KUMARAN “KOM” NAIDOO

The Gold Circle Trainer Award for the month has been awarded to Kom Naidoo

It is tough out there in the highly competitive and expensive sport where one has to rely on the support of others to prove one’s ability and establish a competitive operation. Many have tried and failed to make the grade but with some loyal support that allowed him to prove his talent, Kom has grown in strength to become a competitive unit since his small beginning with 10 horses back in 2006.

During this month Kom had 31 runners of which six found the winner’s enclosure and seven others finished in the first four allowing his supporters to make a profit of just on R30 had they wagered a R1 win bet on each of his runners.

Well deserved and well done Kom.

GARTH PULLER

The Gold Circle Trainer Award for the month has been bestowed on Garth Puller

All competitive sports have their heroes and racing is no exception with South Africa producing some of the best trainers, jockeys and horses in the world. Although not having performed on the international stage, racing fans will place Garth as one of the best riders South Africa produced.

Garth is one of the few jockeys that have made a successful transition to training and that is undoubtedly because from the time he was a young rider he had an affinity with the thoroughbred and developed a style of riding that required a virtual intimate knowledge of the characteristics and abilities of his mounts.

He gave his rides a chance and so often produced them at the right time for victory – and who can forget his incredible win in the then Rothmans July on Over The Air after losing many kilos to ride the weight.

It is that incredible knowledge and experience that has contributed to Garth finding himself at the top of the trainer log in KwaZulu-Natal this month and a worthy recipient of the award.

Well done Garth!

MJ ODENDAAL

One of the most popular jockeys in South Africa during his riding career, MJ finally decided to give his much-battered body a rest and switch from riding to training them. During the month under review and 15 years after being the champion jockey of South Africa, he saddled and sent out his very first winner as a trainer.

Many tributes about his dedication to doing his best for his trainer and owners which over the years saw him undergoing 24 operations after accidents resulting in about 19 broken bones, as well as his friendliness as a jockey have poured in, supported by goodwill wishes for his training career which will be echoed around the country. A colourful character, his presence on the country’s racecourses as a trainer will add to the general enjoyment of the sport.

Well done MJ and welcome back to racing.

GLEN KOTZEN

The Gold Circle Trainer Award for the month of June has been awarded to Glen Kotzen.

At this time of the year it is difficult to isolate individuals for honours because of the high standard of performances all round and, having recorded the highest stake earnings in the month on which the trainer log is based, Mike de Kock would undoubtedly deserve the accolade.

However, like Mike with Hawwaam, Glen has had to deal with a problem horse in Eyes Wide Open and has managed to return the colt back to his earlier top-class ability to run fourth in the Vodacom Durban July. In addition, while Mike fielded 15 runners in the month for three winners and seven places, Glen has also kept his stable turning over for his patrons and sent out 36 runners of which seven found the winner’s enclosure and another 11 earned a dividend for their owners.

Gold Circle congratulates both trainers for their performances and recognises others like Justin Snaith, Sean Tarry and Dennis Drier that have kept the overall standard of racing at the highest level, but we single out Glen for his excellent contribution to racing during the month.

Well done Glen.

SEAN TARRY

The Gold Circle Trainer Award for the month has been bestowed on Sean Tarry

Handling the possessions of others that place their trust in you, particularly when those possessions cost many thousands and even millions of rands, is not a job for the faint hearted particularly when those possessions are involved in dangerous circumstances on a regular basis.

Sean has proven that he and his team are among the best in South Africa operating with a professionalism that has brought great success for himself and more importantly, for his patrons.

The Tarry team’s focus is geared to South Africa’s major race meetings around the country and it came up trumps at the recent Tsogo Sun Sprint meeting at Scottsville where he narrowly missed making history by winning all four of the Grade 1 races that formed the official Jackpot. His runner was beaten by a narrow margin in the first leg but those in the next three won extremely well, a feat in itself that had not been done before.

An outstanding performance that is worthy of the monthly award.

Well done Sean.

GLEN KOTZEN

The Gold Circle Trainer Award for the month has been bestowed on Glen Kotzen.

