Felix Coetzee (born 7 March 1959 in

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

, Natal Province,

Union of South Africa The Union of South Africa ( nl, Unie van Zuid-Afrika; af, Unie van Suid-Afrika; ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape, Natal, Tran ...

) is a South African three-time champion jockey in

thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

. Felix Coetzee is the son of a KwaZulu-Natal trainer and his grandfather was an owner-trainer. As a fifteen-year-old, Felix Coetzee attended the Jockey Academy at Summerveld then served his apprenticeship with his father's racing stable. At age sixteen, he scored his first significant win, riding Kentford to victory in the 1975 Clairwood Winter Handicap. In 1982 he signed on with renowned

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

trainer Terence M. Millard with whom he was associated until his retirement in 1991.

Career

During his career, Felix Coetzee has led all South African jockeys in wins three times and has won numerous important South African races. At

Greyville Racecourse Greyville Racecourse is a Thoroughbred horse race track in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The 2,800 metre pear-shaped turf track consists of several gradient features: it is run uphill from the 2,400 metre mark to the 1,800 ...

, he won the country's premier race, the Rothmans July Handicap three times, and the Gold Cup a record-equaling seven times. Coetzee is also a five-time winner of the J&B Metropolitan Stakes at Kenilworth Racecourse. In 1992, he accepted an offer to ride in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

for trainer Brian Kan Ping-chee. After five successful years, he switched to riding for trainer David Hill and then in 1999 with Tony Cruz with whom he earned numerous Group One wins most notably aboard the three-time World Champion Sprinter, Silent Witness.

References

''The Big Interview'' special feature by Mark Anthony on Felix Coetzee at SAHorseRacing.com
(Retrieved 11 April 2007)

1959 births Living people Afrikaner people South African people of Dutch descent Sportspeople from Durban South African jockeys {{horseracing-bio-stub