My memories of SA racing

These memories posted by Chook and OTA are so similar to mine.

But in my case it was Powderhall Dog track, i loved the place!

20 odd years ago due to financial pressures( mismanagement) it closed !!!!!

Guys i remember forming a syndicate and we went to a night meeting at Newmarket. The horse was on a final written warning as it was only placing and would not give us the big win.Subsequently we decided to send the horse to a new trainer.The trainer was Lucky Houdalakis, and the horse was called Man's Mood.It was a win ,win situation as jockey Figuroa steered the horse home.Everybody went crazy and i still remember the winning photo at Lucky's stable,his first win before JJ the jet plane corrupted his mind.Until today i can still not decipher what jockey Figi,said in the winning interview.Great days.

Back in the 1990's when I was still in high school Clairwood Park was my second home. My late father should drop me off at Clairwood and then pick me up in the evening. I can still remember my first major win at Clairwood Park. I caught the PA 8 times and I collected roughly R 2400. In the second last leg, I backed the winner, Salvatore Vigano, that won a 2yo feature beating Comareen, who paid over R40 for a win and I wagered R20 on it. That race was a rough result and if Comareen ran off the board the PA should paid out much more. In the last leg I had two horses, The Playing Fields ridden by Anton Marcus and Eldoriza ridden by Delpech with the Playing Fields winning and Eldoriza running second. In the last race after collecting my PA winning I had a huge bet on horse called Solomons Ring who won and was ridden by Felix Coetzee. I walked from the racecourse that day with over R5000 and I was only 15 and it was the year 1993. Incidentally I was there when Eldoriza beat High Profile in the last match race staged in South Africa. Nostalgic memories.

Great posts chaps certainly brings a lump to the throat when reading them

.....those were the days my friends.....we thought they would never end...... :whistle:

Muhtiman wrote: .....those were the days my friends.....we thought they would never end...... :whistle:

ditto, a million times

I always found the scenario when a known big punter walked to the bookies ring quite funny.

Immediately a hoard of punters latched on to him in the hope of hearing or seeing what he backed. The bookie would lean forward, the punter would whisper in his ear, ticket was written, and the big punter walked away pleased as punch.

Horses came out on parade, punters standing a few yards off the bookies trying to work out their fancies chances on looks, money in hand.

Bookie whispers something to his clerk who bolts around the ring claiming a horse which subsequently shortens.

Then like clockwork the pandemonium starts, punters attack the bookies screaming, "I was here, I was here" in the hope of getting the price before the shortening.

bayern wrote: I always found the scenario when a known big punter walked to the bookies ring quite funny.

Immediately a hoard of punters latched on to him in the hope of hearing or seeing what he backed. The bookie would lean forward, the punter would whisper in his ear, ticket was written, and the big punter walked away pleased as punch.

Horses came out on parade, punters standing a few yards off the bookies trying to work out their fancies chances on looks, money in hand.

Bookie whispers something to his clerk who bolts around the ring claiming a horse which subsequently shortens.

Then like clockwork the pandemonium starts, punters attack the bookies screaming, "I was here, I was here" in the hope of getting the price before the shortening.

....a true master of an on course bookmaker was Les Kourie Snr.....mainly at mid week Newmarket meetings....a connection or owner would approach and whisper a bet for a mid-priced runner at say 7-1....Les would then move the horse out a point to 8-1......the other bookies would then adjust their boards accordingly....then Les's runners would all go out and snatch all the 8-1.....while Les would shorten his board by 2-3 points....to ensure that the others could not take back from him..... :huh: ....if the action continued when the horse was seen to further shorten....then other runners would go amok and start grabbing....the lowering odds.....only then telephones started ringing in the off course as on course bookies trying to lay off bets now struck by joe public who were getting into the frenzy.... :blink:

A few moments before the off, Mr Ray Muir, bookie at Ascot, would lengthen the odds on a fancied runner. Droves of punters would flood his stand and then he would shorten the price but such a gentleman was this bookie he would tell us "we're all on".

I remember going to Greyville on a Wednesday, ducking lectures at Univresity. Once Mike de Kock who was not that famous at the time. He had a horse called Record Edge running over 1300m. He walked to the bookies ring, took a huge bet. Horse won easy. Was the start of his illustrious career. Also remember "Kid Colt' walking into field street Tatersalls and claiming all the 5/2 on Dancing Duel after it won the Daily news. In those days the grooms used to give good info. When Geoff Lloyd used to ride a favourite for Eileen Bestel, in most cases used to never miss.

We all have stories but let me indulge you in another one if i may

1984 no not the book but the Durban July. A few months earlier i met a girl who i fell for within minutes. Did we not all when we were young Things were looking good, why, shit i have had a girlfriend for longer than 4 months when in the 80s there was so much free love and all that.

Anyway back to the story. Saturday morning of the July jumped in the car went to pick my girlfriend up and said that i just want to pop down to the off course to play a bet for the DurbanJuly. Whats that she asked? Never mind was my reply as i was in deep concentration. (boy we are all the same us punters :woohoo: )

On the way on the short drive to the tote on the Racecourse Road she said that she wanted to go into Claremont and do some shopping for clothing, what else did teenage girls do those days but shop for clothes. Shops closed at 1 so i had to be quick.

I arrived at the tote only to be greeted by a que of cars wanting to turn into the parking lot. Usually there were maybe 20 or so cars today there were 5 times the amount. Anyway had my forms and stood in the line filling out swingers and trifecta bet for the July which was going to be my only bet for the day. I was not too bothered about the rest of the card. The que was long and slow as many of the people in line only had a bet on these big race days and were not sure of what they were doing. The tote operators in those days were patient and well mannered. (apparently by what i read on ABC not so much these days) Half an hour went by and i had moved about half way down the que. I did not try and que jump as it was not the done thing those days.

A few minutes later i was told in no uncertain terms by my girlfriend that she wanted to go shopping and we had better get going. Like the little good lamb that i was then i shrugged my shoulders and took her shopping. The result of the race was Devon Air, Bodrum and Versailles.

Needless with hand on heart that was my trifecta and swingers. I was going to wager R20 on the trifecta and swingers. If i had told her to wait until i had placed my bet i would have won over R6k

The relationship believe it or not lasted another 5 years.

Not such a nice story this one. Was at Clairwood, I think it was the day Face North won the Mainstay, and while standing in the bookies' ring shopping for prices a punter dropped dead right next to me. It wasn't pleasant calling for help.