Thinking as a youngster that he may become a priest, Glen’s career path changed somewhat as he grew older and thereafter included an application to the Jockey Academy to become a jockey which was thwarted by weight and an apprenticeship which saw him qualify as an electrician. Blowing all the lights in the house short-circuited that employment path and he moved back to the “family business” of horseracing. Indeed, that move has proven the right one and Glen has become one of the top conditioners in the country operating from his private training centre in the Cape and a Summerveld satellite yard and, in anyone’s language, doing very well.

During the month horses from his stable won five races from 27 runners, equaling the 18% winner percentage of leading KwaZulu-Natal trainer Dennis Drier who topped the list with six winners from 32 runners.

With another seven place finishers giving him a 45% win-place record, runners from this yard are likely to feature well during the season and should be closely considered.

Well done Glen.­

TONY RIVALLAND

The Gold Circle Trainer Award for the month has been bestowed on Tony Rivalland

Involved in various aspects of the racing scene in KwaZulu-Natal over the years, Tony has operated his racing stable in the province for many years and can claim to having successfully trained one of the country’s great and most famous sprinters, the legendary Senor Santa, for the first part of the speedster’s career.

Many winners have emerged from his yard over the years including a number for one of the legendary owners in the region, Mrs Mary Liley, who continues to support the yard and whose horses were among the seven winners Tony enjoyed from 22 runners during the month finishing in second position on the log to the eight winners saddled by Dennis Drier.

With a relatively small operation, Tony’s success is worthy of the monthly award.

Well done Tony!

DENNIS DRIER

The Gold Circle Trainer Award for the month has been bestowed on Dennis Drier

One of the senior trainers in KwaZulu-Natal and indeed in South Africa having taken out his licence back in 1977, Dennis has been champion trainer in his province many times and continues to produce winners for his patrons.

This month he and Louis Goosen topped the trainer table in terms of races won and the yards of Garth Puller, Brett Crawford and Mark Dixon were right there making it a close finish at the top of the table.

That being the case, Dennis just edged his competitors with a near 30% winning strike rate and that being while he was also still involved with his annual campaign in the Cape. His loyal supporters would also have had a good month with a R1 win bet on each of his 17 runners giving a total return of R43.40.

Well done Dennis

LOUIS GOOSEN

The Gold Circle Trainer Award for the month has been bestowed on Louis Goosen.

With racing deeply embedded in his DNA, Ashburton trainer Louis Goosen has been turning out the winners on the Highveld and in recent times in KwaZulu-Natal for many years. With a strong following in the sport he enjoyed an excellent month to start the year by winning twice as many races than any other yard.

The son of one of the leading former trainers in the Eastern Cape, the late Danie Goosen that became a multiple champion trainer in Port Elizabeth after weight problems cut short his riding career, Louis led 10 horses into the winner’s enclosure in January with another 11 of his runners making the frame.

Louis trained in Gauteng for some years before moving to Ashburton, learning much along the way from top trainers including the “sprinter king”, the late Buddy Maroon, and his brother-in-law jockey Piere Strydom, and rates taking care of owners as one of the most important aspects in racing.

Well done Louis!

ANDRE NEL

Taking over as private trainer to a famous stable like that of Sabine Plattner where top trainers like Chris Snaith and Brett Crawford had previously operated with success is a major challenge but Andre Nel had considerable experience behind him to approach it with considerable enthusiasm.

As former assistant trainer to Crawford operating the top stable’s satellite yard at Summerveld as well as considerable experience in stud management here and in England, Andre showed the talent that has seen him earn his new position as the key man for Platter Racing in the Cape which also operates a yard in KwaZulu-Natal which is run very efficiently by former jockey Byron Forster.

Nephew of former top trainer Willie Pieters, Andre has almost a life-long association with horses and under his oversight his horses shouldered their way between those of the province’s two top stables, those of Duncan Howells and Dennis Drier, with the three yards each recording seven wins for the month.

An excellent effort from a satellite yard that is worthy of the monthly award.

Well done Andre