TBA 40 Year Brochure

THE THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS’ ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA

40 Years Of Excellence!

THOROUGHBRED SALES AT GOSFORTH PARK COMPLEX

Susan Rowett

WELCOME

Where Legends Tread WELCOME to our celebratory booklet published in honour of four decades of memories of the National Yearling Sale staged at the TBA’s Gosforth Park Complex.

There was simply no way of cramming all tributes, anecdotes and photographs into 20 pages. I trust, however, that in scratching the surface we have managed to touch on enough historic notes to bring back a host of happy memories for breeders, owners and trainers who have contributed over many years to the wonderful auctions to have taken place here, as well as thousands of superb thoroughbreds sold at various TBA Sales that have won so many great races in this period.

I have special memories of my own. My father had just founded Varsfontein Stud and its very first yearling, King’s Rhapsody was sold in 1976 - he went on to win the Gr1 Smirnoff Plate. I remember when my father returned from the NYS in 1977, the first to be held in Germiston, he told my brother John and I about the new Complex and promised that we would all go with him to the 1978 sale. That first visit was so exciting and thrilling, John and I were hooked. We have missed only a few

renewals in all the decades since.

There is always a big thrill about coming to the National Sale.

It starts with the anticipation of the catalogue’s arrival, paging the pedigrees, getting our draft ready, seeing adverts and snippets in the press about other studs, and then finally walking into the Complex to experience those treasured moments.

In the early days, breeders were very inventive with new ideas to personalise their space and attract attention, so on arrival it was exciting to see what the newest novelties were that they had come up with. There were regular changes to stable doors, the flower pots and posters, with different gear for grooms. I also remember the enormous helium balloon (was it for Northfields?) that had all the yearlings panicking and had to be taken down as a result!

The breeding and racing community is comparatively small, but it is very diverse and spread throughout the nation, so NYS and the Complex bring them together from right around the country, with a chance to see each other and catch up on each other’s news. These and many other aspects of our legendary TBA Complex make it extraordinarily special. We aim to keep it that way!

Susan Rowett, Chairperson April 2016

History

Pride and Tradition HERE are some selected highlights from selected years at the TBA, 1977-2016: 1977 Sales and Racing: The Rand Yearling Sale moves from the Milner Park Showgrounds in Johannesburg to a new complex at Gosforth Park, Germiston. “There is a dearth of good sires in South Africa. One can predict with a good degree of confidence that sires who are by good sires and were themselves good racehorses will meet with public demand at the 1977 Rand Yearling Sales,” opines an unknown correspondent in The SA Racehorse. Imported freshman sires, most notably Jan Ekels (GB) and Plum Bold (USA), fulfil the prediction. Leading Thoroughbreds: Lightning Shot, There is Michaelmas, Bahadur, Sabre, no substitute Politician, Gigantic, Archangel, for Col Pickering, Fast Piece, Brer experience Rabbit. Leading Stallions: New South Wales (GB), Persian Wonder, Oligarchy (USA), Ambiopoise, Clouds, Kirsch Flambee, Hospitality, Prince Tor, Ribofilio, Royal Affair. General

“

“

The start of it all.

News: In politics, a Whites Only General Election is held. The National Party wins.

1978 Sales and Racing: At the Germiston Sale, Willy Barlow lays out R16,000 for a big grey colt named Phantom Earl, by Lords.

Herbie Azzie picks up Quarrytown (Silver God) for R15,500.

Mary Zoccola secures Queen’s Elect (Royal Prerogative) for R13,000. TBA Chairman Ernest Birch, speaking at the Annual General Meeting, offers the support of the TBA to “make every effort to have destructive betting opportunities offered by Cape Town’s ‘Big Four’ Bookmakers” eliminated.

He says: “The turnovers of the clubs are being deprived.”

Thoroughbreds: Anytime Baby, Bold Tropic, Horatius, Politician, Steel Heart, Sunshine Man, Welcome Boy, Ever Fair, Wagga Wagga, Bold Monarch. Stallions: Persian Wonder (GB), New South Wales (GB), Plum Bold (USA), Caerdeon , Contraband, Damask, Drum Beat, Jamaico, Jan Ekels, Noble Chieftain.

General: Pieter W Botha is elected Prime Minister of South Africa, succeeding Balthazar J Vorster, who becomes State President.

HISTORY

Stallions: Jungle Cove (USA), Plum Bold (USA), Lords (SNL), Averof, Copper De Luxe, Dowdstown Charley, Flirting Around, Jan Ekels, Persian Wonder, Regent Street, Sweet Song, Who Duzzit.

General: Dr Hook’s Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk is the top hit song in SA for the year.

Bloodstock agent Chris Smith (left) and Herman Brown (sr).

1980 Sales and Racing: The Germiston Sale turns over R7,46-million at a foal average of R11,037 – a 33,35% increase on the 1979 figures. According to the SA Horseman, “a feature of this record-breaking Sale was the number of yearlings who looked better than they read in the catalogue”. Chris Smith Bloodstock buys Lot 16 for R35,000. He’s quite a nice grey looker called Wolf Power. Owner Tim Miller secures Prince Florimund for R15,000. Gary Player gets his future star mare, Serena, for R19,000. In the United States, TBA graduate Bold Tropic wins his second race from as many starts and aims for the Hollywood Gold Cup. The great South African-bred Hawaii, based at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky, sires Henbit, winner of the Epsom Derby. Thoroughbreds: Beau Art, Desert Sheik, Highborn Harry, Lagin, Phantom Earl, Smugglers Den, Sweet Chestnut, Ton Up, Quarrytown, Queen’s Elect.

Stallions: Persian Wonder (GB), Plum Bold (USA), Mexico II, Brer Rabbit, Elevation, Folmar, Jan Ekels, Jungle Cove, Selenio, Sledgehammer, St Cuthbert, Peaceable Kingdom, Trocadero.

General: Pink Floyd’s hit song Another Brick in the Wall is banned by the South African government, who fears that it might be used as a song of liberty by black school children.

1982 Sales and Racing: The SA Racehorse and Horseman advises in an editorial, ‘How To Survive At The Sales’: “If you want anyone of the slightest consequence to take notice of you, pretend to be American! Drums have been beating out the message ‘The Americans are coming’ and every agent worth his biltong has been out there swigging Bourbon. We suggest a total disguise but don’t overdo it. Acquire the accent, leave Safari suits at home, beg or borrow a Rolex watch. It can all get jolly boring – particularly if you happen to give the impression that you’re an ill-informed South African of the middle-income group.” The TBA initiates the Futurity Programme. Thoroughbreds: Wolf Power, Calvados, Blue Nile, Swan Prince, Jamaican Rumba, Furious, Port Pegasus, Poetic, Foveros, Breyani.

1985 Sales and Racing: Turnovers are down in a turbulent political climate and suffering economy. “Let us hope that during the next 12 months the TBA will have sorted out some of the problems such as African Horse Sickness which restrict us from selling our yearlings and racing our horses overseas and then we may attract more buyers from abroad,” writes Jean Jaffee in the SA Racehorse. Thoroughbreds: Gondolier, Rise and Rule, Royal Messenger, Royal Line, Spanish Pool, Petrava, Charles Fortune, Military Song, Enchanted Garden, Prontisimo.

Stallions: Jungle Cove (USA), Roland Gardens (IRE), Elevation, Harry Hotspur, Del Sarto, Northern Drive, Politician, Really and Truly, Royal Prerogative. General: Opera Singer Mimi Coertse receives the Decoration for Meritorious Service in recognition of her contribution to the South African Arts.

