MICHAEL LEAF

The Gold Circle Owner Award for the month of May has been bestowed on Michael Leaf.

For Michael racing has been a life-long experience having grown up in a racing family but his venture into racehorse ownership came 20 year ago when he received a call from a friend in 1993 telling him he was half owner of the horse Castleford that also gave him his first winner, ridden by Piere Strydom at 14-1.

Since then he has become seriously involved and now has a string of 40 horses in training with a number of trainers around the country. His first graded race winner – and he has had many – was Queen’s Command that won the Flamboyant Stakes at Greyville on New Year’s Day in 2011.

Racehorse ownership is not easy but through the “blood, sweat and tears” of racing he battled on “like most owners” for the love of the sport and has amassed more than 100 winners to date including three during May for which he was named owner of the month.

His best horse to date has been the unlucky winner of the Vodacom Durban July last year, Wylie Hall, which was first past the post but relegated to second on an objection. “It was one of those things that you get in racing but you learn to live with it and we are looking forward to see him running in the July this year.”

Well done Michael.