To describe him as “The Quiet Achiever” wouldn’t do Lyle Hewitson justice. Not at all.
At the past two race meetings, the young South African Jockey has ridden five winners including a “three peat” at Happy Valley last night including two second placings and going home with the Jockeys Challenge. It’s an understatement to say that it was quite a night.
What’s rarely mentioned is that Lyle Hewitson was involved in that horror fall during the International Sprint on December 12 at Shatin that saw four jockeys hit the ground.
It didn’t look good for anyone, especially for Lyle, who fractured a pelvis, was laid up in hospital recuperating only to return “home” to Hong Kong’s “racing bubble”. Whoopee?
The mental fortitude to ride through those hurdles and pain barriers and put them behind him says much about the rider. Especially about embracing positivity and self confidence.
It was always about looking ahead and returning to race riding. It was never about feeling sorry for himself.
Whether by choice or circumstance, and just as a top class batsman in cricket might try to get his eye in during a match, it was not doing anything rash, but looking at having a long innings at the crease.
With, as what happened the season before, his main support system has been Douglas Whyte.
The legendary South African jockey who’s won thirteen successive Hong Kong Jockey Championships and intuitively knows to separate the wheat from the chaff, took his young countryman under his wing, and knew what runners would suit him best.
Last night, Lyle Hewitson, fuelled by self confidence, gave faultless front riding displays to win aboard Whyte’s Valiant Elegance and Xponential and Trainer Ricky Yiu’s World Famous.
In Hong Kong, there’s always a need to throw that net far and wide. Success is contagious and it’s always good to have a multi layered support system.
Douglas Whyte, meanwhile, trained a treble of his own with the very talented Matthew Chadwick, going through a Renaissance period of his own, riding his other winner.
Rarely have we met someone in horse racing more determined to succeed than the Durban Demon.
The man absolutely thrives on it- just as much as he enjoys wearing pink jackets and adding his own gangsta fashion flair to every racing night.
Last night, I was wondering if Joe Pesci was at Happy Valley. It’s how Douglas rolls and that’s fine with me. And Joe Pesci.
As for Lyle Hewitson, he has a lot going for him other than being a talented and popular young rider with a fan base in Japan where he’s ridden with success and back home.
He’s focused, he’s disciplined, loyal, well mannered and only a fool would take his genuine politeness and niceness for naivety.
He’s mature beyond his years and is intelligent enough to see fact from fiction.
He’s what they call the “real deal”.
Now, if only he could sing.
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