Fond memories of Clairwood era

HE big crowd that stood on the lawns for some time after the running of the last ever race at Clairwood on Saturday had an air of sadness and were reminiscent of those fans of a relegated English football team that stand silently staring at the pitch for ages in an attempt to deny reality.

Racing officialdom, professionals and patrons are mostly embracing a new future with optimism, but also spared a moment to reminisce.

Flying Loot, owned by Mary Liley and Louis van Wyk, trained by Paul Lafferty and ridden by Anton Marcus was a fitting winner of “The Last Race’’.

Liley has been a decades long supporter of KZN racing.

Marcus has work ridden at Clairwood six days a week for many years.

Lafferty began his training days as assistant to Ivan Pickering at Clairwood and like his mentor has become one of the characters of the game.

Marcus, after kissing the turf at the winner’s post, said, “Gold Circle probably didn’t have a choice, but it's going to change the face of KZN racing. It is the only galloping course in the province and the 1 200m is the best introduction for a horse in the country. I can't express how sad a day it is for me."

Pickering was an on course guest of Lafferty's and recalled riding many two-year-old winners for the Passmore brothers, whose stable he joined in 1967. Among the horses he trained were the brilliant Computaform Sprint winner, First Swallow.

TTony Rivalland is another of the current KZN trainers that was assistant to Pickering at Clairwood.

Dennis Bosch has been at Clairwood since 1970. He began as an apprentice to Joe Joseph and recalled partnering eleven-time winner Master Polly and later riding many winners for David Payne. As a trainer he prepared Gr 1 winners Mighty Crystal and Noble Heir out of Clairwood, among others. He said, “Clairwood is the nicest training centre in the whole of the Southern Hemisphere due to its natural base.’’

Royal Drummer

Bosch occupied the yard that once belonged to Hennie Coetzee, father of the famous jockey Felix. Felix recalled going to track as a young boy before his father moved to Summerveld. Felix recently removed a brick from the yard initialled by Douglas Whyte’s late father while an apprentice and presented it to Douglas. Coetzee’s first winner was at Clairwood, Royal Drummer, trained by his father, and his first feature winner was as an apprentice in the prestigious Clairwood Winter Handicap on the Brian Cherry-trained Kentford. Later he helped his guv'nor, the great Cape trainer Terrance Millard, prepare six Durban July winners out of the training centre, of which he rode three.

Dennis Drier had his first winner at Clairwood, Daphnis, sent out his wife Gill's first ever winner there, Whittlesea, and also his first feature winner Peerless Dancer. However, his best Clairwood memory was of the legendary Sea Cottage beating King Willow in the Clairwood Winter in 1966. "I was playing in a rugby tournament in Pretoria, the final was on the Monday, so a friend and I hitch-hiked down for the race. Sea Cottage was tailed off and it was impossible for him to win but he absolutely flew. The atmosphere on course was unbelievable.’’

Herman Brown Senior's greatest memory was when his great Gatecrasher beat the hot favourite Sledgehammer in the Champion Stakes by a comfortable 1,5 lengths, although he broke down on the line and never raced again. He added, "I don't know if racing could have survived without a change and I hope they spend the money wisely."

Charles Laird has run a yard at Clairwood for eleven years and prepared July winner Hunting Tower there as well as his many Gr 1 winners at Scottsville. He said, “It is incredible how many top horses have won over the Clairwood 1 200m early in their careers.’’

Gavin van Zyl had his first ever race ride at Clairwood and recalled riding the brilliant filly Mill Hill to win the Golden Slipper. He also remembered finishing third on the Neville Pearcetrained Truly Noble in the 1979 Clairwood Winter Handicap, while still an apprentice.

The best Clairwood memories of KZN’s “Mister Racing’’, Bill Lambert, were of the titanic struggle between Main Man and Model Man in the 1987 Mainstay International as well as the clashes between In Full Flight and Sentinel. He added, “It should be a happy day, because the page has to be turned.’’

Mowgli’s

Top breeder and owner Mike Rattray recalled attending his first ever non-amateur racemeeting at Clairwood as an eighteen-year-old.

Journalist doyen Jack Ramsay remembers Mowgli’s peerless feat of winning the July, the Durban Merchants over 1200m and the Clairwood Winter over 1800m within a two week period.

Gold Circle’s Racing and marketing executive Graeme Hawkins recalled landing a betting coup in 1995 at Clairwood on his horse, the James Goodman-trained raider Northerner, ridden by top British jockey Alan Munroe.

Veteran journalist Jimmy Lithgow organised a match race between the Herman Brown-trained Eldoriza and the Chris Snaith-trained High Profile in the 1990’s.

TV doyen Andrew Bonn recalled some of the great commentaries on the course by the like of Trevor Denman.

It was fitting that the final commentary at Clairwood was performed by one of the best, Craig “Eagle Eye” Peters.

Racegoer Raihana Ally has been attending Clairwood races for over twenty years and the great Pocket Power will always be etched in her memory.

Penney Nadasen was on course with her granddaughter Tia and family friend Atasha Taylor and will always remember the many family days Clairwood catered for.

Ruben Padayachee first went to Clairwood with his father as a twelveyear-old in the 1960s and his best memory was of the Clairwood successes of the Ricky Maingard-trained San Carlos', who was owned by his good friend and now Gold Circle Chairman, Robert Mauvis.

Mauvis spoke of his Clairwood memories and added, “The Friday night meetings at Greyville will be exciting and entertaining and the spin offs will see racing prosper.’’

Finally, it would be fitting if the Garth Puller-trained Tutuzela did the last lap of the Clairwood training tracks, as this kindest of old horses has nurtured many nervous young apprentices through their first steps.