HISTORY

1989 Sales and Racing: Opinion is divided about the desirability of the Bloodline Million and Bloodline Series, announced in December 1988. At the National Sales 369 (44%) yearlings would be sold as potential runners for the first Bloodline Million. The sale yields R39,9-million. Young trainer Mike de Kock lands his first Gr1 winner, Evening Mist. Across the border, in Zimbabwe, Neil Bruss wins his seventh successive Trainers Title. Trainer Jean Heming (formerly Barnard) is at the peak of her powers on the Highveld. Transvaal TAB turnover is up 40%. Thoroughbreds: Aquanaut, Singing Boy, Mill Hill, Roland’s Song, Right Prerogative, Rakeen, Al Mufti, Yardmaster, Evening Mist. Stallions: Foveros (GB), Royal Prerogative (GB), Golden Thatch (IRE), Averof, Dancing Champ, Elevation, Jungle Cove, Harry Hotspur, Hobnob, Northern Guest, Peacetime, Roland Gardens. General: A watershed year with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the promise of democracy in South Africa.

1990 Sales and Racing: The NYS aggregate rises sharply to R44million, with 729 lots sold at R60,527 per foal. “The TBA Sales Complex has become a pleasurable place in which to conduct one’s business, reports the SA Racehorse. “Gone are the days of inedible food, filthy curtains and a sales ring that was a little short of a Turkish bath!”. Owners Selwyn

Jean Heming, ruled the roost.

Lipschitz and Bill Flores win the first ever Bloodline Million with Ellidor’s son Leopard Strike, trainer by Roy Magner and ridden

by Stephen Jupp. The mighty trainer Terrance Millard wins his sixth Durban July and runs 1-2-3 with Illustrador, Olympic Duel and Jungle Warrior. Thoroughbreds: Aquanaut, Illustrador, Senor Santa, Fanciful, Jungle Warrior, Topa Inca, Olympic Duel. Stallions: Northern Guest (USA, Foveros (GB); Royal Prerogative (GB), Ahoonoora, Argosy, Elliodior, Golden Thatch, Roland Gardens, Fair Season. General: Nelson Mandela is released from prison after serving 27 years.

Entertain and Impress!

Conference and Racing Packages

www.mdsdesignstudio.co.za

www.mdsdesignstudio.co.za

For info call (011) 681-1702 We celebrate 10 years of business and wish the TBA well on their 40 years at the Germiston Complex

1991 Sales and Racing: “Paint, paving and pretty plants were in evidence everywhere and the TBA Complex looked immaculate,” writes Alison Mackenzie in the SA Racehorse.

International sales show a downward slump. The NYS aggregate falls by 10%, good quality yearlings fetch good prices and first-Season sires are solidly supported. Mick Goss of Summerhill Stud tells of Champion Stallion Northern Guest: “At the time of his purchase Northern Guest was commonly known in international horse circles as ‘Hopalong Cassidy’, as he was almost crippled when we found him at Tommy Stack’s Longfields Stud. We liked him for his good looks and his enormous charisma!” Michael “Muis” Roberts, the 11-times SA Champion Jockey, is crowned Champion Jockey of the UK. He rode an astonishing 206 winners in the company of true greats: Pat Eddery, Lester Piggot, Steve Cauthen, Mick Kianane and a young Frankie Dettori and Kieran Fallon.

Thoroughbreds: Flaming Rock, Fast Gun, Roland’s Song, Divine Act, Polished Silver. Stallions: Northern Guest (USA), Foveros (GB);, Hobnob (FR), Argosy, Elliodor, Fair Season, Golden Thatch, Phantom Earl, Roland Gardens. General: The Oceanos, a Greek owned cruise ship, sinks off Coffee Bay, Eastern Cape.

HISTORY

Mary, 1983

The sensational Horse Chestnut.

1995 Sales and Racing: The average NYS sales price of R58,708 is the highest since the record-breaking 1990 sale, and the turnover is up 19%. Seventeen new stallions are represented.

Amalgamation of the three Gauteng racecourses is discussed. Trainer Tony Millard saddles a 1-2 in the J&B Met with Surfing Home and Waitara. The Millard stable’s former superstar Empress Club retires at Graham Beck’s Gainesway Farm in Kentucky. Thoroughbreds: Counter Action, Flobayou, League Title, Mosszao, National Emblem, League Title, Special Preview, Teal, The Monk, Tracy’s Element. Stallions: Foveros (GB), Bush Telegraph, Elliodior (FR), All Fired Up, Al Mufti, Complete Warrior, National Assembly, Northern Guest, Secret Prospector. General: South Africa wins the Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand at Ellis Park.

1999 Sales and Racing: Wayne Aldridge’s Delta Bloodstock is the top buyer at the National Sale – they get 20 lots at a R2,2-million aggregate, with Alec Laird and John Freeman on his heels. The overall sale aggregate is R39.13-million.

Handicapping on merit is introduced on a limited scale.

Trainer Mike de Kock starts his meteoric rise with Horse Chestnut and others. The Fort Wood colt wins the J&B Met and the South African Triple Crown. Average on-course

Any sale of horses is irresistible – one can’t help buying something. I never buy for any of the right reasons. I’m always sure I spotted a bargain superstar that everyone else has missed and I’ve been proved quite wrong every time!

- Mary Slack

attendances show a 13% decline. There are calls for a National Tote. Thoroughbreds: Dog Wood, El Picha, Golden Loom, Horse Chestnut, Jet Master, Smart Money, Super Magic. Stallions: Fort Wood, Rakeen (USA), Northern Guest (USA), Al Mufti, Badger Land, Complete Warrior, Hard Up, Jallad, Model Man. General: Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke Of Edinburgh visit South Africa.

LAST YEAR of the TIGER National sales is the last chance to buy a Tiger Ridge yearling.

For more information contact Gail Bulpitt on 083 601 6428.

www.wilgerbosdrift.co.za

Buy a dream. Buy a champion.

Koster Bros

HISTORY

From Mules to Thoroughbreds The Köster Brothers, consistently at or near the top of the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Championship in South Africa for more than three decades of the 20th century and still competitive in later generations today, have a rich history.

It all started with mule farmer Ralph Köster, who imported thoroughbred stallions to cover his donkey mares in order to breed amazing, strong mules. Mules were in high demand around Ralph’s Klavervlei Farm and in fact way beyond the Beaufort West area into the greater Karoo. Klavervlei’s became the most sought after mules anywhere in the farmlands.

at Cheveley, the place where Legislate grew up under Shirley’s son Vaughan, himself a horseman as passionate as they come. “We only have Wylie Hall at the farm now.

He is a beautiful horse by Redoute’s Choice and we have high hopes for him. He covered 96 mares in his first season, including 19 mares owned by Michael Leaf, who raced him.

Leaf’s are all in foal!”

As for the rest of the family: Peter Köster’s son John is the force behind current Champion Breeders Klawervlei Stud, and John’s brother Charles still lives on the original Klavervlei Farm in Beaufort West, bordered by up-and- coming Rosedene Stud, owned by Graeme Köster, son of Werner. It’s a mouthful, but the Kösters are all legends of the SA breeding industry and Shirley comments: “We love racing and breeding and I hope things improve among the breeders. I believe competition is healthy, but the powers that be must get together and solve their issues to everyone’s benefit.”

It was George Kramer, father of John Kramer, who told Ralph to try his hand at thoroughbred breeding and gave him three mares from Broadlands Stud which were put to the stallions and produced three individual winners! “Ralph was hooked and he thought, ‘what a game this is, let’s breed horses,’ ”tells Shirley Köster, who’d married Ralph’s son Wilfred. “Wilfred had two brothers, Peter and Werner.

They were all horse mad, but Wilfred had the bug. He lived for the thoroughbred. We moved to Bonnievale to get close to the Werner (left), Peter (middle) and Wilfred Köster. stallions in the area and then to Ceres at Cheveley Stud, where Peter and Werner joined us to form the Köster Bros breeding establishment.”

