LESLIE LOGAN

The Gold Circle Owner Award for the month has been bestowed on Leslie Logan

For Leslie, a Gold Circle member, racehorse ownership was a whirlwind experience, beginning about two years ago when he was encouraged by a friend to take a share in one horse and rocketing to a situation that today sees him involved in a string of 33 horses with nine trainers around the country.

The growth of his stable was passion-driven as an entertainment outlet. “It was not about making money, it was all about having fun. I own most of the horses myself but there are a few that I have with partners although I always ensure I have 51% to maintain control.”

To date Leslie has had 19 winners but has yet to enjoy his racing heart’s premier desire which is to win a graded race. Hopefully, things will change and his R6-million investment in horses over the past two years will be rewarded with a big race win during the coming South Africa’s Champion Season – and why not the Vodacom Durban July?

Here’s hoping and well Done Leslie

Mario Ferreira

The Gold Circle Owner Award for the month for December 2017 has been bestowed on Mario Ferreira. Receiving the award on behalf of Mario Ferreira is Des Gonsalves. An invitation to attend a major sale “four or five years ago” was the beginning of a search – that has become a passion – to obtain or breed “the ultimate racehorse” and the development of a stable of “40 or 50” thoroughbreds that have brought Mario 103 winners.

As the passion and the number of horses have grown over the years, Mario has spread his wings among the trainer community with a number of conditioners caring for his horses and he has become involved to a greater degree in the breeding side of the industry.

With a volume of evidence showing that great horses are not always the progeny of great stallions or mares, “there is always the chance of breeding the ultimate racehorse – it has become a dream.”

Well done Mario!

K & K SYNDICATE

The Gold Circle Owner Award for the month has been bestowed on the K & K Syndicate.

The syndicate was established some years back by long-time owner Shakthi Bunwarie for his daughters Kanchaal and Kajal, the latter sadly having since passed away in 2003. Mr Bunwarie, who is also involved in the breeding of horses, has many horses and also manages the racing affairs of the K & K Syndicate.

Kanchaal, now Mrs Mahabeer, said with her father’s long time involvement in racing they had grown up around horses, visiting the stables and the stud farm and meeting the trainers and jockeys. Racing was in their blood and she regularly goes to the course especially the Vodacom Durban July and when the meetings are in Pietermaritzburg where she lives.

“I have not been much this year as I have a new baby who is just six months old.”

She said they have had a good number of winners including four during November and added that the family would like to extend its gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to the jockeys and trainers.

“We are grateful to the talented jockeys for taking our horses to the finish so skilfully and the trainers who work daily to ensure they are well taken care of and trained to excellence.”

Well done Kanchaal

MR O’NEIL SYNDICATE

It is said that one man’s loss could lead to another’s gain and that is how the successful Mr O’Neil Syndicate was established after a group of friends enjoyed one of their regular lunches with Cape trainer Dean Kannemeyer whenever he was in Durban.

Making up the syndicate are colour holder Ryan Botsis, Ettiene van der Westhuizen of “Kid Colt” fame of years gone by, Garry Citron, Chris Gerber, Sean Phillips, Warren Eisele and his wife Annie – a happy group that have since added a young Visionaire colt to their “stable”.

Warren, the retired former racing Judge in KwaZulu-Natal whose “stint” in the judges box totalled 52 years, said that at the lunch Dean told them the sale on Mr O’Neil had fallen through and suggested the group of friends might want to get involved. “We got together and formed the syndicate and bought Mr O’Neil for R120 000.

“Well, he has won six races for us and close to R500 000 and was unlucky in both the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup at Greyville and the Track & Ball Derby at Scottsville. Dean has said that if he stays sound he will feature in the July season next year and could have the eLan Gold Cup as one of his missions.

“You know, owning a racehorse is all about having fun and Mr O’Neil has given us plenty of that.”

Well done team

Team G Racing Syndicate

The Gold Circle Owner Award for the month of August has been bestowed on the Team G Racing Syndicate – nominee G H van Zyl

The syndicate was established about six years ago by trainer Gavin van Zyl to enable racing enthusiasts to become involved in the sport as owners without having to outlay large sums of money. It was an immediate success and at one stage had about 120 members.

Explaining the motivation behind the venture, Gavin said it was a vehicle to introduce new blood into racing. “It was to show that one did not have to be a millionaire to become involved as an owner and that the ordinary man in the street could enjoy the excitement and privileges of an owner and, apart from the fun of it, possibly make some money”.

The most positive result of the syndicate, he says, is that many former syndicate members have gone on to take out their own colours and become owners in their own right, racing horses in partnerships or in their own colours.

“It has been very successful and the syndicate has had more than 100 winners,” Gavin said.

During the month Team G Racing enjoyed three winners and looks forward to many more.

