Herman Brown Snr’s trademark was his hats, which he was never see without, and here he is pictured with his wife Thelma (Picture credit: Summerhill Stud).

Tribute To The Great Trainer And Gentleman Herman Brown Snr

The great trainer and much loved industryman Herman Brown senior has passed away at the age of 93.

Today’s middle-aged trainers in KZN and around the country will invariably mention Herman Brown Senior as one of the people who taught them the most about training, not least of them being Frank Robinson, who was assistant in the Brown Snr and Brown Jnr yards for many years before taking out his own license.

There are also many jockeys who owed much of their skills to the lessons learnt from Mr Brown and the country’s only Hall Of Fame jockey Michael Roberts attests that the foundation of his success was laid by the education he received from Herman Brown Snr.

It was not only jockeys and trainers who benefitted.

Herman loved to share his immense knowledge and would do so with anybody who was interested.

Time spent talking about horses and horseracing was never time wasted for him.

Frank Robinson said that, on top of teaching his proteges horsemanship and training skills, Herman was also a father figure, who would teach them how to be a gentleman, including dress code and how to conduct oneself.

Frank said Herman always had time for punters and would often be seen marking cards for them outside the course.

He also had excellent communication skills with owners.

It is little wonder a former apprentice of his Basil Marcus became a many-times champion jockey in Hong Kong, where skills in communicating with owners is as important as riding skills.

Frank said, “Herman was never flustered … even when Gatecrasher lost the July on objection. He had planned a big celebration of the expected July victory as it was his daughter’s 21st birthday party at the Polo Pony Hotel that night and when the hotel owner phoned and asked whether he should cancel the champagne order, Herman replied, ‘No you must order even more because now we need to drown our sorrows!’”

Herman also advised his assistants to never confront a jockey about a bad ride on course, but to rather do it a couple of days later with a quiet word at the training track.

Growing up in Johannesburg’s southern suburbs, Herman had a tough childhood. His father, also Herman, had a small string of horses and he advised his son to move on when he was 18.

After a few years in Port Elizabeth, Herman moved to the Newmarket stables in Durban and then Summerveld, his “Ups and Downs” yard next to Fred Rickaby.

“Michael Roberts was my apprentice jockey for five years and with Basil Marcus, were the best that rode for me. Michael, an Afrikaans boy from Oudshoorn, was taken to elocution lessons by my wife so he could learn English when he was at the Jockey Academy in Mariannhill,” explained Herman in one article.

Among the top horses Herman trained were Foveros, Turncoat, Rock Star, Glenever, Forty Winks, Bold Monarch, Sun Monarch, Wave Crest, Singing Boy, Jet Pilot and others, but he always said the best he ever trained was Gatecrasher.

When a journalist arrived to see Herman Snr about an article in late 2007 he said, “So you’ve come to talk about Gatecrasher, the greatest horse to ever race in this country.”

Brown had never seen Gatecrasher before he joined him and was very disappointed when the big chestnut got off the float at Summerveld. He described him as all legs and so narrow he “looked like two planks put together.”

He immediately sent him to a nearby spelling farm.

A while later Gatecrasher was given a grass gallop alongside two other juveniles.

Herman was awe-struck when he saw the colt in full stride. “He was an absolute machine,” he recalled.

“When the workrider, George Davies, dismounted he had a broad grin and said ‘Mr Brown, you have a champion’.”

Gatecrasher had a flexor tendon problem on his near fore leg and this was his undoing on right-hand tracks as he had a tendency to hang towards the outside.

However, he was unbeaten on left-hand tracks and his finest hour came when winning the J&B Met by 2,25 lengths from Sledgehammer in January 1976.

Ironically, he also provided Brown with his most disappointing career moment.

Gatecrasher crossed the line first in the 1975 July under Garth Puller, but his infamous hanging antic had interfered with the Ormond Ferraris-trained raider Distinctly and a subsequent objection on the latter’s behalf was upheld, although the race winner was declared to be Principal Boy, who had finished ahead of Distinctly on the other side of the track.

