From the academy to the Durban July
Craig Zackey joined the South African Jockey Academy back in 2011, and the climb since has been steady rather than flashy — until it wasn’t. He’s now past 1,170 career wins from well over 11,000 rides, with four Grade 1 victories to his name, the biggest of them aboard The Real Prince in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, South Africa’s most famous race. He’s since taken his talents as far afield as New Zealand, landing a Group 2 there within weeks of arriving. Saturday’s card at Durbanville was a smaller stage, but Zackey made the most of it with two winners from six rides.
A confirmed second start for Aquae Calidae
Aquae Calidae had only raced twice before — a debut win followed by a runner-up effort — and Zackey’s ride on Saturday turned that promising start into a second win from three career starts, exactly the kind of progression a young horse’s connections want to see.
Raffish Trend backs up in style
Raffish Trend had bounced around the placings across nine starts before finding the winner’s circle last time out, and Zackey kept the momentum going by following that up with back-to-back wins — the more meaningful of the two for a horse that had taken a while to find its form.
Two winners, two different stories, and a jockey whose Durban July still gives every ride that little extra shine.
If you’re following today’s Durbanville card, the full racecard and form guide is at cfox.co.za/predictions.
