Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Emotional July day win for De Beer

MICHAEL CLOWER
Mike de Beer’s six-month training career came to an end at Greyville on Saturday and Saluki sent him out in a blaze of glory by winning the Schweppes 2200.
His first Grade winner should have been a cause for celebration but De Beer wasn’t even there. He stayed at home in Cape Town and watched the race on television, his emotions churning.
“The last two months have been a difficult and emotional time for me,” he explained. “I have been in the game since I was 14 – I used to be a jockey – but now I’ve decided to join my wife in her catering business.”
De Beer signified that he has what it takes to train well before Saturday’s big win. In the Woolavington in June Tassie Belle took him a tantalising half length away from Grade 1 glory and his six months with a licence have seen him notch up 14 winners.
Change of plans
The reason that it has all come to an end is that his old boss Basil Marcus, from whom he took over his Milnerton stables at the beginning of February, has found that his aim of using South Africa as a nursery for his Singapore operation is not practical.
Adam Marcus, Basil’s son, who has been looking after the Durban-based horses, explained: “The original plan was to buy 20-30 babies a year here and then send the handy ones to Singapore, but their export and import is not as easy as we thought.
“They have to go into quarantine in Kenilworth and then again in Europe before they can be sent on to Singapore. Also we are having tremendous support out there.
“I am returning to Cape Town on Tuesday to wrap things up and next week I go to Singapore to assist my father and broaden my knowledge.”
Respect for Marcus
Despite being left without a stable – the horses are being dispersed and Saluki joins Stephen Page – De Beer has nothing but respect for the Marcus family, particularly for Adam who has been his assistant.
De Beer said: “Adam has learned a lot from his Dad and he has all the attributes of a man who is going to be a top trainer one day. Indeed he has the whole package.”
De Beer insists that he has no plans to return to the training ranks - or at least he wouldn’t have were it not for the heartstrings persistently tugging at him.
His five-year-old son is already determined to become a jockey and he keeps saying to his father: “Daddy, how am I going to do it if you are not training any horses?”

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