• The spectacle on the track has historically been matched by the pageants and practisesoff the track, namely the fashion which is equally at the centre of the day.
• Steven Njuguna, Kenya’s first local Champion Jockey and the only Kenyan five timewinner of the Derby dispelled any myth that there is a formula for success or anyadvantages for anyone.
Image: HANDOUT
Not all things are created equal and not all races are made equal. The personification of this truth manifests itself this Sunday at Ngong Racecourse with the 2024 Kenya Derby, the most illustrious and coveted contest in Kenya’s equine calendar.
The significance of the race is not lost on anyone anywhere, especially jockey Lesley Sercombe, a past champion and current contender.
“The Kenya Derby is just one race, but it’s why everyone buys a horse. It’s not just any race, it’s the most important for anyone to win, trainer, jockey, or owner. For those two minutes of racing, if you win, you find glory and go into history forever,” said Sercombe.
Mary Binks, the Director of Racing for the Executive Committee of the Jockey Club of Kenya (JCK) and this season's leading owner echoed the magnitude of the fixture.
“It’s certainly the most valuable and prestigious race for horses in their prime. Horses that win the Kenya Derby almost always go on to win other big races and have great careers,” said Binks.
With the stakes at their greatest and with 244 years of tradition and history playing a role in the race, now known as “the greatest turf event in the world”, there is significant pressure to find what it takes, a way, a recipe, or a blueprint to victory and triumph.
Steven Njuguna, Kenya’s first local champion jockey and the only Kenyan five-time winner of the Derby, dispelled any myth that there is a formula for success or any advantages for anyone.
“With all the experience I have, I think it all comes down to luck. In every race, in any race, you have to know you can win and the timing has to be right. You have to be ready, to take the opportunity, and the horse has to be the right horse for the day, on the day," said Njuguna.
The battle for the title of the best horse in Kenya takes place at 3:55 pm over 2400m. The two main contenders for the Derby, on paper, are Henry Muya riding Deon and Michael Fundi upon Bedford.
Muya, this season’s leading jockey with 14 wins, was fairly relaxed about the weekend’s behemoth.
“I treat it as a normal race though the name is historic. It’s just experience and I don’t panic. All races are the same and the horses know that. It’s all about confidence and I have the confidence at the moment.”
The younger and less experienced but equally competitive Fundi was a little more bullish about his chances.
“Everyone wants to win and everyone thinks they can win. But I think I have the horse to win. I just have to stay calm," he said.
Ollie Gray, the multiple-winning Derby trainer, who has also won as a jockey, has backed his own Arlington to be a contender.
“The track is soft but good and great for racing. Everything is open. You just need a cool head. It’s always been horses who come from behind who win. If they can negotiate the bends and the soft ground and keep a little in reserve, it can happen," said Gray.
Muhindi, touted as the most experienced jockey, was buoyant about his chances.
“I’m always ready. There’s nothing I’m afraid of. It’s just a question of strategy and managing the horse over the distance,” he said.
Historically, the spectacle on the track has been matched by the pageants and practises off it, namely fashion, which is equally at the centre of the day.
Honouring this tradition, some of Kenya’s top models will be patronising couture from local and international designers, adorned and peacocked in scenes that mimic popular culture TV series in what has become Nairobi’s most fashionable Sunday space, with patrons and celebrities travelling from overseas to be a part of the festivities.
It’s here. It’s now. And it’s happening. Racing is in the hands of Kenyans.
The end of the racing is the beginning of the sundowners and afterparty with music from Nairobi’s finest DJs playing long into the evening, making it an unmissable event.