David Thiselton

THE DOUG CAMPBELL-TRAINED SIYA VUMA WON impressively at Hollywoodbets Greyville last week and it was revealed he was the subject of a rare mix up in the mating shed, which has led to some relatively small-time owners with a dream horse on their hands.

Siya Vuma was bred by Hartley SA, which was owned by a businessman from China named Mr Guo, whose breeding and racing interests in South Africa were looked after by long-time industryman Peter Gibson.

Gibson decided to send Hartley’s broodmare Reigning Queen, a placed horse by King Of Kings, to Mauritzfontein Stud-based stallion Byword.

The mare was brought back to Bruce Le Roux’s Spring Valley stud and gave birth to a big chestnut colt.

Byword was a chestnut himself so he looked to have stamped this one.

However, when the DNA analysis was done at Ondestepoort by Professor Alan Guthrie and his team, they quickly realised the foal could not have been sired by Byword.

Further analysis showed him to have in fact been sired by Ideal World, Mauritzfontein’s high profile and highly sort after stallion.

Mauritzfontein’s then Stud manager Guy Murdoch was contacted and upon checking his records realised there had indeed been a mix up and the mare had been sent by mistake to Ideal World.

Gibson said, “I am internally grateful to Guy Murdoch and Mauritzfontein for honouring the original transaction. It was a fortuitous mix up because Byword has subsequently been retired and Ideal World has continued to produced Group 1 winners. This is one of those stories that makes the dream industry so wonderful to be a part of.”

Hartley SA later had a dispersal of their bloodstock and Gibson and a racing friend of his Jan Scholtz bought the colt. 

They later put him on the CTS Premier Yearling Sale but he did not reach his reserve. 

Earlier, one of Doug Campbell’s owners Preggie Vandayar learnt in an article on Turf Talk that Doug’s greatest dream was to train a July winner. 

Later, when Vandayar’s Campbell-owned horse Eden Gardens Glitz was in the winner’s enclosure for the second time, he made a promise to Campbell that if this horse won a third race, he would buy him that July winner he dreamed of.

Eden Gardens Glitz has gone on to win six races but after the third of those wins Vandayar was true to his word and the search for the “July winner” was on. 

Gibson’s father Ian was one of Campbell’s first owners back in the early 1970s when he was training for gymkhana events, so he has had a long association with the family. 

Campbell mentioned in passing to Peter that he was looking for a “July winner” and shared the story behind it. 

Gibson recommended the big colt. 

Campbell was immediately interested as he had trained Siya Vuma’s talented half-brother Highway Eightyfive, a gelding by Kahal who was ultimately moved up to Johannesburg and won four races in total. 

Campbell also knew Siya Vuma’s maternal grandam Melting well as she had stood at the Somerset Stud of a good friend of his, the late Alan Sutherland.  

When Campbell saw the colt, he was so impressed he agreed to give Gibson and Scholtz three months free keep while he put together a partnership. 

He said, “It did not take long to put the partnership together.” 

Vandayar took the majority share but also gave Campbell a share and after listening to Gibson saying he had “a feeling about this horse” he allowed him and Jan Scholtz to keep a share and to bring Ian Gibson into the partnership as well. 

Nathan Godden, the father of jockey Tristan Godden, who lives across the road from Vandayar, also took a share. 

Vandayar named the horse after a crime-fighting group in the Empangeni-Richards Bay area and divulged that the Zulu name translates to English as “We agree.” 

He explained that during traditional healer consultations the doctor will continually ask the question, “Uyavuma?” and the patients will reply, “Siyavuma (we agree).”

Vandayar had often discussed with friends naming a horse Siya Vuma and when one of the latter, Yaseen Ebrahim, heard a horse had been thus named he asked for a share too, so he and his wife Fozia also became members of the syndicate. 

 All members have embraced the partnership with great enthusiasm and not only have a WhatsApp group but also have a song about Siya Vuma which they sang in the parade ring after his win last Wednesday. 

Gibson said Siya Vuma had always walked beautifully and stood over a lot of ground. When he runs these assets combine into a big action, which had jockey Warren Kennedy most impressed. 

“I think he is smart, he gave me a good feel”, he said after the win. 

Siya Vuma lengthened his big stride at the top of the straight after being taken to the front in the 1400m poly track maiden. For such a big, rangy horse he displayed an excellent kick at the 300m mark to draw clear of the only challenger Red Sole and beat him by 2,80 lengths with the third-placed horse beaten 9,30 lengths. 

The handicappers were impressed and awarded him a 93 merit rating which might give him a tough task if he runs in a handicap next. 

Time will tell but the owners are going to enjoy the ride wherever it takes them.