Leading owner Laurence Wernars celebrated his second seasonal century of winners when Better Man (Rafeef) captured Race 1 over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Tuesday. Owned in partnership with his son Jarryd and Rikesh Seewgoolam, the Vaughan Marshall-trained runner delivered the milestone victory.
The 100 quickly became 101 on Wednesday, when Corrupt, trained by Mike and Mathew de Kock, won Race 4 over 1800m on the polytrack at HWB Greyville. With this result, Wernars equalled his personal best of 101 winners, achieved last season.
With around two weeks left in the season and a strong team of runners still in action—including several well-fancied contenders at Turffontein on Thursday—Wernars is well on track to surpass his previous mark. “I am delighted,” he said. “Every winner is special. We’re always aiming higher.”
Wernars has long been a major supporter of South African horseracing and has established himself as one of the country’s most prolific and passionate owners. Last season, half of his winners carried his familiar red, white, and black silks, a trend that has continued this year. The remainder have come through various partnerships, giving him an interest in races on most days of the calendar for his deep enjoyment and consistent involvement in the sport.
Laurence with Gavin Lerena (JC Photos).
He said that the accolades belong to his racing partners: “I’d like to pay tribute to Mukund Gudjadur, Rikesh Sewgoolam, Harry Willson and Dayalan Chinsammy. Without these individuals, the benchmark of 100 winners would not have been reached, and of course we would only have had half the fun!”
A devoted enthusiast for the thrills of the sport, Laurence watches all the races he has an interest in, and attends race meetings when possible. “We enjoy having a bet. Sometimes we back the wrong horse, and there are times when things go a bit quiet, but that is all part of the game.”
Wernars said that he has a nice crop of two-year-old runners for next season, and that good things are expected from his current racing prospects, including Graded-placed Tin Pan Alley, Alpine Jet, the mentioned Better Man, Night Rain and Randolph Hearst.
He said in an interview earlier this year: My son, Jarryd, and daughters Teneille and Montana have also learnt to enjoy the sport of racing – Jarryd more so than the girls. They, he joked, “are still in the party stage of racing”. But they’ll all be getting more involved over time, because their dad’s blood is in their veins.
“I want to leave a fund for them to continue my racing interests one day. Racing has taught me that passion fuels perseverance, and perseverance opens doors to possibilities we might never have imagined. It’s all about having fun, and I sure am!”
