Paul Peter has had to wait a while by his standards to achieve the two winners he needed, after last weekend’s racing, to set the new South African record of 216 winners in a season.

He surpassed the previous record of 215 set by Sean Tarry in the 2016/2017 season.

A live link on channel 240 showed Peter celebrating with two others in KZN where he is preparing his horses out of Summerveld for Marshalls World Of Sport Gold Cup day. 

Peter had a rare blank at The Vaal Classic track meeting on Tuesday and was blank after the first six races today.

However, he then went boom, boom with favourites in the last two races, Mercury Rising (Gimmethegreenlight) and Vanderbilt (What A Winter).

Mercury Rising was sent to him after a fair effort in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint having earlier been purchased out of the Justin Snaith yard.

It was a winner with Peter’s first run for new prominent owner Sandy Arundel of Itssa It & Business Solutions (Pty) Ltd. 

It was fitting it happened on his record-breaking day.

However, even more fitting was Peter then broke the record with a Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein-bred half-brother to Summer Pudding, who was the horse who well and truly put him on the map. 

Summer Pudding, bred by Wilogerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein and raced by Mauritzfontein Stud, gave Peter his first ever Grade 1 win in the Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic before going on to land the Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara as well as the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 and the Grade 1 WSB Summer Cup.

Vanderbilt is also fittingly owned by reigning champion owner Suzette Viljoen.

He has won all three starts he has had for the Peter stable, having started off in Cape Town and then being sent to the Eastern Cape.

It was most fitting that stable jockey Warren Kennedy brought both Mercury Rising and Vanderbilt home having played such a big part in the Peter yard success.

Kennedy lay down in the flower bed in the winner’s enclosure after the last race and took a deep breath.

He then smilingly explaining that finally achieving the record was a big weight off the shoulders of himself, Paul, Tony, Josh, Marc, the grooms and everybody else involved.

Tony and Josh are Paul’s sons and assistants and Marc is his nephew and assistant.

Warren said, “It’s a massive effort  and to have broken the record is what dreams are made of.”

It was then revealed by Tony that the record had actually been the chief goal for the season and was given even a higher priority than the championship.

Tony added, “I said ‘Dad, you’re going crazy, it’s not possible … but the man’s a freak. His is a proper trainer.”

Tony concluded, “It has been a huge team effort. Every member of the staff has played a part.” 

Picture: Paul Peter yard staff celebrate the record (JC Photos).