Among the many Koster-bred stars of the turf were Jerez, Majorca, London News (SA’s first Gr 1 winner on overseas soil for trainer Alec Laird), Geoff Woodruff’s Badger’s Drift and more recently Justin Snaith-trained Legislate, who was declared the winner of the 2014 Durban July after a successful objection was lodged against the original winner, Wylie Hall. Interestingly Wylie Hall has since retired to stud

2003 Sales and Racing At NYS, R63,51-million is turned over. An all-time high R1,7-million is paid for Scarlet Pimpernell, consigned by Wilgerbosdrift. Mike de Kock launches his seasonal Dubai raids winning the Gr1 Dubai Duty Free with Ipi Tombe and the Gr2 UAE Derby with Victory Moon. Leading breeder Shirley Pfeiffer dies. Turffontein inaugurates the new inside track following the closure of Gosforth Park in 2002. Thoroughbreds: Angus, Crimson Palace, Domino Man, Dynasty, Eventuail, Free My Heart, Yard-Arm. Stallions: Western Winter (USA), Jallad (USA), Badger Land (USA), Al Mufti, Elliodor, Fort Wood, Model Man, Sportsworld. General: In cricket, South Africa embarrassingly exit the Super Sixes Competition in a rainy Durban after someone in their dressing room had been misreading the Duckworth/Lewis sheet that gives the teams the targets in the event of rain.

The late Wilfred Köster a former TBA Chairman and a man Shirley describes as one who had “tremendous integrity”, said in a 1988 interview: “Wherever we (the TBA) can work with other bodies for the good of the industry, we will. We are an association of breeders and therefore our duty is to do the best for each individual and the industry as a whole. The strength of any sale is determined by the quality of the animals on offer and we’re looking for the best available. We do not select the breeders of horses but the horses themselves and the smaller breeder should have as good a chance of producing good horses as his bigger counterpart. One of our major concerns is still the battle against African horse-sickness. I do not have to tell you what the advantages would be if we ever solved this problem.”

“Yes, all still valid,” insists Shirley.

Bred in Zimbabwe, Ipi Tombe won the Gr1 Dubai Duty Free.

Andrew Miller

HISTORY

Auctioneers resort to Subterfuge!

IT’s been a great privilege working on the TBA’s auction team with some of the leading international bloodstock auctioneers in the world like Steve Davis, Henry Beeby, Alistair Pim and of course the legendary Peter Lovemore. Graeme Hawkins and Mike Killassy have also added great value to our auction panel.

These characters each have their own flavour and style and I’ve learned so much from them. In the early days of my involvement we used to have pedigree readers assisting us on the rostrum, such as James Goodman, Paul Lafferty and a few others. It was always a laugh with Lafferty and one particular story stands out for me involving Laff and Killassy.

We entered the third day of the National Yearling Sale (not sure which year it was) and in our pre-auction meeting Laff decided to make things interesting by saying that we had to use the word “SUBTERFUGE” (meaning to operate covertly) at least once in each first auction stint. It was of course typical of Laff to choose a word from left field, remembering of course that in those days the sales were broadcast live on SuperSport in the main section of the sport channels. We had to be fully aware of our choice of delivery in front of such a large audience.

We all duly went through our individual paces and somehow included the word “Subterfuge” in our deliveries. Mike Killassy was last up and he was well into his stint and had to be continually reminded by Laff that time was running out to bring the word in as we had all done before him. Beeby, Davis and I were on the rostrum pretending to look for bids while Killassy was selling but in essence we were there to hear how he was going to use the word.

A crackerjack of a colt walked into the ring and, for those that remember Mike Killassy as an auctioneer, he had the most magnificent baritone voice and Julio Iglesias look.

With Laff piling the pressure on, Killassy duly responded by introducing the colt in that deep voice of his, “Ladies and

Andrew Miller (right), with Sos Uys. Gentlemen, this is the colt that you have all been waiting for.

He’s got a great walk and there is absolutely no SUBTERFUGE for quality!”

It was a moment of hilarity and I thought Laff was going to fall off the rostrum from laughter because of course the meaning of the word was used completely out of context.

These type of moments typified what a close team of auctioneers we have had over the years. It has been an honour to have represented the TBA over this period as part of the auction panel.

-Andrew Miller.

2006 Sales and Racing: The NYS is up 21% to R221,4-million. Stallions Jet Master (Klipdrif Stud), Fort Wood (Mauritzfontein) and Western Winter (Lammerskraal) stand at R200,000 a pop, followed by Jallad (Highlands) at R100,000. The Quartet is the most popular Tote bet in South Africa. Bookmakers countrywide turn over R3,4 billion. Thoroughbreds: Carnadore, Eyeofthetiger, Ilha Da Vitoria, Mythical Flight, National Colour, Nhlavini. Stallions: Western Winter (USA); Jallad (USA), Badger Land (USA), Al Mufti, Elliodor, Fort Wood, Model Man, Sportsworld. General: The National Assembly passes the same-sex marriage bill.

OPEN AN ACCOUNT TODAY AND WE’LL MATCH YOUR FIRST DEPOSIT UP TO

R3000!

est g g i b e Th deposit 1st s in SA! bonu

∠ 24/7 Customer Support ∠ Thousands of In-Play and Pre Match events ∠Hundreds of Lucky Number Draws ∠ Betting on all National and International Racing with great odds and a generous Bookie stretch ∠Great Promotions every week

䈀攀琀琀椀渀最 䰀椀渀攀㨀 㠀㘀 ㄀ ㌀㌀ 㤀㌀ 圀攀戀 ☀ 䴀漀戀椀氀攀㨀 眀眀眀⸀眀猀戀⸀挀漀⸀稀愀

䈀䔀吀圀䤀吀䠀 䈀䔀匀吀

吀䠀䔀

䰀椀挀攀渀猀攀搀 戀礀 琀栀攀 䜀愀甀琀攀渀最 䜀愀洀戀氀椀渀最 䈀漀愀爀搀⸀ 一漀 甀渀搀攀爀 ㄀㠀猀 瀀攀爀洀椀琀琀攀搀 琀漀 最愀洀戀氀攀⸀ 一愀琀椀漀渀愀氀 刀攀猀瀀漀渀猀椀戀氀攀 䜀愀洀戀氀椀渀最 瀀爀漀最爀愀洀 㠀 㘀 㠀⸀ 䈀攀琀 眀椀琀栀 礀漀甀爀 栀攀愀搀 渀漀琀 眀椀琀栀 礀漀甀爀 栀攀愀爀琀☠

HISTORY

Memories are made of...

“Among our many highlights over the years are breeding the great Politician, champion of South Africa for three years; and the 1982/83 season when our Jungle Cove was Robin Scott the leading sire by winners of all ages, and percentage of winners. We were leading vendors at the sale. Jungle Cove’s yearlings weren’t great to look at so they were cheap when first offered to buyers. But boy they could run and then things changed. He also became one of the stud books great broodmare sires and we’ll always be proud of that!” – Robin Scott, Scott Bros.

The popular Laurie Jaffee (left) with Cookie Coetzee, 1979.

2008 Sales and Racing: Two foals are sold for R3-million apiece at the National Yearling Sale. The Ready To Run concept takes shape and grows remarkably under the TBA, Summerhill Stud and Emperors Palace Hotel and Casino. The flamboyant racing personality and leading owner Laurie Jaffee (85) dies.

Journalist David Mollett writes: “Jaffee, whose father founded Premier Milling, probably contributed more to racing than anyone else over the past 50 years.” Mike de Kock is in the news again with two Graded winners on Dubai World Cup night in Sun Classique (Gr1 Sheema Classic) and Honour Devil (Gr 2 UAE Derby). Also on the evening, TBA graduate Jay Peg, trained by Herman Brown (jr), wins the Gr1 Dubai Duty Free, rounding off his season with earnings of R34,4-million.

South African born Douglas Whyte wins his eighth Hong Kong Jockeys Title. Former South African trainers Patrick Shaw and David Payne are among the top trainers in Singapore and Australia respectively, while Tony Millard and David Ferraris are big in Hong Kong. Thoroughbreds: Pocket Power, Dancer’s Daughter, Our Giant, Warm White Night, Gypsy’s Warning. Stallions: Western Winter (USA), Jallad (USA), Badger Land (USA), Al Mufti, Elliodor, Fort Wood, Model Man, Sportsworld. General: Miriam Makeba (76), South African singer, dies of a heart attack after a concert in Italy.

