ALESH NAIDOO

Owner Alesh, who has an almost life-long association with racing, is a man with an apparent midas touch with punting and ownership involvement that has made him one of the biggest and most successful men in the industry in KwaZulu-Natal.

His love for horses dates back to being a punter “in my schoolboy days” and seven years ago he bought the horse Mentor which was trained for him by Weiho Marwing. Mentor won seven races for him including the Hawaii Stakes and the Post Merchants.

“I retired Mentor and went back to punting and three years ago with the money made from punting I started buying horses. I now have between 75 and 80 horses with trainers in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, the Cape and Kimberley and have had more than 100 winners.

“I have invested a lot and I am going to investor more to have some more fun,” he said.

His exciting young horse Exit Here has drawn pole position for the forthcoming Million Dollar race in Cape Town.

Well done Alesh and may your good fortune continue.

MARIO FERREIRA

For a man who has “not yet been bitten by the racing bug”, Gauteng businessman Mario has invested heavily in the sport in the two years since being talked into becoming a racehorse owner and currently has “60 or 70” horses which he races throughout the country in various stables.

During the month three of his horses won in KwaZulu-Natal, two from the yard of Dennis Bosch, contributing to his 41 winners to date.

His string is managed by Des Gonsalves who has been in racing for more than 40 years and who said the coming year could be even more rewarding for Mario who has purchased a number of yearlings to add to his stock.

Well done Mario.

GEOFF PERKINS

A second bite at the sport of horseracing has put a smile on the face of owner Geoff Perkins who has enjoyed considerable success since becoming an owner about three years ago.

As a young man he worked as assistant to trained Gary Rich but in his early twenties he moved to other interests and is now involved in property development. But because of his love of animals in general and the thoroughbred in particular, he was persuaded about three years ago to become involved in the filly Lady Carter that won three races for him.

“Lady Carter was my first horse and she won in her first race for me.”

Geoff did not have the most winners in the month but achieved what few can only dream about – three maiden winners including the Ideal World filly Free State that won on her first visit to the race track.

Now involved with about 20 horses spread among a number of trainers, Geoff has had about 15 winners in his short spell as an owner and is looking forward to many more.

Well done Geoff.

ROY MOODLEY

His passion for the sport of racing has made him one of the leading and most successful thoroughbred owners in the country with hundreds of winners since embarking on his favourite pastime in 1994.

As one of the biggest owners in the country with more than 100 horses carrying his colours, he has enjoyed a high degree of success and during this month had six winners in the province. They were Roy’s Guardian, Royal Colours, Roy’s Gul Gul Ha, Roy’s Doctor, Royal Kaitrina and Roy’s Strike Force.

His breeding operation in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands has produced many of his winners and with such dedication to the sport of horseracing his success is well deserved.

Well done Roy.

MARKUS JOOSTE

The Gold Circle Owner Award for the month has been bestowed on Markus Jooste

There has never been an owner in the history of South African racing that has played such a dominant role in the sport as Markus Jooste has with his massive string or horses spread across training yards in virtually every racing region in the country.

His generosity in supporting a variety of stables with high-class thoroughbreds is unique and his enormous investment in racing and breeding has added a new dimension to the industry in the quality of racing and breeding stock.

Racing mainly in partnership with his wife Ingrid, they have been the leading owners in the country for some years and they have more than deserved the success they have enjoyed.

In the past month Markus was involved in five winners in the province – Night Trip in his own colours, Exit Here, and Rabada, Brutal Force and Stormy Eclipse in partnership with Ingrid.

His involvement and support of racing in South Africa is greatly appreciated by all and his success in the past month worthy of the award.

Well done Markus.

BILL LAMBERT

The Gold Circle Owner Award for the month has been bestowed on Bill Lambert

There is no man in South African racing who displays his love and passion for racing more than Gold Circle’s Ambassador for Racing Bill Lambert, a man who has been involved in the sport for 67 years and for who winning the Grade 2 Umkhomazi Stakes with King’s Knight was as exciting as if he had won the Vodacom Durban July.

