14 minute read
Delport Family’s Love Of Horses
NATHAN’S GEARING UP!
Gauteng owner Nathan Delport was mentored into horseracing by his two Grandfathers, who he concedes were both sick for the game. Reading Computaform instead of a Geography text book at school laid the foundation for a love of racing. Today Nathan is a proud owner and is living a childhood dream.
When Opera Glass bounded home at 25-1 under the promising Siyanda Sosibo to break the Vaal course record for the 2400m last Thursday, part owner Nathan was over the moon. His Dad Pieter, younger brother Ryan and sister Shay are also partners, together with the trainer’s wife Julia and Tommy Shawe.
The Listed Spook Express winner had registered 145,70 secs on a course that was clearly running fast.
“We are so proud. What a lovely achievement by our trainer Stevie Moffatt. We aren’t under any false illusions, and we are not saying exactly that the record was ‘smashed’, as the horse that ran fourth had the record beaten by a few split seconds,too! But it’s also good to see the small trainers like Heinrich van der Westhuizen getting up for second beaten only a short head.”
Nathan may have been talking more emotionally than he ordinarily would – his partner Rochelle happens to be former ‘Oom’ Nic Claasen assistant Van der Westhuizen’s
daughter!
“The small trainers are the game’s bread and butter. They are the backbone. Without them we have a few powerful rich people taking turns against each other. The small guys need all the exposure and backing, as they are keeping this game alive. I get excited when a small yard wins. I really do. It shows the game is fairly healthy, even though we have multiple challenges.”
Looking back at how it all started, Nathan recalls being intrigued by a Computaform at school. “One of my Lebanese friends in class was always reading it. He also somehow always had money for the tuckshop. I took the lead from him, and it probably helped having the game in my genes already!” says the 31 year old, a partner in the family business Delport Gearboxes, which is located near the Turffontein Racecourse.
He was chatting to the Sporting Post earlier this week as he wondered what the answers are to get people into the sport today and reminisced about how his two late ‘Oupas’ set him up to love the game. “Jimmy Thomas Volschenk ran Boeties Plumbing. He was a legend in the South of Johannesburg Weichong Marwing was one of his customers and when the champion jockey won here on Wolf Power he gave my Grandpa his crop. That was a treasured gift and I recall spending hours holding it like a magic wand, and riding my own race on the couch!”
Nathan says that horseracing attracts unique and special people, and the experience of spending an afternoon out at the races with friends and family was his joy.
JC Photos
Opera Glass storms home to break the Vaal 2400m course record last Thursday – Siyanda Sosibo did the honours
“Oupa Boetie was a hardworking man. But racing was his real passion. My Gran used to telephone him and he would say he is very busy in the ceiling or down a manhole, working. In the meantime, the racing commentary was loud and clear in the background!”
His other Oupa – his Dad Pieter’s father – ran a scrapyard in Booysen for many years.
“So many people know the late Buks Delport. He used to drive around at Christmas in a sleigh, handing out gifts in his red suit to the underprivileged. But, boy, racing was his first love!”
Nathan recalls that his Dad played the role of Bookie at home and laid bets for him and Buks. than they were already. It was convenient too and he often gave us credit!” laughs Nathan.
The ownership passion commenced when Pieter Delport was offered a share in the Grey Eminence gelding The White Horse. A friend put him off and that didn’t end up being the best advice as The White Horse would go on to win 6 races with Geoff Woodruff.
Pieter then raced Tiger Stripes, a Cataloochee gelding. “Ten races later in Gauteng and not a single cheque, this wasn’t exactly the champion we dreamed of. My Dad sent him to Tienie Prinsloo in Kimberley. It didn’t take long to get results!”
Nathan recalls that Tiger Stripes needed his first start in the Northern Cape, but on 30 January 2012, their ship came in, big time!
“Tiger Stripes was 50-1. I was told to put the money on at the last moment. He got up at 50-1 to short head the 13-10 favourite He Who Dares. I was screaming him home – the tote was dead quiet. These mean looking guys had backed the runner-up. In my naivete and excitement I said ‘we got the lot’ – he couldn’t lose. That was probably a really dumb thing to say to guys who had just done their money on the favourite. I got out of their
He made as if to speak to his purchase and said: ‘goodbye, you are off to Gqeberha. I probably won’t see you again.’ We were horrified. We visit our horses like our family.
like Speedy Gonzales. I can’t remember if I even waited to cash our tickets!” laughs Nathan.
It was a momentous day - a first winner for Tienie Prinsloo, first for Chase Maujean in Kimberley, and Pieter Delport’s first winner.