2010 Sales and Racing: The National Yearling Sale turns over R227million, well up on the 2009 figure.

Industry stalwart Graham Beck dies. Abraham Makhubo is the country’s top work rider. Summerhill Stud holds off Klawervlei to capture another Breeders Championship. Thoroughbreds: Bold Silvano, Dancewiththedevil, English Garden, Solo Traveller, Igugu, Irish Flame, JJ The Jet Plane, Mother Russia, Pierre Jourdan, The Apache. Stallions: Jet Master, Captain Al, Silvano (GER), Fort Wood, Kahal, Mogok, VAR, Western Winter.

General: An unknown owner passes out near a remote stable block after smoking “Durban Poison” with a Kwazulu-Natal groom during the National Sale. Both are removed from the TBA premises.

“I remember when the Sale was held at Milner Park, there were only a handful of breeders but we were starting to grow, so 12 of us got together and stood surety to buy the land and build the new TBA complex. It’s quite amazing how everything developed to what it is today. The TBA complex was custom-built for us and compares with the best sales facilities I’ve seen in the US, the UK and Ireland.” – Rose Parker, Ascot Stud.

“My special memory is of the importance my friend Liz Wilson and I attached to our clothes for every sale, hoping that it would be cold enough for us to wear our beautiful new boots and coats. Also, in one of the early years we were quite amazed when Eric Gallo paid a whole R95,000 for a yearling! We were always delighted and honoured on being introduced to the big names of the industry, the owners and trainers, and I remember the compliments and squeezes from breeder Paulie de Wet!” – Mary Slack, Wilgerbosdrift.

“I recall being very scared of Rosedene Stud’s young Graeme Köster. He was big, tall and handsome and reminded me of my younger brother, but I never got to meet him. I walked circles around him at the Sales. I had just started at Aldora Stud, many years ago – I had a small makeshift office near our stable block when one day a massive Highveld thunderstorm broke out. I managed to get into the office in time and I’d be stuck there for a while.

Through the heavy rain I looked out the window and saw a man running for cover towards the office, he almost crashed through the door to safety. It was Graeme Köster and he laughed and said, “I guess now we have to talk, don’t we?”

We sat talking through that storm and we’ve been good friends ever since.” – Pippa Mickleburgh, Avontuur Stud.

“I spent many happy years at the TBA. We were like a real family, closely knit and functioning very well as a unit. There were never any problems at the office or when we were travelling together.”

– Jan Naudé, CEO of BSA, 1996-2014.

“I look upon the TBA Sales Complex as the ‘home’ for the SA breeder.”

– David Southey, Southford Stud.

“I have written books on the TBA. Cheque books!”

–Rob Scott, CEO, Tellytrack.

JOHN FREEMAN

HISTORY

Tales of Joy and Despair The TBA’s move from Milner Park to Gosforth Park in 1977 was a huge event for the thoroughbred industry in South Africa. The building of a new sales complex was inspired

by Des Scott. His uncle Percy Telford designed and built 900 stables and the sales ring in a big hurry and at very low cost.

Everyone in the industry was asked to chip in because the TBA ran out of cash, mid-stream. When we finally moved to Germiston it was with an immense sense of pride of having achieved something real and meaningful. This place belonged to the industry. I had many happy times here and I bought and lost many champions in the TBA auction ring.

Going back to the TBA is like a family reunion, probably more like a ritual with good and hard-luck stories to share.

Many of us that do the pilgrimage at least twice a year have known each other at least for all of the complex’s 40 years in existence.

I have a special love-hate relationship with the complex, more than with any other in the world. Being on a slope with the stables so close together makes viewing complicated. It can get quite hectic at times and even dangerous. I have been kicked many times and I get a bit nervous when people ask to see horses in an already busy lane without thinking.

I have learned many things in the stable yard and heard many wonderful stories about the industry in the pub. In the early days there was a very popular little pub at the left of the entrance. Great men like Syd Laird held court there and you got to rub shoulders with the greats of the industry.

My father and I were standing with Laurie Jaffee and Graham Beck at the new pub in its early days. Michael Roberts was Graham’s trainer at the time but Ricky Maingard had persuaded Graham to let him buy a horse. During the afternoon Ricky proudly announced to Graham that he’d acquired the lot he wanted. Ricky joined us for a drink, then left to arrange transport for his new horse. But a short while later, he came running back to the bar announcing that Michael Roberts had ‘stolen’ his horse which was already on a truck heading for Michael’s stable! Graham commiserated with him and said something like, ‘you f*#!ing pr*-k, go and buy another one and make sure it doesn’t get stolen this time!’ Such were the characters of that era.

FUTURA

CAPTAIN AL

The sale ground has improved over the years and some of the improvements came Michael Roberts and Graham from my own pleas to the Beck.

Council to get stuff done - simple things like allowing breeders to convert the odd stable into a place to entertain their guests, which I found to be a strong feature at sales overseas and was then very well received here too.

I feel truly blessed when I think of the incredible people that I have been fortunate to meet at the TBA complex and the champions that I have been lucky enough to buy.

My fondest memory was the night Peter Kannemeyer and I bought Dynasty for John Newsome. Being such a good looking son of Fort Wood, our favourite sire at the time, we knew he wasn’t going to be cheap. Bidding was brisk but we prevailed, he was the second highest priced colt on the sale.

The celebration was intense.

My worst memory of Gosforth Park was getting hijacked and shot whilst leaving the complex on Sunday 14 August 1995.

That changed my life considerably and I still have side-effects of the damage that the bullet caused to my sciatic nerve.

There have been tough times but the good times will always be my reason to return to the TBA Complex. It’s been a very happy hunting ground for me.

-John Freeman, The Thoroughbred Group.

PATHFORK

LEGISLATE

JACKSON

GIMMETHEGREENLIGHT

DYNASTY

John Freeman, Peter Kannemeyer and Lester Piggott.

MASTER OF MY FATE

JAY PEG

PHILANTHROPIST

present and future

POTALA PALACE

QUERARI

Champion Sires

WHAT A WINTER

TRIPPI

TWICE OVER

www.FreemanStallions.co.za

WYLIE HALL

+27 (0)21 418 0566

EQUO PRODESSE

Gary Player

HISTORY

offered me the horse at a reduced price. I turned it down on principle and was lucky that I did so, because the horse went on to win only a single race.

You win some, lose some!

NATIONAL Yearling Sale time is always a very exciting time of year for me, loving the thoroughbred horse as I do. It is sad to see a bit of in-fighting taking place and I hope we can come to a mutually beneficial conclusion of sorting out the problems. I have many wonderful memories of the sales and three immediately come to mind.

Approximately 20 years ago, when selling a horse for R1million was quite rare, I had a bidding battle for a Fort Wood colt that eventually went for more than R1 million. It was an exciting bidding experience which I (fortunately) lost. I took my white handkerchief and ran around the ring in surrender.

Then, to my surprise, the winning bidder never paid for the horse. Graham Beck phoned me a few days afterward saying the man who outbid me wasn’t going to pay. He

Igugu had no equals in 2011.

A few years ago I sold a two-year-old for R3.6-million. He was a beautiful Dynasty colt out of a Gr1 winning mare I’d bred in partnership with my dear friend, the loveable Gaynor Rupert. He was indeed the highest selling horse on the sale. This was a great year for the Gary Player Stud Farm, we were the leading vendors at the Two Year Old sale, having also sold a fine colt by Silvano from Laughing Matter for R1 million. Our stud’s winning sale is something unlikely to happen to us again because we have so many extremely wealthy and well represented breeders in the business now. I always appreciated Mike Sharkey of Highlands Farm, who was the second leading vendor that day, coming to congratulating me. We all know he is a true gentleman.