Herman once told a journalist that if he had a book written about him he would have liked the title to be “The Battler”, because he regarded his most enjoyable years as those in which he had to provide a living for his loved ones based on his skills as both a horseman, a snooker player and a punter.

His years of battling was also the reason he always had time for battling punters on the racecourse, having been there himself.

He is the only man to have been the Natal champion trainer and champion snooker player at the same time (in around 1970).

In fact Frank Robinson relates that the top SA snooker player Perrie Mans said in his book the one player he always feared was Herman Brown.

Back in the 1960s trainers and jockeys did not get a cut of the stakes money and stables had to survive on betting.

Herman left no stone unturned in his preparation of horses.

Ralph Smout, a racecourse and training track manager of many years standing, was once recalling some of his earlier days and said when one walked into the Brown yard there would be a row of top division horses “lined up like bombs.”.

Herman also left no stone unturned in maximising his profit.

For every race at Greyville, for example, he stood high in the grandstand in line with the finishing post and this was in case there was a close finish, because back in the day the bookmakers used to price up on the hard-to-call photo-finishes. Herman would have an assistant standing next to the bookmaker ring and he would “give him the office” on which one to back. Such was his trained eye, he was never wrong.

Later, after punting was no longer vitally necessary, he still loved a flutter but more importantly had to play his part in getting horses in tip top shape for big punting owners.

The probable biggest punter he ever had in his yard was the legendary football pools magnate Robert Sangster.

Sangster became probably the biggest owner in the world after forming a partnership with John Magnier and investing in Coolmore Stud, with most of their horses being trained at Ballydoyle by the great Irish trainer Vincent O’Brien.

Brown was introduced to Sangster at an Australian sale by the late Durban-based Bloodstock agent Chris Smith.

He recalled that he and Sangster “took to each other immediately” and later Sangster, upon enquiring about Brown’s credentials, gave him the go ahead to buy a few horses.

Brown trained strings of between 15 to 20 horses for Sangster and one of the first things he learnt was that Sangster loved a punt.

However, he only ever considered a bet if the trainer was able to rate the chances of the horse as at least 8 out of 10.

The first horse that fitted the credentials was a colt called Seat Of Power.

Brown recalled that in those days of the early 1980s, unlike in today’s age of transparency, the stakes money was not high and gambling was still playing an important role in many yards.

He said, “There were eyes everywhere and many at Summerveld knew how good Seat Of Power was before he raced.”

Consequently Brown planned to debut the horse in Johannesburg. He was due to take a couple of his best horses up there for a big meeting and entered Seat Of Power in a maiden on the day.

Brown put Seat Of Power to the test beforehand and galloped him over 1400m on the Summerveld grass with one of his many Gr 1 horses.

He recalled , “Seat Of Power played with him.”

He continued, “I phoned Robert and told him I had a good runner for him. He asked me the rating and I replied nine.”

The problem now was how to get the money on, because when Sangster punted he punted big. After being advised by his father, Brown phoned one of the biggest bookmakers in Johannesburg, who confirmed that the favourite was even money and Seat Of Power was 3-1.

Brown was asked how much he would like on and after replying he added, “You will have to do the exchange rates because that’s the amount in pounds.”

After an initial pause to absorb this information the bookmaker told Brown that he would likely be able to give him even money as long as he gave him about 15 minutes to finalise it. The bookmaker then claimed all the prices around the country and secured the even money bet, although the horse opened on course at prohibitive odds-on. He won easily and the ever generous Sangster rewarded Brown by allowing him to keep the stake money.

The best horse that Brown ever trained for Sangster was the remarkable Turncoat.

Turncoat’s first trainer was Mark Watters, who bought him for a relative tuppence, and he was then bought into the Jean Heming yard by one of her big owners after his first couple of impressive wins. He started his three-year-old career in fine style but was then put up for auction and on Brown’s recommendation Chris Smith secured him at a sizeable price on behalf of Sangster.

