The Weiho Marwing-trained Son Of Raj emerges an easy winner of Saturday’s Grade 1 WSB SA Derby to the disbelief of his owner and breeder Steven Chetty. (Candiese Lenferna).
One horse who will be among the Hollywoodbets Durban July entries when they are unveiled in two weeks time will be the Grade 1 WSB SA Derby winner Son Of Raj, although when his owner and breeder Steven Chetty sees his name he will still not be able to believe it.
“We entered him in the July today and to have a horse going for the July … I just can’t believe it!” exclaimed the Durbanite. “This journey is awesome … I can’t even explain the feeling I have in me … and it doesn’t matter whether we we win lose or draw.”
“Obviously we want him to win, but at the moment I can hardly sleep at night and if he does win, well, I think then they will have to book me into ICU!” he laughed.
The journey started when former trainer Herman Brown Jnr contacted him about an issue on his road in Kloof that required an engineer’s imput.
They became good friends and one day Herman asked him if he would like to get involved in horse ownership.
Steven’s first horse was called Winning Edge and as his debut coincided with Herman’s retirement he was trained by Frank Robinson, who was a long-time assistant in the Brown yard before becoming an official training partner.
That Malhub gelding won two races in a long career.
However, the most important horse Steven bought early in his owning career was a Black Minnaloushe filly called Freudiana for R300,000 at the BSA National Yearling Sales.
It was not surprising Herman, who signed for this filly, was interested in her. Freudiana’s dam Rippling Star by Fort Wood was a half-sister to Rippling Ring, who was bought in training by one of the Brown yard’s chief overseas clients James Atkinson after finishing fourth in the Cape Derby, winning the Derby Trial and finishing third in the SA Derby.
Freudiana was given a luxury start by her new connections.
She was taken from the sales to Herman Brown’s Summerveld small-holding, which had lush paddocks. She was taken care of there by Herman’s wife Natasha, and prepared for the rigours of racing which lay ahead.
However, Herman retired shortly thereafter and moved to Cape Town.
Freudiana was thus trained by Frank Robinson and won three races and placed six times in just 13 starts.
Her career was halted by a tendon injury. An attempt to make a come back with a different yard after a year’s layoff was eventually given up on.
She was then sent down to Eugene Freeman’s Boland stud.
Her first foals were twins and both passed away.
She foaled down successfully after her next pregnancy. Steven named the filly Gengamma after his mother.
However, this filly was soon adjudged to be “useless” and never raced.
Frank Robinson was instrumental in recommending Duke Of Marmalade for Freudiana’s next cover.
Eugene Freeman approved of the choice.
Steven also mentioned the many valuable lessons in breeding he had been given by Eugene.
Freudiana successfully delivered two foals in successive seasons by Duke Of Marmalade, both colts.
Steven has two important father figures in his life … his late biological father, Raj, and the father who helped bring him up, Arumugam.
He named the first colt Arumugam.
He wanted to name the second one Raj, but was not allowed to by the NHRA, so settled for Son Of Raj.
Ironically that means the two full-brothers represent father and son i.e Arumugam and Steven himself, because he is after all the son of Raj.
Steven is extremely grateful for the excellent care both Arumugam and Son Of Raj were given by their respective first trainer, Peter Muscutt.
He said without the Muscutt yard’s professionalism and horsemanship, the pair would never have achieved what they had done today.
However, he recognised Arumugam needed a more galloping track than the tight ones in KZN and that was the sole reason for his recent move to the Highveld.
Steven said, “Peter is a great trainer, we remain friends, and he will get more horses from me.”
Steven has had shares in a number of horses with Weiho Marwing, so he was the automatic choice of trainer when moving Arumugam to the Highveld.
His intuition about the horse needing a galloping track proved spot on.
Arumugam made his Highveld debut over 2400m in a Listed race. It was his first attempt at a staying trip and by complete surprise he won it at 20/1 odds. Steven had not even travelled up to watch.
He followed up by winning a Listed race over 3200m.
Steven decided Son Of Raj, being a full brother to Arumugam would have to go the same route.
He also won by complete surprise on his Highveld debut, downing the R7 million horse Celestial City over 1800m.
He followed with a place and then booked his place in the Derby with an easy three length win over 2000m in the Listed 4Racing Derby Trial, although he was carrying joint bottom weight of 55,5kg.
Derby Day coincided with the school holidays, so Steven’s whole family flew up with him for the big day, all dressed up in red to reflect Steven’s colours.
He said his hope of winning the race was more of a dream than anything else. He never believed with any conviction it could happen against such a strong field.
He spoke of the fortunate circumstances which had allowed Keagan de Melo to be available for Son Of Raj’s last two starts.
Weiho had noticed Keagan was without a ride in the Derby Trial.
He told Steven there was no reason the best jockey in the country should be sitting on the sidelines for that race.
“He is not the number one jockey in the country for nothing,” reiterated Steven.
De Melo read the slow pace perfectly on Saturday and sent Son Of Raj for home at the top of the straight.
With the fitness imparted by the probable best trainer of stayers in the country coupled with his stout pedigree he was never going to be caught.
However, when Son Of Raj crossed the line 2,25 lengths clear it all seemed surreal to Steven … and he is still pinching himself.
He described it also as a “Jack moment” … “Jack Daniels” had helped him stay calm in the build up and helped him celebrate the win afterwards.
The champagne flowed in the family’s hotel room and they could not stop chatting and laughing … it was a memorable celebration.
The next morning they went to see their horse at the Marwing yard.
Steven said the Marwings always welcomed him with open arms and took fantastic care of him whenever he came up to see his horse, whether it was just to see him train or to to see him race.
And they did the same when he brought his whole family to the yard.
As for Son Of Raj, “He looked so full of confidence, he was showing off and was on his toes and strutting like a champion. A happy horse is a healthy horse and he looked happy … he had a beautiful shining coat, his ears were pricked and he was swishing his tail.”
Steven said his family were not racing people at all, but with this victory “the bug has now bitten.”
He is now just hoping Keagan will be available for the July!