I have been a buyer and a seller over many years and have always supported the TBA sales. Many years ago I secured a filly called Serena that went on to win the SA Oaks. I then exported her to the United States where she produced a horse called Broadway Flyer, who won group races in England. He participated in the English Derby and finished second in the St Leger Stakes that was first ran in 1776.

Broadway Flyer went back to America and won a Gr1 race.

What a thrill for me and a boost for South African racing!

-Gary Player, Gary Player Stud Farm.

2011 Sales and Racing: The SA Racing Fact Book reports: “The undoubtable success story of the 2011 season was the outstanding performance of the three-year-old filly Igugu.

This Australian-bred daughter of Galileo, pin-hooked by Summerhill and sold at the 2009 Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale, swept all before her in winning the Triple Tiara before moving to Durban where, after winning the Gr1 Woolavington 2000, she ended off a memorable season by winning the prestigious Gr1 Vodacom Durban July. She was duly crowned Equus Horse Of The Year along with a host of other prestigious awards.” JJ The Jet Plane wins the Gr Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint for trainer Lucky Houdalakis and jockey Piere Strydom. Gross prize money on offer in South Africa declined for the first time in a decade. Thoroughbreds: Bravura, Ebony Flier, Igugu, JJ The Jet Plane, Princess Victoria, Shea Shea, What A Winter. Stallions: Jet Master, Silvano (GER), Kahal, Captain Al, Dynasty, National Emblem, Victory Moon, Western Winter. General: The 14th Dalai Lama is unable to attend the 80th birthday celebration of fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner laureate Desmond Tutu, having again been refused a visa to enter South Africa.

V

arsfontein Stud congratulates the TBA of South Africa on its 110th National Yearling Sale and the 40th to be held at the Germiston Sales Complex. Varsfontein Stud honours all the thoroughbred breeders of years gone by who built up the racing and breeding industry in South Africa and particularly those who participated in the construction of the TBA’s World class sales complex - a legacy for our industry.

VARSFONTEIN STUD EST 1974

A Leading South African Breeder

KINGS RHAPSODY (by Royal Affair) - the first yearling bred at Varsfontein Stud winning the Smirnoff Plate G1 (Gold Medallion) over 1200m on 14 May 1977 for owners Mr & Mrs Laurie Jaffee.

JUXTAPOSE (by Judpot) - the most recent G1 winner bred at Varsfontein Stud - winning the Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic G1 on 2 April 2016 for owner Mrs LCA Bouwer.

Carl de Vos | Tel: (021) 869-8238 | E-mail: info@varsfontein.co.za | Web: www.varsfontein.co.za

Train Trips: Lientjiesbos and Caboose Today’s younger generation of sales enthusiasts may not be aware that, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, after the TBA Complex had been built, yearlings from the Cape and Karoo breeders were sent to Gosforth Park by train!

The annual loading of horses started at Sandvliet near the De Wet family’s Zandvliet Stud and stopped by places like Phillipi, Wellington, Robertson and on to Dordrecht in the Eastern Cape and through the Karoo to the TBA’s base at Gosforth Park Germiston. Horses from Zandvliet made the trip, many others too from the likes of Varsfontein Stud, Highlands, Duncan Barry’s Riverton Stud and the Birch Brothers’ Vogel Vlei Stud.

Carl de Vos of Varsfontein, who had the pleasure of making one journey of the six that happened, quips: “Just imagine hundreds of horses on a train for 36 hours including those tough, woolly, wild ones raised by the Birches. Add to that a group of spirited young breeders and dozens of grooms and you have a train ride of great proportions!”

Zandvliet’s Dan de Wet and young John Köster, long before his Klawervlei days, have both been named as the ‘Voorbokke’ (Leaders of the Pack). Neither wish to accept sole responsibility for what took place, but both recall TBA Train Journeys as some of the best days of their lives.

Dan de Wet explains that the Train Era had two parts: “Lientjiesbos” and “Caboose”.

He tells: “The first few years got the name Lientjiesbos because of the remote place where John Köster got off the train one deep, dark night and almost never got back on! We had to sleep next to the horses on bales of hay inside the carriages for the first number of trips. We had a gas burner and a ‘skottel’ and I recall we often enjoyed the most amazing two-inch fillet steaks cooked right there, served with pepper corns and washed down with some good wine.

“Unfortunately we didn’t have ablution facilities on those carriages and during a brief stop at Lientjiesbos, John braved the darkness to go into the bushes to relieve himself. He was still there when another train came by and ours started moving.

John was nowhere to be seen and our train started picking up speed. We heard him shout in the dark, he had a torch and we saw the light bobbing up and down as he ran along to look for the right carriage. We screamed back and torched into the darkness. He was at full pace when he found our carriage. We helped him on board!”

Perhaps this incident taught John not to have ‘one on board’ in the middle of nowhere ever again, but in the Caboose Era, something he describes as “half a truck” was hooked to the end of the train. This had a toilet, a few cabins inside and a small kitchen with a table. The Caboose could carry more individuals in relative comfort, so the likes of Fred Doms of Saratoga Stud and Jan de Clercq of Zevenbergen travelled along.

“The Caboose was more comfortable, but very noisy and that was a problem, especially for Fred Doms, who claimed to be hard of hearing due to ‘Skietoor’ (Gunshot Ear). Our supply of wine was always ample and the jokes and quips flowed with it, so on top of the noise we had to shout some of the jokes out loud so Fred could also have a laugh,” De Wet tells.

Köster concludes: “Did Dan mention the night in the bitter cold Karoo when he tried to borrow my second sleeping bag because his own was too thin? I said no, I was using it myself.

He cursed and curled up, the next morning he was fast asleep with an Alsation puppy in his arms. Someone had asked us to deliver the puppy to Georgina Kramer at the TBA. It saved Dan from freezing to death!”

John Kramer

HISTORY

Kramer, old-school horseman IF John Kramer had spent 27 years of his life sitting in an office at the TBA he’d be considered “part of the furniture”. But he was out at the stables mostly, or travelling around the country inspecting young horses, at the heart of the organisation. That made him part of its fabric. Kramer knows the TBA inside out, he saw happy days and sad; he served with distinction from 1988 to 2013.

“There was a spell in the early 1990s when I had to fill in as General Manager while they found a new one,” Kramer tells.

“That was a difficult time because we’d discovered theft of almost R2-million within the TBA. But we fought tooth and nail with our auditors, the culprit was jailed and we got the money back.”

He was ringside when the first R200,000 yearlings were sold in 1983 – Top Gallant and Kiepersol, and when Michael Azzie bought the record-priced Mr Hawaii for R510,000 from Artur Pfaff’s Daytona Stud in 1984. Kramer played a pivotal role in bringing the remarkable sire, Elliodor, to this country. He also introduced yearling inspections to Zimbabwe.

As one of the best respected judges of young horses, Kramer used (and still uses) a points system for a score out of 10 for conformation and the same for a yearling’s pedigree, with a score out of five for the sire and the dam, respectively.

He says: “I worked with Mr Maurice Passmore in my early years as an inspector, he was in his 80s and still doing a good job; later mainly with Tobie Spies. I also introduced new inspectors to the system. We had to visit farms around the country every year, seeing up to 1200 horses. The breeders didn’t always agree with our assessments, but things never got ugly. We made lifelong friends at many stud farms.”

John Kramer with his wife Gisela (left) and former TBA staffer Jean van Wyk. friends – the horse business remains one in which socialising plays an important part!

Kramer is a wily ‘old-schooler’ with a dry sense of humour and ready wit. He recalls: “There was a night in the newly built Lapa in the yard at the TBA. There was a celebration of sorts.

At one point of the evening I fell off a chair, and not after changing a light bulb! Late in the evening I discovered I’d lost my false teeth, but I was dragged away to safety and forgot about them until the next morning, when reality hit me.

“As I sneaked into the TBA complex early the next morning I got lucky, however. I walked past the reception area and discovered my teeth, in a glass, waiting for me on the counter!”

Betty Moffet, former reception lady at the TBA. She now lives in the UK.