Turncoat went on to win the Cape Guineas and later that year won the Gr 1 Mainstay International over 1800m at Clairwood, beating top horses like Bodrum, Rain Forest, Up The Creek, The Rutland Arms and Gondolier.

Brown said “He was nothing to look at as he was small and had one club foot. At first sight you wondered how he could run at all. He was the greatest freak of a horse I have ever known.”

Jockey Michael Roberts confirmed that Turncoat was a terrible mover in his slow gaits and would stumble virtually every second stride.

Brown paid tremendous attention to detail so knew knew all of the ins and outs of his beloved horses, including their idiosyncracies.

He used to recall how the great Foveros, who went on to be an eight times national Champion sire, used to love having his tongue squeezed.

Brown’s skills at snooker in the 1960s placed him often at the Monaco Club, which was across the road from the Tattersalls on Field Street.

He thus became the best source of reference for the Sea Cottage affair.

That is a story for another day, but to mention it briefly the dastardly deed was hatched in the Monaco Club, whose owner owed a bookmaker across the road some money and upon request he was informed the debt would be waived if he was able to stop Sea Cottage from winning the July (of 1966).

Herman knew all the characters involved. He spoke of how they viewed trainers as valuable sources of information and that it was best, for obvious reasons, to remain on the right side of them.

Herman was a family man and doted on wife Thelma and his children, including his son who became the third generation of Herman Brown trainer and was known as Herman Junior.

In fact Frank Robinson said Herman Senior’s most regular saying was, “Everything is for sale except my wife and kids.”

Thelma was the backbone of Herman’s success and he also always knew, however bad or good a day he had had, a fine meal would be waiting for him.

Herman proudly related the story when Herman Jnr as a gifted junior golfer was privileged to once play a round with Gary Player and afterwards Gary had said to him, “I wish I had been blessed with a swing like your son’s”

Herman Snr also regarded Herman Jnr’s feat of running second in the Durban July with Sushisan as one of the finest training feats he had ever witnessed.

The Australian-bred only won his maiden on February 15, less than five months before the July.

Herman Snr was also proud of Herman Jnr’s tremendous success overseas, winning Group 1s in places like Dubai and Singapore.

Herman Snr’s kindness was shown one year at the Australian sales when he stumbled across his ex-jockey George Davies, who was battling as a trainer out there in his homeland. Herman’s budget was intended to cover horses being brought back to his yard in South Africa, but he changed the plan slightly and sent one to George. Deservedly, it turned out to be a good horse.

Herman Brown Snr was a legend in his own lifetime and is going to be missed by many, but his legacy has lived on for many years since his retirement and will continue to do so.

Rain In Holland proves she is still a force to be reckoned with when easily winning the Grade 2 Colorado King Stakes over 2000m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday (JC Photos).

Rain In Holland Still Relishes A True Test

Sean Tarry has never stopped believing in Rain In Holland, despite still being winless for the season well into March, and the Duke Of Marmalade filly finally got what she wanted in the Grade 2 Colorado King Stakes over 2000m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday i.e. a true test.

In her Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara season the factor which became noticeable in separating her from the rest was her ability to find extra when others were gasping for air.

On Saturday, S’Manga Khumalo was up for the first time in her career.

The recent strategy of holding her up had not been working as it placed too much dependence on their being a suitably quick pace which would put the contestants under pressure.

Khumalo took her straight to the front from where he would be able to dictate how much pressure to apply.

Khumalo did not go like the clappers, knowing that the testing going was going to play in their favour in the straight.

In the straight there was suddenly a sight fans had become familiar with last season, i.e the substantial Rain In Holland relishing her task and galloping resolutely under normal urging with the rest of the field off the bit, under the whip, and going up and down.

