RETIREMENT OF SOUTH AFRICAN CHAMPION

By Sarah Whitelaw
                      2 May 20023 May 2002

Michael Roberts studies the Bloodhorse whilst
weighing in at Kenilworth, Cape Town

Michael Roberts, or “Muis” Roberts, has retired from race riding. The 11 times champion jockey in South Africa and once in Britain has called it a day a few months after a horrific fall at Wolverhampton.
Just 36 winners short of 4,000 winners, Roberts has ridden many great horses both at home and in Britain. 
The horse he calls the best he has sat on was the mighty Mtoto, dual Eclipse winner (the first to do so) and winner of the King George VII And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes. The best filly was 5 time group 1 winner Indian Skimmer, whose wins included the Prix de Diane and both English and Irish Champion Stakes. Sledgehammer was the best he rode in South Africa and the son of Stunning provided many triumphs including two Queens Plates as well as the J &B Met.

Other top horses partnered by Roberts include Bold Tropic, Wolf Power and Gatecrasher in South Africa. He won his only Rothmans July on the David Ferraris horse, Super Quality. He rode some of the top horses in the UK such as  Barathea, Opera House and his only English classic winners Intrepidity and Mystiko, the later for Clive Brittain for whom he rode regularly. He also partnered the new South African stallion, Wolfhound, when the Nureyev colt won the Ladbroke Sprint Cup defeating Horse of the Year, Lochsong. He also rode 500-1 shot Terimon to finish second in Nashwan’s Derby and Lando to win the 1995 Japan Cup.