Some of those farms were famous for horses and wine and it would have been quite tempting to sample litres of the latest vintages on his travels, but Kramer chuckles and says, “That never affected my work. We were too busy, our work was too important to enjoy parties with the wine farmers.”

At the TBA, however, there were a few occasions when Kramer had no choice but to join festivities with his clients and

WATCH LIVE RACING AND REPLAYS LIVE…As it happens.

On any Device Daily and Monthly packages available Register now on

HISTORY

Birch Bros

Syd and Colin Birch are rekindling the fire!

TBA Chair Persons P ast and P resent

Ernest Birch 1975 -1987

Basil Bartlett 2005

Wilfred Koster 1988 -1990

Altus Joubert 2005 -2011

Lowell Price 1991-1992

Ian Robertson 2011 – 2012

Laurence Allem 1993-1995

Susan Rowett 2012 -

They grow up tough at Vogel Vlei. That’s why they can run.

THE name Birch is synonymous with arguably the greatest era in South Africa’s breeding history – a time when true legends like Sea Cottage, Colorado King, later the mighty Wolf Power and even later Royal Chalice ruled the turf.

The mentioned runners were all bred and raised by the Brothers Birch at Vogel Vlei Stud in Dordrecht, Eastern Cape. They were multiple champion breeders of multiple Grade 1 winners and dozens of champions in a legacy of Birches that started way back when, just after the turn of the 19th century with transport horse breeder EV Birch, continued through World War II with his sons Sydney, Walter and Ted, and then into the 1960s and 1970s with Bob, Chris and Richard at the helm.

Birch Bros stood stallion Fairthorn (the sire of Sea Cottage), and most notably the champion sire Plum Bold (USA), later Sea Cottage himself, but the family diversified and as a breeding operation they never reached their spectacular heights again, nearing the turn of the 20th century.

After all the years, Bob’s son Syd (63) still farms at Vogel Vlei Stud along with his son Colin (33). The glory days seem so long gone, but father and son have set their sights on getting back into the winner’s circle. They have five yearlings at the 2016 National Yearling Sale and Syd tells: “We have lit the fires again. Colin is young and passionate about horses, he’s a talented guy and we’d like to breed Gr1 winners once more!”

They know that their dream won’t be easily realisable, but they’re open-minded all the same and Syd comments: “We don’t have a stallion, you can’t have one when there are no mares in the area to support you. But we’ve built our own band of broodmares back to 40 and some of them hail from the old, potent Drohsky line. We’re planning our matings and floating them in and out to our stallions of choice.

“As an area, Dordrecht still lends itself to good farming stock, including cattle and racehorses. They grow up tough here, like they used to, and there is no reason why our thoroughbreds won’t be able to run like they used to!”

Hymie Maisel 1996-2005

AHS Latest

Containing African Horse Sickness Members of South Africa’s Horse Import Export Task Team (HIETT) have requested the racing industry and the public at large not to over-react to the death of a horse diagnosed with African Horse Sickness (AHS) in the surveillance zone near Paarl, Western Cape, in mid April 2016.

Breeder Mick Goss of Summerhill Stud, who delivered a wellreceived address at the Asian Racing Conference earlier this year, said: “It’s my view that after India and the interactions I’ve had with those in sympathy with us, it’s not the end of the world by any means!”

Professor Ian Sanne, a member of the Industry Task Team charged with consolidating the efforts of the equine and racing industries and veterinarians as well as funding mechanisms ahead of an application to reinstate direct exports from South Africa to the European Union (EU), said that South Africa now had the ability to contain an outbreak of AHS as it occurred, in a most effective manner.

Sanne commented: “We have the means to respond rapidly, we have strengthened into systems available to react to outbreaks of AHS. This, together with the benefit and recognition of PCR tests for AHS and a locked-door, vector-protected quarantine facility, enables us to mitigate the export of the disease from South Africa. We remain fully confident that we will be able to develop a trade relationship with partners for international exports.”

Goss added: “Our scientific case is considerably stronger, if not at this point technically unassailable. Parallels with other countries and how they deal with these things tell me that the occasional occurrence such as the one we’ve just experienced is merely an interruption in our work, it is not the work itself.

Dr Beverley Parker, a member of the technical task team, confirmed that the HIETT’s contingency kicked in perfectly when the AHS death occurred at a Paarl farm. She said: “Our huge awareness campaigns have paid off. Everyone reacted quickly and co-operation on the whole was very good. We’ve had local horse owners playing policemen, people commenting and helping via Facebook.”

Parker said that a team of State Veterinarians and Animal Health Techs were working around the clock with others from the Equine Health fund to help with sampling and testing and that 150 samples had already been collected.

“We’re doing a census of all farms inside the area and 20 farms have been completed. We’re working from an initial radius outwards, in an ever-widening circle. The vets have been checking for clinical signs of the disease and have not found any so far. There is a complete standstill on movement around the indexed farm and movement within the zone has been curtailed.”

“There’s little reason then why we shouldn’t be able to resume normal trade. That’s how all our trading partners treat these things, and from the conversations I had with those I thought were most influential at the Asian Conference, I’d like to think that there is an understanding of that.”

Former Champion trainer Mike de Kock, another member of the Task Team, agreed that massive progress had been made in the last few years and spoke against what he termed “media articles seeking sensation”.

In reference to a front-page article published in the Cape Argus, he said: “Our protocol is working and it is completely inappropriate for editors to sensationalise a hugely important matter like this. It is unfair to the people who have gone to great lengths to make things work, the industry has tried hard and we’ve seen tangible results. It doesn’t help when newspapers put fear into our trading partners.”

Export restrictions have impeded South Africa’s participation in international equestrian sporting events such as the World Equestrian Games and the Dubai World Cup, amounting to an estimated R1 billion loss on the export market alone on an annual basis.

Contact Dr Bennie van der Merwe • Cell: 083 460 4066 • namaquas@intekom.co.za www.moutonshoek.co.za

HISTORY

Pocket, The Rocket!

Pocket Power was a R190,000 purchase at the 2004 TBA Cape Yearling Sale held at Durbanville. “When I first saw him I was struck by his quality, which was extremely apparent to me.

He was a good size with good depth and rein. He was an easy horse to buy as he was obviously going to be a nice type later,” writes trainer Mike Bass in Pocket: The Story of Pocket Power – A Racing Legend (Gary Lemke, 2011).

Hawkins, benched!

Given that my involvement with the TBA spans so many years there are clearly many incidents that I can recall.

The clearest memory I have is of the Hennenman Air Disaster, Tuesday, 12 April 1988. The tragedy occurred on the first day of the 1988 National Yearling Sale and the impact it had on the racing community and the sale itself is impossible to describe.

Graeme Hawkins, in the days Then Chairman, Wilfred Köster, opened the traditional one could mess with him!

Wednesday night session with a tribute to all those who perished in the accident and such was the effect on me personally that I had to recuse myself from the auctioneering that evening – I just could not do it!

Pocket Power (Bernard Fayd’Herbe), after the 2009 J&B Met. Pocket Power did become a “nice type”, a nice superstar type! He won the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate four times, also three J&B Mets and a Vodacom Durban July. He was the Champion Miler, Champion Middle Distance Horse and Older Horse in 2007,2008 and 2009 – the highest-ever locally-raced stakes earner. Had he achieved the same statistics in the USA or Europe, his average earnings would have been an estimated R80-million. Pocket Power was owned by Marsh Shirtliff, Arthur and Rina Webber and bred by Dan de Wet at Zandvliet Stud.

But for the fact that the National Sales were taking place, jockey Paul Whitmore would have died in the accident.

However, he got off all his rides to be at the sale and his mounts were taken by Danny Lombard who was not carded to ride at all in Bloemfontein on that fateful day.

One that springs to mind is of one after-sale evening in the old ‘Colours Bar’ at the Complex, it must have been back in 1982 or 1983 when I had just started as Sales Organiser at the TBA. Everyone had left the premises, except the legendary trainer Syd Laird and his equally formidable owner friend, Cyril Hurvitz, who were nursing a bottle of whiskey at a corner table.