Rain In Holland was going further clear of the 2,25 length runner up Nebraas as she reached the line and the field was literally strewn out like the washing, with third-placed Johnney Hero beaten 5,75 lengths, Litigation beaten 8,25 lengths, Divine Odyssey beaten 8,75 lengths, Pink Tourmaline beaten 15 lengths and Second Base beaten 16,50 lengths.

That was despite her carrying a 2kg Grade 1 penalty.

The time of the next race over the same distance, a MR 70 Handicap, was run a full 4,16 seconds slower.

It will be no surprise to see Rain In Holland attempting to employ a front-running tactic in her likely next race, the Grade 1 wfa Premier’s Champion Challenge over the same course and distance.

Leaving Vas Vegas gives Tony Peter his first stakes win (JC Photos).

Tony Peter Lands First Graded Win

Tony Peter has started where his championship-winning father Paul left off.

After taking his trainers license out late last year he had a winner with his first runner in January.

He currently has 12 wins at the highest strike rate on the national trainers log, 29.27%.

His first feature win was with What A Winter four-year-old filly Cold Fact in the Non-Black Type Bauhinia handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m on February 26.

On Saturday he landed his first stakes win with the Klawervlei Stud-bred Rafeef filly Leaving Las Vegas, who won the Grade 3 Pretty Polly Stakes over 1100m on the Turffontein Standside track.

Jumping from draw two under Dennis Schwarz, she came out quickest but was soon joined by the favourite Elegant Ice (What A Winter) and Woman Of Fame (What A Winter) on the outside.

Elegant Ice stretched into the lead at the halfway mark but Leaving Las Vegas went with her.

In the closing stages these two became involved in an exciting duel and it was Leaving Las Vegas who emerged the victor by a quarter of a length.

Both Leaving Las Vegas and Elegant Ice carried 3kg penalties for having won a race and only third-placed Woman Of Fame, who was receiving 3kg from the former pair, finished close, beaten 1,25 lengths.

The rest of the field was beaten 9,50 lengths and more.

Furthermore, the time of 65,54 seconds was just 0,36 seconds slower than the time of the colts race.

The first two should make an impact for the rest of the season, while Woman Of Fame has had three seconds and is also a decent sort.

Leaving Las Vegas ran in the familiar red and white colours of Johnny Peters’ Hyperpaint Syndicate, although she is also part-owned by Ian Levitan and A Lang.

Leaving Las Vegas was purchased on the Cape Premier Yearling Sale for R150,000.

She is out of the one-time winning Trippi mare Seeking Venus, who won on debut in the April of her three-year-old season over 1000m on Turffontein Inside, but that proved to be her only career win in eleven starts.

Lucky Lad wins the Grade 3 Protea Stakes under Richard Fourie (JC Photos).

Gimmethegreenlight 1-2-3 And Vercingetorix Also Adds A Stakes Win

Gimmethegreenlight is comfortably clear in the race for the national champion sire title and both he and Vercingetorix added a stakes win apiece over the weekend, although the latter has dropped to fourth place on the log and What A Winter has moved up into second place.

Sean Tarry’s good trot continued as he won two Graded races on Saturday at Turffontein Standside with Lucky Lad and Rain In Holland (Grade 2 Colorado King Stakes).

Lucky Lad is a smart Varsfontein Stud-bred Gimmethegreenlight colt and he ran on well to catch the leader, the Mike Azzie-trained first-timer filly Amber Rock, who is also by Gimmethegreenlight, to win the Grade 3 Protea Stakes over 1100m by 0,40 lengths. Third place went to the Mike de Kock-trained Varsfontein Stud-bred Gimmethegreenlight colt Gimmeanotherchance, although he was beaten by five lengths.

Lucky Lad is unbeaten in two starts and it was a fine performance as he gave the runner up and third-placed horses 5,5kg and 3kg respectively.

Lucky Lad cost R850 000 at the National Yearling Sale.

He runs in the famous brown and white Beck silks and is owned by AR and ABL Beck.

