David Thiselton

DO IT AGAIN will be making his second attempt at winning a record three Vodacom Durban July’s this year, 70 years after Milesia Pride was unlucky in his bid to win the big race for a third time.

The colours Milesia Pride wore to victory in 1949 and 1950 are still in use today and are registered by his owner JT Amery’s great-grandson Rob Kershaw.

A dream came true for Rob in March 2013, when Milesia Pride’s colours were carried to victory at Kenilworth by the Shane Humby-trained Queen Of Diamonds.

Today the colours are carried by the promising Humby-trained Jay Peg filly Star Act, who has won two of her three starts.  

Kershaw is indebted to Gavin Almanza for the fun he is enjoying with Star Act and said, “Gavin said he had never known anybody as enthusiastic about racehorse ownership. He thus offered me a share in Star Act and I am really grateful.”

Almanza also allowed the filly to run in Rob’s colours.

Rob has always been a lucky owner and before that momentous victory in March 2013 had enjoyed 23 wins, most of them trained by Herman Brown Snr.

However, Queen Of Diamonds was the first winner he had running in the colours he had worn as a six-year-old child when pretending to be a jockey and racing his brother around the garden.

He recalled, “I was often picked up by my great grandfather and taken to see the horses at Newmarket Stables in Durban. My mother made me a replica jersey of his racing colours, red with green sleeves and a quartered cap.’’

Amery had predicted that Milesia Pride would win the country’s most prestigious race three times in succession. Sadly, he passed away before the second win, and the horse then raced for his late estate. However, his prediction nearly came true.

Kershaw related, “I was told later by jockey Basil Lewis that had he not been interfered with in 1951 in the early stages, meaning he had to come from the tail of the field, he could have won.’’ Milesia Pride started favourite for the first time that year and finished seventh, two lengths adrift.

Amery’s colours were initially taken over by his grandson, Sonny. Upon Sonny’s passing in 1975 they were inherited by his son Brian. However, in roundabout 2005 Rob received a phone call from Brian, his second cousin, telling him he was giving up racing and would he like to take over the colours.

“I didn’t hesitate,’’ said Rob.

He continued, “I retired to Cape Town in 2010 and met Shane Humby at Kenilworth. Shane arranged for me to lease Queen of Diamonds with four other partners. Thanks to Shane, my biggest dream finally came true 63 years after I had worn the famous colours as a child.’’

Kershaw recalled, “My mother in later years told me that my great grandfather used to look forward to taking me to the stables because my love of horses reminded him of himself.’’

History looked like repeating itself as Rob’s grandson Caydin was at the races the day Queen Of Diamonds won and the bug seemed to have bitten. However, Caydin inherited the family’s sporting genes and is now focused on soccer. Rob’s brother Dave Kershaw was a legendary Durban City player who also played for South Africa.

JT Amery was in fact the last full share owner to win the July two years in succession before Chris van Niekerk emulated this feat in 2012 and 2013.

Fred Murray holds the record in this regard having been the full share owner of all four of the successive July winners he trained from 1910 to 1913, Sir Caulin, Nobleman, Lombard and Caged Bird.

Alec and the honourable Gillian Foster have a chance to emulate Amery and Van Niekerk this year as they are full shareholders of Belgarion.

Racing historian Jay August unearthed a number of fascinating facts about Milesia Pride in his blog The South African Racehorse.

Milesia Pride, at 39 months, is the second youngest horse to win the July, the only younger one being two-year-old Nobleman.

In official terms he was six months younger than his three-year-old contemporaries as he was bred in Ireland.  

He would have been one of only four to have run in the July five times had he not missed the 1952 edition through injury.

He surpassed the great Lenin as the highest earner in South African racing history in July 1950. He equalled the July race record of 2 min 10 seconds for 2100m in 1949, giving jockey Harold “Tiger” Wright a then record third July.

His sire Montrose was the first horse to sire the winner of four July’s and the first to sire three individual winners – Monteith (1944), Monasteraven (1948) and Milesia Pride. Montrose, in 1950, became the only non-resident sire to head the South African General Sires List.  

Milesia Pride was foaled late in April 1946 and sold at the 1947 Dublin Horse Show, He was subsequently sold to J.T. Amery of Natal for £1150. The 86-year-old Amery had harboured the desire to win the July for near fifty years but had managed just one third place in 1918 with a horse named Draughtsman and two unplaced efforts in 1916 and 1945.

Milesia Pride arrived by boat in Cape Town in November 1947 and acclimatised in Mooi River before being transferred to the yard of Jim Morrison.

Unraced foreign bred horses were not permitted to enter any race other than a Top Division event at the time.

Milesia Pride was in actual fact still a two-year-old on debut in November 1948 and ran unplaced in his first four starts.

He then snuck a fourth placed finish before running second in the King’s Cup.

He earned his July berth next time out with an easy win in a fast time.