By Julieanne Horsman
When Keagan Latham moved to Australia he was on the verge of walking away from racing, but an act of love unlocked the most successful chapter of his career.
In racing circles Keagan Latham is affectionately known as the “King of Kembla”. With seven jockey premierships to his name, Latham has set a benchmark his peers have struggled to match. It wasn’t an easy or smooth accession to the throne through. He had to overcome several humps that almost unseated him.
Born into a sport-loving but non-horsey family in Durban, South Africa, Latham didn’t consider jockeying as a profession until he was about 14.
“I was the smallest in the cricket, rugby, and football teams and people would often tell me I had the perfect physique to be a jockey,” Latham said.
“I had no idea what it would entail but I could not see myself in an office job, so I went for an interview at the South African Jockey Academy, they measured me up, I met the criteria, and they accepted me. I actually had my first sit on a horse at the academy.”
The world-renowned program is intense. It’s 100% residential and takes five years to complete. Apprentice jockeys ride, train, eat, and study under the watchful eye of expert coaches.
It was at the academy that Latham linked up with South African Hall of Fame Trainer Mike de Kock, who would become instrumental in his development. He rode work for him most mornings and was rewarded with regular race rides.
“When you’re with an elite trainer it gives you the right opportunities and helps catapult your career,” Latham said. “It would be similar to being apprenticed to Chris Waller here. Mike shaped my career and I’m still in touch with him and his son Mathew.”
Success came quickly and it kept coming. Latham won the KwaZulu-Natal Jockey Premiership for the 2006/2007 season and was subsequently given the opportunity to ride in the United Arab Emirates.
“I was also riding for Herman Brown Junior and he, like Mike de Kock, had a string in Dubai and asked if I would like to go there and be his second rider,” Latham said. “Ryan Moore was his first rider, fresh from his first English Jockey Premiership.”
Latham rode his first Group 1 winner in Abu Dhabi, piloting Dynamite to victory in the 2008 HH President’s Cup. Fellow jockey Johnny Murtagh then helped facilitate Latham’s move to Ireland. There he forged a prolific partnership with trainer Ger Lyons, while also riding in stakes races for the likes of Dermott Weld, Aiden O’Brien, and Johnny Oxx.
After four years Latham headed home to South Africa, but his impressive career had started veering off course. Like many professional athletes who achieve success at a young age, Latham found the pull of the VIP party scene hard to resist. He was drinking too much and not taking proper care of his body and his weight began to creep up.
Despite a short stint in Mauritius where he claimed another Group 1 aboard Tales Of Bravery in the AfrAsia Bank Barbe Cup, Latham wasn’t consistently riding winners. His savings ran out and he was forced to sell his home because he couldn’t make the repayments anymore. He was at his lowest point when another jockey gave him a wake-up call at the races.
“He said to me ‘you are one of the biggest wastes of talent we have seen in the past few years’” Latham said. “I went home that evening and cried. He was right. I took my career for granted.”
Latham moved to England for a fresh start but struggled to break into the highly competitive jurisdiction. Extensive travel to low grade meetings providing little earnings, the rides dried up, and his confidence continued to fall. He also hated the cold. Latham stopped short of saying he was depressed but concedes he was in a low place. He told his then girlfriend (now wife) Nancy he wanted to quit but she encouraged a change of scenery before giving up. Although they had only been together for a year, she suggested the leave the English winter behind for sunny and warm Australia.
“It was very selfless of her,” Latham said. “It would have been easier for her to say, ‘you’re not the man for me’ and walk away.”
Latham secured a trackwork riding role for Gai Waterhouse before he touched down in Sydney. That’s all he intended on doing to try and fall in love with the game again but his longtime family friends, Glyn and Chad Schofield, convinced him to get his jockey license and give race riding another go.
Latham’s first win down under came on his first day back at the races. It was 11th March 2017 and he guided Savapinski to a debut triumph at Newcastle for Gai Waterhouse.
Slowly but surely, he rebuilt the career he was once so passionate about.
“It was persistence,” he said. “You chip away and ride winners. The more you win, the more people gravitate towards you and your confidence grows.”
Revered Kembla Grange trainer, the late Gwenda Markwell, played a pivotal role in helping Keagan establish himself in NSW and became one of his most important backers. She was impressed by his riding style, appreciated the feedback he provided, and spoke highly of him to other trainers. Her endorsement opened doors and Latham took every chance.
Seven Kembla Grange Jockey Premierships in the past eight years followed. Four months on the sideline recovering from serious injuries sustained in a race fall at Hawkesbury denied him the 2021/2022 Premiership, but he worked hard to bounce back in time to ride Eleven Eleven in the $1million Listed Magic Millions Cup on the Gold Coast in January 2022.
Now based at Richmond with Nancy and their children, Latham considers Australia home and has set himself a goal of riding 100 winners this season.
“I don’t necessarily set a target of winning premierships, rather I aim to ride as many winners as I can for the people who have faith in me.”
He also has another Kembla Grange milestone in high sights, and it’s not winning The Gong.
“Retired jockey Rodney Quinn was known as the King of Kembla and he won eight premierships,” Latham said. “He was winding me up the other day saying I can’t have the title until I have won more premierships than him, so now he has a target on his back.”