On Sunday on the Hollywoodbets Greyville turf the Andre Nel-trained Vercingetorix five-year-old gelding Cape Eagle made it four wins on the trot and five wins in his last six starts when cosily winning the Listed King’s Cup over 1,30 lengths under Robert Khathi.

He was receiving 5,5kg from the runner up Captain Fontane.

Cape Eagle controlled the pace in the front and Captain Fontane was too far back in the seven horse field, after being dropped out from a wide draw, as the race turned into a sprint for home.

Gimmethegreenlight is about R3,3 million clear of What A Winter on the national sires log.

He has now had nine individual stakes winners this season of ten races.

Vercingetorix increased his stakes tally for the season to five individual winners of six races, but he is more than R4 million behind Gimmethegreenlight in stakes.

In The Fast Lane wins the 2013 Cape Fillies Guineas (Picture: Sporting Post)

In The Fast Lane Filly Wins Impressively On Debut In The UK

The Barnane Stud of the Kieswetter family have been in the news lately and they had more success tonight at Wolverhampton when their homebred No Nay Never filly Girl Racer, who is out of the former Justin Snaith-trained South African-bred Jet Master mare In The Fast Lane, ran out an easy winner of a seven furlong Novice Stakes.

The Willie Haggas-trained chestnut filly looks full of class and jumping from draw seven in the ten horse field she was taken into a prominent position by Cieran Fallon.

In the straight she showed a fine turn of foot and drew clear of the field to beat the favourite, a Charlie Fellowes-trained Frankel filly having her second start called Smoky Mountain, by an easy 3,75 lengths.

In The Fast Lane was out of Northern Guest’s daughter First Arrival, who was the Zimbabwean champion three-year-old filly and won two Grade 3s. That makes In The Fast Lane a half-sister to the like of Grade 1-winning sprinter Let’s Roc’N Roll (Muhtafal) as well as to Grade 2 winners Light The Lights (Western Winter) and Keep On Dancing (Silvano) and to Listed winners Pack Leader (Philanthropist) and Rock The Country (Western Winter) as well as to two stakes placed horses.

In The Fast Lane won the Grade 2 Choice Carriers Championship over 1600m, the Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas and the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 before finishing a decent fifth in the 2014 Durban July.

She was then exported overseas and ran once at Newmarket.

The Kieswetters have given her every chance at stud.

Her first two foals were an Australian-bred colt and filly respectively by the four-times Australian Champion Sire, Snitzel.

They were both imported to South Africa and were trained by Brett Crawford.

Real Gone Kid won six races from 1200m to 1250m in just 13 starts and was beaten just a length when fifth in the Grade 1 Pongracz Cape Flying Championship.

He reached a merit rating of 112.

He is now standing at stud at the Kieswetter’s Ridgemont Highlands Stud.

Stiptelik is following suit and her two wins have been augmented by a 0,75 length second in the Grade 2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes over 1200m, a 0,60 length third in the Grade 2 Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m and also a Listed second.

USA-bred No Nay Never (Scat Daddy) won the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes in record time in his first start in Europe at the Royal Ascot meeting and was then an easy winner of the Group 1 Prix Morny at at Deauville. He also won a Group 3 at Keeneland in the USA.

This Coolmore stallion has made a massive impact, having already produced six Group 1 winners and was the Champion First Crop Sire of 2018 & Champion 2YO Sire of 2022.

It would be no surprise to see Girl Racer becoming the best of In The Fast lane’s foals to date such was the class she showed tonight.

She should pay to follow.

Equinox cruises home under Christophe Lemaire in the Dubai Sheema Classic (Picture: Chase Liebenberg)

Japanese Dominate, Equinox Boosts sire Kitasan Black

The Dubai World Cup meeting saw the Japanese riding high again and probably the most significant performance was the scintillating victory of Equinox in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic over 1800m.

