the riding masters of the SA Jockey Academy, who had rejected her previous applications. “All’s well that ends well. And sometimes the doors that slammed
shut and the challenges in life build character. This career didn’t land in my lap. So I value my every day experience twice as much, and am more determined than ever to succeed.” Now sponsored by Jonsson Workwear, things really are looking up for Rachel, who only enjoyed her maiden Grade 1 race experience just weeks ago. She rode Crown Towers in her sponsor’s silks in the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge on 11 June. A chance meeting with veteran trainer Joey Soma at Summerveld, led to her doing a bit of work on Red Saxon.
Chase Liebenberg Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in Red Saxon’s trainer Joey Soma gives the young apprentice a golden opportunity
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