By Charl Pretorius
DUBAI-based apprentice Ahmed Ajtebi (24), who has spent the last three months riding in South Africa, will be returning to the UAE next week.
Ajtebi, who was sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Trust, booted home six winners and 20 places, including two winners, Baracara and Escandinavo, for Mike de Kock’s stable, and says he is brimming with confidence after his spell riding in Gauteng, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Bloemfontein.
Ajtebi hails from a prominent Dubai family, and interestingly was much involved in camel racing for his family in the early part of his career.
He tells us: ``I have ridden in over 3000 camel races and I have won plenty of them. But the maximum weight for camel riders is 25kg, so when I got too heavy I became an apprentice jockey for thoroughbreds. I weigh 48kg now.’’
Apprentices in Dubai may claim 4kg until they have ridden 10 winners, 2,5kg after 20 winners and 1,5kg once they have ridden between 50-70 winners, after which they are granted full jockeys licences.
Ajtebi started his training with John Oxx in Ireland and also had a stint in Australia. He is currently indentured to trainer Ali Al Rae, who, like Mike de Kock, is based at the Grandstand Stable Complex in Dubai.
Ajtebi still competes in endurance races in Dubai – a popular sport keenly contested by Sheik Mohammed and his family, and says he has won two of them. ``Some of these races stretch across 100km of desert. Afterwards you can’t walk for three days!’’
During his stay in South Africa, Ajtebi was hosted by the Jockeys Academy in Gauteng where riding master Robert Moore took him under his wing.
Moore comments: ``Ahmed has a professional approach and he was willing to learn and listen. He often rode on the horse simulator and we changed his style by taking him back to the basics. He rode ``too far forward’’, in the wrong position, and we fixed that. Now, he needs to work on the use of his whip.’’
Ajtebi responds: ``I am thankful for the help I was given here, especially by Mike de Kock and Mr. Moore. I also had a lot of support from other trainers, my fellow apprentices and the senior jockeys, among whom I have great respect for guys like Mark Khan and Weichong Marwing, who are world class riders. I believe that my new skills will help me a lot on my return to Dubai.’’
Ajtebi rates Escandinavo, a runway winner at the Vaal on Thursday, the best horse he sat on in South Africa and says: ``I think he can win a small feature and I have asked Mr. De Kock to ride him if he gets a low weight. I hope to return to your beautiful country. I enjoyed my stay here!’’