Japan won the main race, the US$12 million Dubai World Cup, through the Noburu Tagaki-trained six-year-old entire Ushba Tesoro (Orfevre), who produced a strong late run under Yuga Kawada to win by a comfortable 2,75 lengths. Ushba Tesoro had trailed the field 15 lengths off the pace in the early stages before Kawada made his move out wide with 600 metres to race. He caught the locally owned (Hamdan Sultan Ali Alsabousi) Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Algiers, who travelled with conspicuous ease entering the straight and still looked the winner a furlong-and-a-half out.

Winning trainer Takagi said the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, still the one race Japan has yet to conquer and the one it covets most, will come under consideration later in the year, all going well.

However, it was Equinox who had tongues really wagging.

The great Deep Impact’s full brother Black Tide has not had the same influence he himself had, but significantly Equinox is by Black Tide’s best son Kitasan Black.

Deep Impact’s passing in 2018 at the age of 17 was a major blow to Japan’s thoroughbred industry because he was one of the world’s most dominant stallions and was Japan’s champion sire for nine consecutive years from 2012 to 2020.

Kitasan Black won seven Grade 1 races in Japan and was twice their Horse Of The Year.

He is highest earning horse in Japanese history.

Equinox is from Kitasan Black’s first crop and was his first black type winner.

He won two Grade 1s as a three-year-old in Japan.

An interesting asset in Kitasan Black’s pedigree is his third dam Tizly, who is by Lyphard.

Not only was Deep Impact’s dam Wind In Her Hair by Lyphard stallion Alzao, but Tizly is also dam of Cees Tizzy, who was sire of Tiznow, the twice Group 1 Breeders Cup Classic winner and American Hose Of The Year Tiznow.

Interestingly, Equinox is out of Chateau Blanche, who is by King Halo.

While Deep Impact was from the Hail To Reason sire line of the immortal Sunday Silence and his dam is from the sire line of Lyphard, King Halo is from the Lyphard sire line via the brilliant Arc winner Dancing Brave and his dam is from the Hail To Reason sire line via Sunday Silence’s sire Halo.

Equinox this has Deep Impact’s Hail To Reason and Lyphard cross on both his male and female side.

He looks to be an important stud prospect for Japan.

He put in probably the best turf performance this year in the Sheema Classic.

Trained by Tetsuya Kimura and ridden by Christophe Lemaire, he went straight to the front and was able to dictate at a good gallop.

He is a horse of tremendous substance, he oozes class, and it was a sight to see him quickening away from the field at the top of the straight and then powering home to a 3,5 length victory in course record time.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained seven-year-old Dubawi gelding Lord North made history by winning the Group 1 Dubai Turf over 1800m for the third time in succession under Frankie Dettori (he dead-heated in the race last year).

The Grade 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen over 1200m on the dirt went to a USA horse again, the Jeremiah O’Dwyer-trained five-year-old gelding Sibelius (Not This Time), who was ridden by Ryan Moore.

The Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint over 1200m on turf went to the locally-trained Irish-bred six-year-old Invincible Spirit gelding Danyah. He is trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, is owned by Shadwell and was ridden by Dane O’Neill.

Japan also won the Group 2 UAE Derby over 1900m on dirt with the Hidetaka Otonashi-trained Derma Sotogake (Mind Your Biscuits), who gave Christophe Lemaire the first leg of a double.

Ryan Moore also rode a double, winning the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup over 3200m on turf on the Aidan O’Brien-trained Broome (Australia).

The Group 2 Godolphin Mile on dirt was won by the Doug Watson-trained USA-bred five-year-old entire Isolate (Mark Valeski) ridden by Tyler Gaffalione.

De Melo And Arries Doubles

Keagan de Melo and Ashton Arries both had doubles on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly today.

De Melo goes to 206 wins for the season at a strike rate of 20.91% according to the statistics of the National Racing Bureau.

Arries goes to 23 wins for the season at 8.58%.

