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The Air Mauritius / Beau Rivage International Jockeys Day 2003

Dominique Boeuf takes the Championship

The International Jockeys Challenge was marked this year by the participation of 11 times British Champion Jockey, Pat Eddery, who was to retire after his final competitive rides in Mauritius. With about 4,600 wins, Eddery tasted success in every country he had ridden except at the Champ de Mars, the oldest racecourse in the Southern hemisphere. Eddery’s aim was to score at least one in Mauritius before stepping down.

As the photo nearby shows it, the atmosphere was excellent at Mauritius.

In temperature nearing the 33 degrees celcius, the Champ de Mars attracted an estimated crowd of about 32,000 people. The card promised thrilling races and the entertainment was minutely organised by the Mauritius Turf Club throughout the day. The tenth International Jockeys Day was jointly sponsored by Air Mauritius and Beau Rivage Hotel and 17 overseas jockeys were invited to attend the event. Jeffrey Lloyd, mauritian champion jockey for the second consecutive year, represented South Africa, while Yashin Emamdee was the mauritian representative.

The Mauritius Turf Club invited 9 Young Stars to compete in a Young Star Competition. South African, Marco Van Rensburg, and Nishal Teeha, from Mauritius, finished dead heat in first place with 16 points each. French jockey, Dominique Boeuf, won a double at the close of the day to snatch the title from British jockey, Darryll Holland. Boeuf won a hard fought battle on Atlantic Mist and showed his impressive jockeyship on Moyenne in the final race of the day. 3rd in the French Championship this year, Boeuf who was at his second participation this year in Mauritius, had a pillar to post win on Atlantic Mist. The grey travelled untroubled throughout the race and resisted the 5/2 favourite President Bill ridden by Y. Emamdee to give the Frenchman his first mauritian win. Holland started the day with an impressive finish on Market Research in the second race. In a thrilling finish, Holland just managed to snatch victory from Liszka, ridden by Y. Emamdee. The British Champion Jockey managed a double on Fashion Editor, in the fifth race. Showing great skill and flair, Holland waited patiently for the final straight to quicken his mount. The latter responded admirably and won in comfortable style. Emamdee himself was rewarded for all his hard work with a fantastic win on Boomerang depriving Pat Eddery his much sought win on 10/3 favourite Milad. Despite coming back without a win, Eddery was given a standing ovation by the mauritian public for his outstanding career.

(Yahia Nazroo)

Championship Table