Lady Christine Laidlaw

Lady Laidlaw, who races some horses in Europe, entered the South African racing scene in 2008 under the Khaya Stables banner when purchasing the subsequent dual Guineas winner Noordhoek Flyer at the Emperors Palace National Yearling Sales and selected Cape trainer Dean Kannemeyer to take care of his future.

Since then, through her local racing manager Jean Malherbe of Form Bloodstock, she has invested in a number of horses and has had considerable success in Graded races including the Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July and the Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and has won the Guineas both in the Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

She buys horses on a regular basis and according to Kannemeyer, normally runs a stable of about 10 selectively chosen quality horses.

Lady Laidlaw spends her summers in the Cape and last year made her first and only visit to Durban where she was on hand to lead in her Vodacom Durban July winner, Power King.

During the past month Khaya Stables runners won five races in KwaZulu-Natal operating out of the Kannemeyer satellite yard at Summerveld, an achievement well worth the monthly award.

Well done Lady Laidlaw

MRS SABINE PLATTNER

A great lover of the horse and former competitor in various equine disciplines, Mrs Plattner ventured into racehorse ownership about 20 years ago with a few Cape trainers before setting up her own training centre with a personal trainer at George in the Eastern Cape.

She has enjoyed success at many levels in racing including wins in about 20 Grade 1 events. She now has about 100 horses in training of which about 30 are two-year-olds with trainer Andre Nel in charge of their racing preparation.

Mrs Plattner operates her stud with the purpose of producing 20 to 25 “viable” foals every year, a policy that has produced considerable success.

During the month Mrs Plattner’s horses won four races in KwaZulu-Natal which, according to Andre Nel, has boosted the viability of the stable’s private centre at Summerveld.

Mrs Plattner has invested large amounts in South African racing and has produced many top horses from her breeding establishment.

Well done Mrs Plattner

BRIAN “BUFFALO BILL” BURNARD

A charismatic professional hunter, an owner and breeder of buffalo and a somewhat addicted buyer of thoroughbreds, Brian has, in a few years, increased his stable of horses to “about” 60 and has enjoyed considerable success with a number of graded race victories – including two Grade 1 events – and a fourth place in the Vodacom Durban July.
“Racing is a wonderful sport and becomes like heroin. It is a tough game but you become a glutton for punishment and – it’s like my arm become very light at the sales,” he joked. He has just bought another four horses in Australia and is extremely excited about his group of young horses, some of which “are really showing something.”
From the very beginning he has been with the Gavin van Zyl stable with Gavin’s son Gareth, under the guidance of his father, now completely responsible for training all Brian’s horses.
And where did the “Buffalo Bill” tag come from?
“It was at the first sale I went to, the farm sale at Summerhill Stud where I bought four horses including No Worries. Chatting to Mick Goss at dinner the evening before he learned of my background and the next day at the sale he called me Buffalo Bill and it has just gone on from there.”
Brian enjoyed success with three of his runners during the month – Night Shadow, Pioneer Spirit and Kileigh – and for his outstanding support of racing he is a worthy winner of the monthly award.

Well done Brian.

TERRY REILLY & SHERWIN JERRIER

It’s a great thing when a plan comes together but even greater when two friends come together in a joint venture that brings success.

Terry and Sherwin, mutual friends for about 10 years, have both loved the sport of racing all their lives and while their friendship was very relaxed when sharing a beer after work, when it came to racing their horses on the track it became a little more competitive.

Fanatical about his racing, Terry has loved the sport all his life and ventured into ownership way back in 1992 with a few trainers before joining the Dennis Bosch stable 15 years ago. About eight years ago Sherman joined the stable and both had their success.

“But our horses kept bumping each other in races and eventually we decided to consolidate and teamed up as partners,” Terry said.

Sherwin’s love of racing stemmed from his school days when accompanying his father to the tote to lay his bets. He fell in love with racing and the excitement around the Vodacom Durban July enhanced the interest.

On a trip to the J&B Met Terry convinced him to invest in his first horse, Peter Piper, and he joined Terry as a patron of the Bosch stable with their horses often competing against each other.

As partners Terry and Sherwin have about 22 horses and have enjoyed almost as many winners including the four they had during January.

From friendly rivals to successful partners – a wonderful racing story.

Well done Terry and Sherwin and may the winners continue.

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.