SAM Mosia receives his award for Champion Work Rider from Academy Master James Maree at the Highveld Feature Season Awards last weekend.

Also known as “Oupa”, Sam was one of the first graduates of the Work Riders’ Training Programme. He celebrated his 75th career win at his greatest raceday to date on Saturday at Turffontein on 14 May.

Sam Mosia and James Maree

Mosia rode four winners at the final meeting in the 2015-16 three-fixture Work Riders’ Challenge, and took home a bonus of R25,000 for his efforts on the day: R20,000 for winning the challenge and R5,000 for being the leading rider at the meeting. He also notched a second and a third and his tally for the meeting was 52.

It is not the first time Mosia, who was born on 1 July 1974, has won the Work Riders’ Challenge. He took the bulk of the points in 2010-11 as well. He was the leading rider at the second leg of this season’s challenge on 2 February 2016 as well and ended up with 131 points, more than double the 72 scored by second-placed Francis Semela (winner of Leg 1 when Mosia was joint second).