Louis Goosen settling well in new KZN headquarters

Irrepressible Louis Goosen has been considering moving his operation to KwaZulu-Natal for a couple of years and finally made the trek over the Drakensberg a month ago.

“We first obtained boxes at Ashburton two years ago but at that stage my owners weren’t keen. But finally the time was right and here we are,” he commented.

Not that it’s all been plain sailing. “It’s been exhausting. I’ve made no less than 11 trips up and down from Joburg over the past month.

"And there’s still plenty to be done but we are up and running,” was how he summed up the process of change.

They got off to a fast start in the Garden Province as giant lowerlevel handicapper Haddington notched the maiden win for the relocated outfit a fortnight ago at MR 66 level.

He ran again in Race 8 at Scottsville last Sunday over 2400m and did well to finish third, beaten four lengths by Impact Zone.

One quickly became two for both Goosen and stallion Ideal World as classy looking gelding Zen Arcade came home lonely on 10 September, justifying his Computaform “Best Bet” status. That win came as no surprise after he was runner up on debut in the Bloodstock SA Million sales race.

Goosen has kept a handful of boxes open at the Vaal and the highly promising three-year-old will fill one of them as he goes up to compete in the forthcoming Graham Beck Stakes and Grade 2 Dingaans.

The other more prominent inmates of his yard earmarked for a Gauteng campaign are sprinter Hashtag Strat, evergreen Doing It For Dan, easy debut winning three-year-old filly Yaas, and useful older female Effortless Reward.

With the remainder of his string of 35 safely ensconced in their new home and about to be let loose on the easier pickings of the KZN off-season, one can expect plenty more success in the near future. It is a stable to follow.