I was tired and keen to lock up and go home, it was about 1am in the morning, so I politely walked up to them, dangling keys and said, “Gentleman, may I ask you to please finish your drinks so I can lock up and we can go?”

Laird replied: “What, are you f**king joking? See that bench in the corner? Go sleep there, can’t you see we are busy?

Get us another bottle, will you?!”

So that’s what I did. I got them another bottle. And I slept on the bench on the far side of the Colours Bar.

PHOTO BY STEVEN HAAG

Obviously I have many happier memories as well and some very funny incidents.

The Staff and Management of Gold Circle wish the TBA many more successful years of selling champion thoroughbreds.

South Africa’s Champions Season runs from the beginning of May to the end of July, with a programme of 54 graded, listed and special events headed by Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event Vodacom Durban July.

HISTORY 2012 Sales and Racing: Igugu became the first horse since Pocket Power to win the J&B Met after winning the previous season’s July, a feat also achieved by London News and Politician.

Drakenstein Stud and Team Valor’s Ebony Flyer, a R700,000 purchase at the 2009 National Yearling Sale, wins the Gr1 Majorca Stakes for trainer Justin Snaith, later in the year also the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint. Gavin can Zyl’s Slumdogmillionaire, a R550,000 buy at NYS in 2010, wins the GR1 SA Classic.

Top class Shea Shea (R550,000 National Sale Graduate) gives Geoff Woodruff his fourth Computaform Sprint winner.

Thoroughbreds: Beach Beauty, Capetown Noir, Cherry On The Top, Igugu, Pomodoro, Jackson, Shea Shea, Soft Falling Rain, Val de Ra, Variety Club. Stallions: Jet Master, Silvano (GER), Captain Al, Dynasty, Kahal, VAR, Strike Smartly, Western Winter. General: Restaurante Parreirinha near Turffontein is voted the best place to eat in Johannesburg. Not officially, but by everyone who’s ever enjoyed their succulent Peri Peri Prawns!

2013 Sales and Racing: S’Manga Khumalo becomes the first black jockey to win the Vodacom Durban July in its 117-year history, on 2010 TBA graduate Heavy Metal for trainer Sean Tarry and owner Chris van Niekerk. Veteran trainer Ormond Ferraris wins the SA Triple Tiara with Bridget Oppenheimer’s filly, Cherry On The Top. Shea Shea receives an International Achievement Award at the Equus Banquet. Varsfontein’s excellent

F

orries

stallion Judpot gets a Stallion Achievement Award. Former champion stallion Fort Wood is the leading broodmare sire.

Thoroughbreds: Beach Beauty, Cherry On The Top, Heavy Metal, Variety Club, Via Africa, What A Winter. Stallions: Silvano (GER), Jet Master, VAR, Captain Al, Dynasty, Kahal, Tiger Ridge, Western Winter. General: Nelson Mandela dies at his house in Houghton, Johannesburg.

The connections of Ebony Flyer, from left to right Jono Snaith, Gaynor Rupert, Chris Snaith and Justin Snaith.

W

altz (SAF)

“Quality is never an accident, it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution, it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”

S’Manga Khumalo, victorious on Heavy Metal.

Caroline Simpson

HISTORY

A PUZZLE

OF People and Horses I highly value the 25 years I spent as a member of the staff of the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of South Africa. I joined the TBA in January 1990 and my first assignment was the TopSport Bloodline Million. This holds very vivid memories for me as it was the first time a million rand race was run in South Africa.

The glamour and excitement was something to behold and then came the talk of how it was not a good thing to push two-year-olds into a race like this and so the debate raged on. I loved being involved in all the Bloodline Series races as I got to interact with the trainers and owners and share in the pulsating excitement of the events.

When I joined the TBA staff, Hilda Lloyd informed me that you had to know how the Puzzle of People and Horses fitted together. I spent the next few years trying to figure out the puzzle.

Selection Panel time was my favourite time of the year and I would make notes of all that was voiced by the panel. One year the physical inspection team, John Kramer and Tobie Spies, happened on a flooded area in the Robertson district, got stuck and went sailing down the Breede River in their inspection car with stacks of inspection documents in the car’s boot. The laughs we enjoyed when Jehan Malherbe asked the “River Rafters” what they thought about a certain yearling will always be a favourite memory.

2014 Sales and Racing: The National Sale delivers an all-time third-best R134,6-million in turnover, averaging R225,000 per foal. The mercurial S’Manga Khumalo becomes the first black jockey to capture the National Title with 185 winners, defeating Richard Fourie (143) and Muzi Yeni (141). Justin Snaith is Champion Trainer for the first time with 194 winners and just under R19,5-million in stakes. The Alchemy Stud’s Louis The King, a R55,000 purchase at the TBA’s KZN Sale, becomes the first horse since Horse Chestnut to win the SA Triple Crown. Owned by the Van der Vyfer family and trained by Geoff Woodruff, ‘Louis’ has since retired to stud at Sorrento Stud in the Western Cape. Variety Club, taken to Hong Kong by Mike de Kock after a wonderful career in South Africa for Joey Ramsden, wins the Gr1 Hong Kong Mile for owners Ingrid and Markus Jooste and jockey Anton Marcus. TBA graduate Vercingetorix wins the Gr1 Jebel Hatta in Dubai. The great Jet Master, who died in 2011, regains the Top Stallion Title. Dynasty makes his presence felt. The former Horse Of The Year’s progeny won no fewer than 22 major South African feature races in 2014. This tally includes eight Grade 1 races, with major races including the Vodacom Durban July, Champions Cup, Grand Parade Cape Guineas, and Maine Chance Paddock Stakes. Thoroughbreds: Act Of War, Futura, Legislate, Louis The King, Master Of My Fate, Hill Fifty Four, Vercingetorix, Wylie Hall. Stallions: Jet Master,

Caroline Simpson and Jan Naudé.

Another highlight would be showing overseas visitors the wonderful TBA Sales Complex at Gosforth Park. Everyone who visited always informed me that the complex was a world class venue and it gave me a feeling of great pride in something that had been planned and built by the breeders of South Africa.

The TBA is a prestigious organisation with a rich history which was built by a group of wonderful men and women. I am very honoured to have worked with some of these people.

You may leave the TBA but the TBA will never leave you as its memories ingrain themselves in your heart.

-Caroline Simpson, Sales Manager (1990 – 2015)

Dynasty, Captain Al, Black Minnaloushe, Kahal, Silvano, Tiger Ridge, Trippi, VAR. General: The SA movie industry, growing fast, produces Spud 3: Learning To Fly.

Louis The King, Triple Crown winner to stud.

Kelvin Haarhoff

HISTORY

A Roll of the Dice!

Affable Kelvin Haarhoff, the big man behind the popular Winners Bar at the TBA Complex, has seen more incidents in his establishment than he is able to remember, but one stands out: The day star filly Igugu was sold.

“This happened at the Ready To Run Sale in November 2009,” he recounts. “Owner Andre MacDonald had come to the TBA and he’d brought his wife Joyce and his two daughters from Australia to a corner table in the Winners Bar. ‘Mr. Mac’ had a bottle of whiskey on his table and he kept saying he wanted to buy a Galileo filly at the sale, they were going to go for big money but he was prepared to spend.

“Halfway through the day the first Galileo came into the ring, Uthawini, a beautiful looking filly from Summerhill. The arena came on fire. There were plenty of bids and then Mr. Mac was up against another spirited bidder, Mike de Kock, to secure the filly – they went through half a million and a million, up to one-and-a-half and then two million. Eventually she was knocked down to Mike for R2,1-million and Mr. Mac came back with his shoulders hanging and put away a few more single malts.

“Just 10 lots or so later he stormed out to the ring again to put his hand up for another Galileo filly, this one was Igugu. I could see the price rising through the half-million mark again, bidding was slower this time but they went up to R1-million and the last knock of the hammer was to Mr AJ MacDonald.