Well done Team G

TRINISHA PILLAY

The Gold Circle Owner Award for the month has been bestowed on Miss Trinisha (Trini) Pillay

Daughter of well-known racehorse owner Manie Pillay, it was inevitable that his passion for racing would influence his family and after Manie became an owner the family became more involved and would attend race meetings, particularly on the Friday night meetings at Greyville, which were seen as family outings.

Trini’s interest and passion for horses and racing grew and two years ago she became an owner in her own right. Her first horse, Trini’s Colateral, was named after her by her father and went on to win a race for her on the biggest day of the year, Vodacom Durban July Day in 2015.

She is now the proud owner of “six or seven” horses and two of them – Diamond In The Sky and Sorceress – gave her a double when both won at Scottsville on July 9.

Now an avid supporter of the sport, we wish Trini many more winners.

Well done Trini

MARY LILEY

Having been in racing since 1960 and owned some of the really great horses to race in this country, Mary is one of the “grand dames” of South African racing whose passion for the sport is as strong as ever.

“I married into racing,” she said, and after the death of her first husband, the late Herman Brown – father of leading South African trainer Herman Brown senior and grandfather of Herman Brown junior now training overseas – she married the late John Liley who had been involved in jump racing in New Zealand.

They bought New Zealand horses to race in South Africa including great horses like Bold Monarch, Sun Monarch and the horse she believed was the best she ever owned, Be Noble.

After John died Mary sold off her breeding mares and with Tony Rivalland as her trainer continued racing her horses. “I am still racing and still buying horses and still enjoying it” Mary quipped and, as it seems, still having success.

During the month, four of her horses won five races on the polytrack at Greyville which was an outstanding single-month achievement for an owner.

Well done Mary

Thabo Mhlongo

This is a racing fairytale if ever there was one with a first-time owner having a winner with the first horse he has owned in its very first race.

Thabo Mhlongo was a farmer in the Midlands where he became friends with popular owner-breeder Rob Smith who farmed in the same area – a friendship which developed to the point where Rob eventually talked Thabo into buying a racehorse that he had bred – Ishnana.

At Scottsville on March 1 under Mandla Ntuli for Garth Puller, the two-year-old Al Miqdaam colt proved too good for his opposition to win by half a length completing the fairytale.

“Rob was my neighbour when I started farming and he was very helpful, teaching me how to farm properly. He’s a wonderful human.

“It is very exciting and has united the whole family. They are all very excited and we visit Ishnana at the stables as a family, talking to him and reminding him that we remember him as a baby.

“This horse is a start and I hope to have three or four by the time I retire in the next few years.”

Congratulations and well done Thabo.

HESTER KUHN

With hubby Heinrich seriously involved and having so much enjoyment with the racehorses he owns, housewife and mother of young children Hester eventually decided, about four years ago, to “jump on the bandwagon” and join Heinrich and his brother as a racehorse owner – a move that in February saw three of her runners make it to the winner’s enclosure at Scottsville and Greyville.

Currently involved in about 20 horses, Hester has found the racing experience to be intriguing and the interaction with the horses very therapeutic. She has always loved animals and now accompanies Heinrich at times to the stables on a Saturday morning.

“You know how things are with all the daily challenges you face running a home and taking care of the children and there are occasions when, on the way to the stables, you don’t really feel like going – there are too many things on your mind.

“But I love to go into the boxes with the horses and interact with them and no matter how up tight I was when I arrived, after spending time with the animals I come away feeling so relaxed that I would just like to go to sleep.”

With their home in Cape Town, Hester and Heinrich have horses in the Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng and visit Durban regularly in January and July and on other occasions when their horses are competing.

Hester is fascinated by the intrigue of the sport where one never knows just how things are going to develop. “You can have the best horse, the best jockey and the best conditions but it doesn’t mean you are going to win.”

But sometimes you do, so well done Hester and may you have many more winners.

ALESH NAIDOO

Racing stables around the country are benefitting from the generosity and sportsmanship of one of KwaZulu-Natal’s most successful racehorse owners who believes in spreading his support among a number of trainers.

In fact, runners bearing the famous blue, red and white colours of Alesh’s Fire Racing Trust team can be seen lighting up the tracks in KwaZulu-Natal, the Cape, Gauteng and Kimberley.

For Alesh racing is a passion that goes back to his schoolboy days “as a punter”, a “pastime” in which he has done extremely well and which financed his entry into his very successful role as an owner of about 80 horses. It is all about having fun for Alesh and sharing that fun with others and the large investment he has made in the industry in the past eight years has been rewarded with more than 100 winners.

During January his horses again performed well and three of them found their way into the winner’s enclosure – Rockefeller and Roman Emperor at Greyville and Sabre Charge at Scottsville.

Well done Alesh, your attitude and contribution to racing is applauded and may your good fortune continue.