Top trainer going back to Cape
Five-times champion trainer Geoff Woodruff has decided to leave Johannesburg and return to the Cape where he began training in 1988 with only 14 horses.
There’s a good case for giving a place in the sport’s hall of fame to Woodruff, who was born near Epsom racecourse in the UK and was a point-to-point champion there in his youth.
He has won the Durban July twice and saddled champions including Jet Master, Star Effort, Yard-Arm, Elusive Fort and Woodruff Badger’s’Drift. s warm personality has endeared him to many, and he has mainly not got embroiled in any racing controversies. However, in his interview with the Sporting Post, he did make his feelings felt on the current state of the sport.
“I would love to see racing under one umbrella, one body of people pushing for the betterment of the game. We must promote the whole game rather than one region over another.”
Woodruff was referring to friction between Phumelela Gaming & Leisure and KZN bookmakers which has resulted in several court cases.
When it has come to the Durban July there has always been provincial rivalry between horses trained in Gauteng and KZN, but Woodruff is not certain it is a good idea to have the 2020 race at all, given the pandemic.
On the subject of the welfare of horses during Covid-19, he has firm views. He is concerned that a loss of income will affect many people and is worried about the care of the animals.
“I could never condone healthy horses being put down for financial reasons. Try to hang on and give that horse a chance because euthanasia cannot be viewed as a viable solution because it is not.”
Woodruff hit the headlines with his small Milnerton yard in 1988. His first five runners were all winners. He is on record as saying his philosophy with horses is easy.
“You must get them eating as much as they can, they must sleep well, work hard and enjoy it.”
Bookies did not sleep too well when Woodruff saddled big-race runners, and he is in no doubt that the best horse he has trained is Jet Master, who went on to be a successful sire.
“People use the word freak, but he was exceptional in that he broke the course record for five furlongs in the Cape Flying Championship, which he won by five lengths with contemptuous ease.”
Woodruff’s late fatherin-law Terrance Millard offered valuable advice, and the family dynasty is in good hands with Terrance’s son Tony a top trainer in Hong Kong.
In Cape Town, Woodruff will team up with his daughter Lucinda, who more than held her own in the Cape training ranks last season. It will be a formidable father-and-daughter combination.