He’d gotten his Galileo!”

2015 Sales and Racing: Mike Rattray pays an all-time record R4,75 million for Savannah Cat, a filly by Fort Wood from Kapen Cat. She is by Fort Wood out of a three-time winning half sister to deceased former Champion Sire, Western Winter, and was bred by Sally Jourdan at Lammerskraal Stud. Rattray’s purchase contributes to a turnover of R127,8million, more or less on a par with the 2014 sale aggregate.

Trainer Brett Crawford wins his second J&B Met with Futura.

Dean Kannemeyer lands his third Vodcom Durban July with Power King. Sean Tarry captures his first National Trainers Title. Thoroughbreds: Ertijaal (AUS), Futura, Majmu, Noah From Goa, Power King, Same Jurisdiction, Seventh Plain.

Stallions: Captain Al, Trippi, Dynasty, Silvano, Jet Master,

Kelvin Haarhoff in his Winners Bar. Andre Macdonald recalls: “When the bidding reached R2-million on the first filly, I heard Mike de Kock, who was standing a few metres away from me, speaking on his phone.

He said something like, “We’ll get her on the next bid.” So I thought, well, he must be buying for a Dubai Sheikh, I can’t go up much more and I didn’t.

“A few whiskeys later I was prepared to give things a full go again, but Igugu went for less than I’d anticipated and I was happy with my purchase. It was a roll of the dice but as things turned out Uthawini never won a race while Igugu became a Durban July, J&B Met and Triple Crown winner. Mike de Kock ended up training Igugu and I eventually sold a share of her on to his patron, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum!”

Brett Crawford, trainer of the Future. (And the present!)

Kahal, Black Minnaloushe, Tiger Ridge. General: The deaths of literary giants André P. Brink, the Afrikaans novelist and playwright and Ken Owen, celebrated journalist and arguably the last good editor of the Sunday Times; cricket legend Clive Rice and former Bafana Bafana soccer star John “Shoes” Moshoeu.

24 HOUR EMERGENCY CALL-OUTS Matthew 072 687 7814 I Michael 082 572 0506 Office 011 948 9781 I E-Mail: info@newturf.co.za

We have depots in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth

Our fleet consists of: -15 Berth Rigs -2 Berths -6 Berth Raiders

www.mdsdesignstudio.co.za

*In dealing with New Turf the welfare of your horse is paramount * *We have our own midway stop in Colesberg (60 stables) with a local vet next door*

Gelykfontein

HISTORY

Time is a great leveller 2016 so far...

Sales and Racing: Well, you guessed it: The TBA is expecting a good National Yearling Sale!

Sean Tarry is well on his way to a second Trainers’ Title.

Veteran trainer Ormond Ferraris (84), saddles his 2500th winner, still going strong. Another legend Mike Bass announces that he will retire at the end of the season, to be handing over the reins to his daughter, Candice Robinson.

Abashiri looks set for stardom.

I remember the year 1977 well. We at Gelykfontein Stud were so excited with the new TBA Complex, Mr Buckle was the manager and Hilda Lloyd was the secretary. We believed it to be the best complex in the world.

We sold six yearlings at the 1977 sale including Steel Heart who won the SA Nursery as a two-year-old in 1978 and Pile Driver who ran third in the Gelykfontein’s used catalogue from EP Derby and won the 1977 National Sale. eight times after that.

My highlight at the TBA came in 1984 when Gelykfontein offered 12 yearlings and sold 10 for a total of R228 000. To give you an idea of how much money that was: In 1976 I bought an entire Karoo Farm for R84,000 and a new Hilux Diesel Bakkie cost under R10 000!

Ormond Ferraris, 64 years as a trainer.

Dennis is due a J&B Met! Since getting his trainers license in 1977 Dennis Drier has always been near or at the top, of the KwaZul-Natal trainers log. Drier says he has achieved almost all his ambitions winning big races from the Computaform Sprint (1000m) to the Durban July (2200m) to the Gold Cup (3200). “I would love to win the Met,” says Drier, who saddled the 2014 unplaced favourite Master Of My Fate, a top class multiple winner who raced in the same era as two of Drier’s best ever fillies, Beach Beauty and Val De Ra. Let’s hope Drier finds his elusive J&B Met winner at Nationals this year!

My top price that year was R70 000 for a Golden Thatch colt, Golden Liberty. Eight of the 12 sold at the 1984 sale became winners and three of them won feature races.

In those days the yearlings travelled by train to the sale grounds – loaded on cattle trucks which we divided in single compartments with wooden poles. This is why the old railway siding is still visible next to the complex.

Gelykfontein, established in 1935 by my late father, JC van der Walt, has a proud history. We bred the great race mare Renounce, the 1966 Horse Of The Year in South Africa, and we loved to sell and compete. My father lived to see the new TBA Complex, he passed away three months after the green street 1977 sale. bloodstock To my knowledge, of all the breeders at the 1977 sale only 13 are still active, including me. We’ve kept all the sales catalogues for the 81 years of our existence.

– Schalk and Christa van der Walt, Gelykfontein Stud.

Graham Beck

HISTORY

A very generous man WHEN I think back over my years of attending the National Sales, the individual who sticks out most in my mind is the late Graham Beck. I suppose Mr. Beck was always one of the sales highlights for me and I am sure I am not alone. The sales ground is synonymous with dreams of champion thoroughbreds but it is also the annual get together of friends and colleagues who gather from all corners of South Africa. New friends are welcomed, but we always miss the lost ones.

One often heard Mr. Beck as he moved around the sales complex. Whether he was wandering towards your yard on foot or dodging people in his golf cart, you could be sure that there was an excited commotion following in his wake. He knew which your best horses were, before he had even seen them. He never missed a trick.

On one such occasion Mr. Beck arrived at the Wilgerbosdrift Stud Pavilion, his voice booming and the golf cart weaving itself at top speed around people and yearlings that happened to be in his way. Assisted by his assistant Abe Mahlangu, Mr Beck settled down on the stoep with my mother Mary and our friend Lizzie Wilson.

The volume of their conversation soon rose, as did the laughter. I went out to deliver the drinks, and I remember being ushered back inside by Abe, who handed me a cool drink and said “now my dear, lets us have our drinks in here so that any rude jokes don’t hurt your young ears”!

One year in the mid 2000’s, anxious vendors chatted incessantly about their fears of no buyers and a pending economic doom. That same year, without any fuss or fanfare, Mr. Beck bought a horse from almost every farm represented

on the sale. He was generous beyond belief and in his own, sometimes outrageous way, he looked after everyone without us even realising it.

Mr. Beck’s passing was a giant loss to the entire industry - not just financially, but for his personality, his passion and his courage. He was a man of huge integrity who was never afraid to stand up for what he believed in. With the excitement and buildup to the National Sales, I always think of Mr. Beck and often when I sit outside a stable at the sales complex, I imagine hearing the commotion of him on his golf cart just around the next corner. It always makes me smile.

-Jessica Slack, Mauritzfontein Stud.

Your TBA/BSA team in 2016

Here to serve (back): David Duke, Kevin Woolward, Linda Morrison, Vesna Fineberg, Jenny van der Hoff; (front): Pauline Smith, Samantha Oliveira, Michelle Brits.

TBA 40 years Booklet, Copyright 2016: Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of South Africa.

Origination: Kevin Woolward.

Design and Layout: MDS Design (www.mdsdesignstudio.co.za).

Photos: Media 24, Etienne Louw, SA Racehorse (And Horseman), Charl Pretorius, Summerhill Stud, Liesl King, Heather Morkel.

Resources: SA Racehorse (And Horseman), Racing Record, Winner’s Circle, Parade Magazine, Thoroughbred in SA, SA Racing Fact Book (2007/8), Sporting Post.

Compiled and Edited by Charl Pretorius.

Printed by Remata Design, Midrand.