The above picture accompanied one of Jay August’s detailed post race analyses which were much appreciated by his followers. 

There were few with a greater passion for horseracing than Jay August who passed away early this morning after a long illness incredibly bravely borne.

He conscientiously kept a consummate database of South African racing results that stretched back to at least the beginning of this century.

As a true intellectual who previously worked in the financial investment arena he made  recommendations to the racing industry not on a whim but based on meticulous analysis of the data in his hands.

He also provided fascinating post race analyses.

This was usually based on the sectional timing system he constructed using specialised software whose timing method was the counting of visual frames and he measured distance by picking out the distance poles which were visible on TV.

He did not expect public credit for his work and often did it in his free time.

Therefore there are few who appreciate how much he contributed.

His understanding of the racing program and where it was failing was probably the area he was able to make the most valuable recommendations.

His work in this field has been incorporated in some instances. 

He also worked with the NHA and with various commitees like the Asian Pattern commitee.

It is no coincidence his best friend was chief handicapper Lennon Maharaj. 

Jay’s passion for the game was not just limited to statistics but also to the history of the game.

He often wrote about the great horses of the past and unearthed facts about them not generally known.

He also fished out relatively unknown horses who were underappreciated in history.

The best birthday present he ever received was a visit to the world’s leading throughbred breeding farm, Coolmore Stud. 

His passion for the sport made his long battle against debilitating leukemia a touch easier to bear and he loved nothing more than to speak for hour after hour about horseracing.

It has to be said he did not suffer fools gladly but at the same time he was an enlightened human being who cared genuinely for the lot of the underprivileged and was outspoken on their behalf.

He was lucky to have a mother in Thelma who took excellent care of him during his illness and together with his much loved cat and nearby friends Lennon and Marlene Maharaj provided him with companionship. 

Condolences to family and friends of a man who will be sorely missed in many ways and who has left a void impossible to fill as far as the racing industry is concerned.