“We were hooked. Tiger Stripes never earned another cent, but it hardly mattered. He had given us the thrill and the photograph on the wall. Despite tough times in business thanks to covid, and racing’s challenges, we are still in it and love it dearly!”
Nathan mentions the successes achieved by the new team in the Cape and says that he doesn’t always see the same up North.
“We watch the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth horseracing and see what they have achieved. I have made suggestions to our people. They say ‘we will get back to you’. Nothing happens. Take Heritage Day – there was nothing for the public at the Vaal. Why can’t we make a plan and bring the Grooms families racing, as one example? These guys work so hard, and we need to involve their support networks and show them that racing appreciates them – and that it’s a game for every man.” Nathan bought a 2yo in August and he is registering a new syndicate. He likes the progeny of The United States and is excited about racing with some new people in the game.
“We love our horses. They are our family. I recall a gentleman at the BSA August 2yo Sale. He made as if to speak to his purchase and said: ‘goodbye, you are off to Gqeberha. I probably won’t see you again.’ We were horrified. We visit our horses like our family. That’s why we enjoy small trainers of the ilk of Stevie Moffat and Heinrich van der Westhuizen. The personal touch matters to them, and we enjoy it that they care so much.”
MR CHELTENHAM!
Mullins Racing
With the National Hunt season now in full swing and Cheltenham on the horizon, an insight into one of the modernday great trainers is in order. The subject, Willie Mullins, the leading trainer at the Cheltenham Festival over the last decade and a half.
Already the winning-most trainer in Festival history with an incredible 88 victories to his name, including Group 1 champions Hurricane Fly, Annie Power, Quevega, Al Boum Photo and Faugheen.
Growing up his dad Paddy was his biggest influence and to this day Mullins junior will credit his father with plenty of his life lessons and knowledge.
He started his racing life as an amateur jockey winning many big races in Ireland and in the UK at Aintree and Cheltenham.
But the training ranks were always his goal. After spells as an assistant trainer, firstly for his father and then with fellow Irish legend Jim Bolger, Mullins took out his own licence in 1988.
He's not looked back. Since 2008, Mullins' reign as Irish Champion Trainer hasn't been ended, winning 15 consecutive National Hunt titles. Last year, he broke his own record at Cheltenham when saddling 10 winners.
It is difficult to pinpoint what makes Mullins so good. Of course, he has the horses now, and he has the owners. He has the resources to buy the big horses and he has the networks through which to do it. However, none of it would be possible without the ability to train racehorses. David Casey, one of his current assistants, tells you that Mullins sees things that nobody else can see. That’s the thing about genius: you can’t explain it.
A case in point, Vautour’s 2016 victory in the Gr1 Ryanair Chase. His former number one rider, Ruby Walsh said that leading up to the Festival the horse had been working so poorly, if he was training him, he wouldn’t have even taken him to Cheltenham.
Mullins decided on an alternative route to get the horse ready. He threw the horse out into the field. Whatever they were doing, it wasn’t working, so he tried doing something different: nothing. He left him out in a field for 10 days, and the first time the horse was in a stable in the last two weeks prior to the race was when he arrived at Cheltenham.
This year he should be adding to that total come March. At time of writing his Closutton yard have 12 runners priced up as favourites for various Group races including Galopin Des Champs in the blue riband Gold Cup, the unbeaten Facile Vega (son of the great Quevega) in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, and Energumene in the Champion Hurdle. They are all currently odds on to succeed. Add in the top class Allaho who goes for a hattrick of wins in the Gr1 Ryanair Chase and Mullins will be closing in on a century of Festival triumphs.
