Trotting into the training ranks
Friday night is the 30th running of the POST Merchants Race at Greyville racecourse. To commemorate this milestone NARESH MAHARAJ looks at the Indian community’s involvement in horse racing…
KUMARAN Naidoo broke into the training ranks of the South African horse-racing industry 10 years ago and has progressed steadily since.
He began with a mere 10 horses at his Summerveld base, but due to hard work, honesty and a satisfactory success rate, he now has a whopping 100 thoroughbreds under his care.
Naidoo pays a special tribute to long-time friend and loyal patron Seelan Chetty, who was instrumental in his making the bold decision to take out his trainer’s licence in December 2006.
His most successful season to date was when he saddled 58 winners, which ensured a very creditable 4th placed finish on the KZN Trainer’s Log behind the likes of greats Mike de Kock, Sean Tarry and Dennis Drier.
Naidoo attributes his stable success to a great team and lists Candice Dawson (former Gauteng satellite yard assistant, now based in KZN) as a brilliant assistant. He has won a few Grade 2 and 3 events but is still searching for the , elusive Grade 1 winner.
We posed questions to Naidoo:
and golf.
Manchester United.
Soccer
The person who writes the race card.
My dad was a punter and then owned a few horses with Bertie Hayden.
I worked for Selvan Moodley and Tony Rivalland. My friend Seelan Chetty approached me and encouraged me to go on my own, which has been the best move of my life. I am eternally grateful to him. Seelan Chetty has supported me throughout and I am truly blessed to still have him on board.
Later on, other supportive owners like Mr Roy Moodley, Mayesh Chetty and a few others joined our team. I appreciate the support of all
my owners, past and present.
A few weeks after I got my licence I had my first winner with a decent filly. It is a very hard industry. I learnt that you must be humble and worry about your own owners and horses, rather than others.
I am based at Summerveld and I have 100 horses.
My aim is to train a lot of Grade 1 winners. I would also like to take a horse overseas.
I will never forget the day my horses ran 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Hampton Handicap on the Vaal sand.