“I’m riding on a rainbow” is how Bill described his current feeling about life on being named the owner of the month, a typical attitude of the man who after winning the race commented of his jockey Sean Cormack that he was “like a big chocolate and I could eat him all up.”

Never one to stifle his feelings, when another of his horses William Of Wembley won his response was that he was so excited he could “explode like a trick cigar.”
Bill has given his life to community service and racing and became involved in the sport when his father Frank Lambert gave him a filly called Aromatic for his 21st birthday that ran seven seconds before winning then never won another race.

Bill was a steward at Scottsville – then the Pietermaritzburg Turf Club – for many years and when the three KwaZulu-Natal clubs joined forces to form Gold Circle Racing, he was the first Chairman of the new organisation.

“Racing is my passion,” says Bill who has served the industry with distinction and, to all with a love of the thoroughbred and the sport that has been evident for many years.

Well done Bill.

CHRIS GERBER

The Gold Circle Owner of the Month Award has been bestowed on Chris Gerber
For Chris racing has been “a sickness inflicted on my family”, a love for racing that was sown by his father Mickey Gerber during the 70’s and 80’s and which he has “taken to another level.”
Since embarking on his own journey in the sport in 1995, he has increased his stake substantially being also involved in the administration of racing on the Highveld and in breeding at his Moutonshoek Stud in the Cape.
His investment in horses he says is “more than enough” and his successes are in excess of 200 including victory twice in the Summer Cup, in the Derby and other feature events.
During June Chris had three winners in KwaZulu-Natal with Kingmambo’s Legacy, Bezanova and Euphoria and as a serious member of the racing world, many more can be expected.

Well done Chris.

BRAAM VAN HYSSTEEN

Braam, the founder and award winning boss of the highly successful Cape-based company Tekkie Town, is an extraordinary man who has built his racing string in a similar way to how he built his business, starting small and growing quickly to be one of the biggest thoroughbred owners in the country with 130 horses in 22 stables throughout the industry.

In the relatively short time as an owner, he has had “well past” the 100 winner and had his best month in March with 20 winners – four in KwaZulu-Natal – and 15 places from 54 races. The best horse he has owned was Grey Cossack that won the Grade 2 Gold Vase while Western Movie won seven races for him.

He embarked on his racing ownership path when taking a 50% share with his horse-loving daughter Bianca in Young Caesour in 2009 and thereafter began building a very impressive string with a number of partners, taking the inevitable bad with the good, but enjoying it all.

He has a lot of fun with his racing and says the successes are very special, particularly when they are unexpected. Racing is his “down time” from work and he enjoys racing with his friends and introducing new people to the sport.

And what of his philosophy on life? “The best thing is, if you have had a bad day, tomorrow’s always a new start and you have something to look forward to all over again.”

Well done Braam.

BRETT VAN LAUN

Brett van Laun is Gold Circle’s Owner of the Month for February with two winners. Brett has an interest in many horses but his two winners came with Pure Valor for Lowan Denysschen and Desroches for Greg and Karen Anthony.

Brett has a long history in racing stretching back to the famous Dell family in Colesburg in the Karoo before his family moved to the KZN Midlands where his father set up Carmague Stud. After the untimely death of his father, his mother Carol, carried on but eventually sold up.

Brett still breeds and has mares with Jill Fox and Ken Tort. Desroches is one of his home breds.

Brett has high hopes for Pure Valor, a Dynasty colt bought off the National Yearling sales and a half-brother to the useful Mauritian performer Dustan who finished second to Futura on Met day two years ago. Pure Valor won his maiden very well at Greyville after running into all sorts of traffic from a wide draw and looks to have a lot of potential.

A staunch supporter of racing, Gold Circle wishes Brett great success in the future.