results up to: 2023-01-18
TRAINERS
Name Runs Wins Win% 2nd 3rd Other Places Place %
Win Stake (R)
Total Stakes (R)
Mr S J Snaith
566 70 12.4 70 69 107 246 43.5 4,797,288 8,176,438 Mr B J Crawford 380 53 13.9 42 32 86 160 42.1 4,241,250 6,186,088 Mr J A Janse van Vuuren 249 44 17.7 39 28 51 118 47.4 4,580,625 6,173,300 Mrs C L Bass-Robinson 310 34 11 31 25 58 114 36.8 3,863,125 5,514,013 Mr G D Smith 613 65 10.6 74 62 116 252 41.1 3,084,063 5,045,413
JOCKEYS
Name
Mr K de Melo Mr R D Fourie Mr S Khumalo Mr M A Yeni Mr L Mxothwa
Runs Wins Win% 2nd 3rd Other Places Place %
Win Stake (R)
Total Stakes (R)
666 139 20.9 112 90 127 329 49.4 9,631,538 13,685,113 485 97 20 78 72 86 236 48.7 5,901,875 9,307,100 503 88 17.5 70 61 96 227 45.1 4,639,475 6,875,950 681 84 12.3 89 73 150 312 45.8 4,981,550 8,368,344 402 70 17.4 56 52 67 175 43.5 4,920,375 6,606,788
BREEDERS
Name Runrs Runs AEPR Wnrs Wins Wnrs/ Rnrs% Places B.T. Winrs B.T. Wins
Total Stakes (R)
Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs G A Rupert) 139 481 72,517 50 73 36 218 8 10 10,079,913
Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein 250 899 39,060 73 97 29.2 392 4 4 9,765,050 Klawervlei Stud 241 921 35,153 75 95 31.1 371 2 2 8,471,888 Ridgemont Highlands 120 486 59,620 45 60 37.5 222 6 8 7,154,400 Maine Chance Farms (Pty) Ltd 117 426 50,340 45 64 38.5 170 4 5 5,889,813
SIRES
Name Runrs Runs AEPR Wnrs Wins Wnrs/ Rnrs% Places B.T. Winrs B.T. Wins
Total Stakes (R)
Gimmethegreenlight (AUS) 159 596 51,003 54 72 34 289 4 4 8,109,425 Vercingetorix 133 474 52,797 55 70 41.4 197 3 3 7,022,025 What A Winter 162 589 41,456 58 79 35.8 244 2 3 6,715,863 Master Of My Fate 165 617 38,061 55 70 33.3 255 2 2 6,280,025 Querari (GER) 162 547 34,073 41 55 25.3 218 0 0 5,519,775
It’s a massive game, a huge game! The Premier League Champions-elect host United at the Emirates in what will surely be a throwback of sorts to a rivalry which is itself the fibres of the league
Arsenal vs Manchester United | Sunday 22 January | Old Trafford | 18h30
These are the sorts of games Arsenal need to be winning, but has Erik ten Hag gotten United close enough to challenge the league leaders?
To Win
Arsenal 19/20
Draw 26/10
Man United 11/4
Arsenal
I know I might get some flak for this – or at the very least a few rolling eyes – but I don’t agree with the price available on Arsenal here. 19/20 about the Arsenal win, even at the Emirates, against Manchester United seems a little short. I mean they currently playing at their peak in the league and rightly see themselves sitting at the summit…but I think we should get a better price for their value.
The Premier League was built on the history of rivalry between teams like these two. Who can forget the battles of Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira? You know the game would always be fiercely contested and I have a feeling we will return to those days come Sunday evening.
Mikel Arteta has done a brilliant job with his Arsenal side – I have said it before, and I will say it again…the mentality evident at Arsenal acknowledges that they have players who can obviously play football, but more importantly, they believe that they can compete and win titles.
Arsenal will take the game to United; they are unbeaten in their last five games and having scored 12 times they have no reason to question their ability. Notably they have also only conceded three goals at the same time…what a game this could be.
Manchester United
Let’s start by addressing the important topic first…my colleague Joshua Gaillard deserves an apology. He was correct, Marcus Rashford was offside after interfering with play (this is from the perspective of the keeper). He was correct for this assertion, and I apologize for my emotional and somewhat frivolous reply – but I’ll take the points on offer anyway!
Anyway, there is absolutely no way you can dispute the improvement Manchester United have enjoyed under the pupilage of Erik ten Hag. The culture he has brought into the team is unmatched. The direct and intentional approach to defending and then turning defence into attack is reminiscent of the glory days and the support he has of the Old Trafford faithful is clear for all to see.
United have seen a rejuvenated Marcus Rashford find his form again in a red shirt, scoring on nine consecutive times at home. United have catapulted themselves into the top three of the league and sit just off the pace of the top two.
Casemiro has been brilliant for the club, he has a work ethic like no other and a winning mentality – two things surely beginning to seep through the corridors at Carrington! He’s secured the midfield and allowed the attacking and creative ability of United to dazzle on full display.
United face a tough test against Arsenal, they should expect both their defensive lines to be tested as well as their attacking threat met with just as much defensive creativity. However, could their midfield be where the game is won or lost?
Predicted Line-up:
Arsenal: Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Xhaka, Partey, Odegaard, Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli.
Manchester United: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Malacia, Casemiro, Fred, Fernandes, Eriksen, Garnacho, Rashford.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals + BTTS (21/20)
I can’t believe the price available about both teams scoring and over 2.5 goals! I know the reservation might be in a game like this as neither team wants to be overly zealous and go hammer and tong – but when you have the attacking threat these two teams hold, how can goals not play a role?
For me, taking advantage of this 21/20 price allows you to add this game to your weekend multiple, sit back and enjoy the fireworks we will surely see and have skin in the game!