Trademark, who provided Bass Racing with the first of four Durban July winners (Mike three, Candice one), was visited by photographer Chase Liebenberg in Dubai last week (Picture: Liesl King)

Chase Liebenberg Stumbles Across A July Winner In Dubai

Sporting Post

Oblivious to the world’s eyes firmly focussed on Meydan this past week, a Durban July winner is whiling away his retirement days within a stone’s throw of the ecstatic madding crowd that screamed Japanese star Ushba Tesoro home in the twenty-seventh running of the Dubai World Cup

Sporting Post photographer Chase Liebenberg cracked the nod to cover his second Dubai World Cup and tells how he stumbled on the fact that a Durban July winner was living out his days in the UAE – and then not in a random paddock somewhere, but practically in the city!

Chase writes that he was wondering who the former July winner could possibly be? After all, many of the winners from the past couple of years are accounted for and we know where they are living out their days.

He was stunned to hear that it was Africa’s Greatest Horseracing event’s 2001 winner, Trademark! Chase was only around 7 years old when the Bass champ won the big race!

Piere Strydom and Trademark win the 2001 Durban July

The former Mike Bass trained son of Goldmark, who was bred by D Cohen & Sons, is living out his days at the ripe old age of twenty seven at Dar Al Khail a facility owned and run by the Dubai Racing Club.

The incredible facility for rehoming and rehabilitation of ex-racehorses is managed by Heather Copland. The facility is currently surrounded by towering skyscrapers and is located near the Red Stables of Dubai-based Doug Watson, who cracked a victory on World Cup night with Isolate in the Godolphin Mile.

When seeing Trademark I couldn’t believe my eyes at how well the old chap looked.

We arranged for him to come outside for a small group of media to meet and greet the champion and what a professional he was!

He stood perfectly for everyone to see him and didn’t even bat an eyelid.

I work for the Bass Racing operation and it was rather special on a personal level seeing him and having the opportunity to have a photo with him.

Trademark really landed up being a dream horse and a true globetrotter.

He was originally trained by Mike Bass out of his Milnerton yard and owned by the Mike Barfoot and Tony Kerkman.

Chatting to Carol and Mike Bass, they recounted that Trademark was a straight forward, sound horse who was very intelligent. One of those horses who could practically read and write.

Candice Bass-Robinson also remembered him being a simple horse to train. If anything he carried his head very low down to the ground while working, and one would think he’d fall over – but thankfully he never did!

During his career under the Bass flag he won many feature races including the Durban July in 2001 with Piere Strydom aboard and the Queen’s Plate with Bernard Fayd’herbe.

After being sold to Dubai he was trained by Satish Seemar. He never added a win to his belt while in Dubai but raiding in the United States he was victorious in the 2003 Gr2 Bernard Baruch Handicap and the Gr2 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga.

Trademark looks quite bored – but he has been there and done it! (Pic – Liesl King)

The well-travelled gelding returned to Dubai under the care of Satish where he continued to race until the age of nine, when he eventually retired to Heather.

As a golden oldie he will see out his days at Dar Al Khail.

For more information on Dar Al Khail contact Heather at retirementhome@dubairacingclub.com

The horse in question is pictured before winning the Queen’s Plate under Bernard Fayd’herbe in December 2001 (Picture: Sporting Post).

Today’s Question

Who holds the record for the fastest time recorded in the Durban July over the current 2200m trip?

Hollywoodbets Durbanville Fields, Tuesday

Mike Bass’s first July win was with race record-holder Trademark in 2001. He also won with Dunford (2005) and Pocket Power (2008 dead-heat with Dancer’s Daughter), while his daughter Candice Bass-Robinson won with Marinaresco in 2017.

ANSWER TO TODAY’S QUESTION:

The Mike Bass-trained Trademark (Goldmark), featured earlier in the newsletter, holds the record for the fastest time in the July over the incumbent 2200m trip.

Turf Talk Newsletter – 27 March 2023