Steady Hands in Strong Yards
Black horsemen are rising through the ranks
In the major stable yards of Gauteng, several black grooms and handlers have moved beyond routine duties to positions of quiet authority. Through years of accumulated knowledge, they are entrusted with precocious juveniles, relied upon to spot and manage minor injuries, and respected as leaders among their peers. Their progression reflects a gradual but meaningful shift within a sport long defined by established structures.
Multiple champion trainer Sean Tarry, who has already saddled 26 winners since New Year’s Day and has his string in top form, employs three assistant trainers in his stable to ensure that no important detail is overlooked.
Above: Team Tarry (l to r): Andries Ndzongo, Shylock Mtwesi, ‘Zet’ Mgqobozi and Leeza Ngcayechibi. (image: supplied)
Andries Ndzongo and Shylock Mtwesi are the most experienced stalwarts in the team, their association with Tarry stretching back to his early days in the mid-1990s, while Zanoyise ‘Zet’ Mgqobozi has been involved for 21 years.
The latest groom to rise through the ranks is 38-year-old Leeza Ngcayechibi, who has overseen Tarry’s two-year-old string for the past two seasons, with the trainer maintaining close supervision.
“Leeza is a young guy we threw in at the deep end. His father, Moffatt, worked for us and is now retired. I’ve given Leeza a hard time. He has to move to keep up with me, but he has done remarkably well and I’m very proud of him,” Tarry said.
The ‘baby’ string is presently one of the strongest in recent seasons. From just 10 runners so far, it has produced seven winners and three placed efforts, including Griselda, Get Up, Secretary Bird and Prayers And Promises.
Leeza said: “Mr Tarry has taught me everything I know. I learn something new from him every day, and I am extremely happy to be in a position where I can work with young, promising horses and watch them develop.”
Leeza has also handled older runners, with Tin Tin and Warning Light among his recent winners. He regards three-year-old Tin Pan Alley as the best horse he has been associated with to date.
Michael Azzie speaks warmly of his ‘Boss Boy’, Dumisane Nondlazi, who has been in his employ for 36 years. Dumisane joined the Azzie stable at just 18, at a time when his father, Telegees, worked for trainer Carl Eb, whose yard stood across the road.
Above: Dumisane Nondlazi (image: supplied)
Azzie recalled: “Telegees came into my office one day and asked if I could teach his son to become a good groom. I placed the young Dumisane under the wing of Koos Semise, our head groom at the time, and told Koos to show him the ropes. He had to be firm, so that Dumisane received a proper grounding.
“Koos was an exceptional horseman. He worked with horses like National Currency and was especially skilled at plaiting. He passed his skills on to Dumisane. When Koos died, his understudy stepped seamlessly into his shoes. The last horse Dumisane handled as a groom was the champion Rabada. His coat was so beautiful and glossy it looked like a mirror.”
Today, Azzie said, Dumisane is a no-nonsense horseman who has mastered every aspect of the job and keeps his team disciplined. “Dumisane is my right-hand man. Among many other things, he can look into a horse’s eye or study its coat and immediately tell when it’s off-colour and needs attention.”
Koos was also instrumental in shaping Answer “Simpiwe” Maydlana, another accomplished horseman who joined Adam Azzie at Summerveld when the Azzie training partnership was dissolved last year. “I was sad to lose Simpiwe,” Azzie admitted, “but at the same time I was pleased he was there to assist Adam. He took charge of Adam’s Cape string and did a fine job.”
Above: Nicholas Titse. (image: JC Photos)
Stuart Pettigrew’s second-in-command is Nicholas Titse, an anchorman in the yard for the past 18 years. “Nicholas handled most of my Grade 1 winners, including Tyson, Surcharge (Yulong Prince) and Anything Goes. He has worked his way up to a good level of all-round stable management, and I trust him implicitly,” said Pettigrew.
Nicholas is a reliable and well-presented professional who relishes going racing and saddling the stable’s runners.
“He was one of the first officially recognised black assistant trainers, if not the first,” Pettigrew added. “I spend most of my days around the horses and prefer watching races from my office, so having someone as trustworthy as Nicholas to represent the yard at the track is a blessing. He is respected by his peers and well regarded by officials.”
Above: David Lhamine, Mike Ndzilana and Vengi Masawi (image: JC Photos)
The De Kock stable guided the talented Vengi Masawi (46) through the ranks to becoming a Hollywood-sponsored licensed trainer with significant potential. This season he has saddled 11 winners from just 44 runners – an impressive 25% strike rate.
Vengi began working alongside Diane de Kock and Vivian Nkosi in 2007, overseeing the two-year-old string. He later enrolled at the Summerhill School of Excellence before moving to Mike and Mathew de Kock’s main stable.
Recognised for his knack with difficult horses, Vengi was asked to assist with the temperamental star Igugu, who required two handlers in the parade ring and elsewhere. He also worked closely with horse behaviour consultant Malan du Toit, whose expertise was sought after Hawwaam’s controversial scratching at the start of the 2018 Durban July.
Brothers Alson and Michael Ndzilana received their grounding under Joey Ramsden before his departure to Australia in 2019. Both later moved from the Cape to join the De Kock team. Alson became a Betway-sponsored trainer in his own right in 2023, while Michael is now based at Summerveld as assistant trainer to Mike de Kock.
Diane de Kock and Vivian Nkosi have broken in and prepared literally hundreds of two-year-old winners since the early 2000s, when the ‘babies’ were relocated from Mary Slack’s White Hills Farm to Randjesfontein. Many went on to become champions, among them Durban July winners Grey’s Inn and Sparkling Water, Summer Cup star Ilha Da Vitoria and international runners including Soft Falling Rain.
“Vivian is part of the family,” Diane said. “He started with Rebecca Oppenheimer’s showjumpers at White Hills and today oversees every two-year-old string. They are often sizeable groups, so it is a position of considerable responsibility – one he has fulfilled for many years with minimal oversight.”
David Lhlamine (49) began his career in the mid-1990s with Armando Freddi before moving on to Charles Bawden, Penny Kimberley and Jurgen van Heerden. He is now assistant trainer to Mathew de Kock and, like Nicholas Titse, is well respected by racing officials.
David said he was given the opportunity to refine his horsemanship within the De Kock operation, adding that the family has also instilled valuable life lessons. Diane describes him as a true horseman who “talks like a preacher”, and the yard holds him in affection.
Over the years, David has worked with a number of champions, including Malmoos and Hawwaam. Among his personal favourites are Ilha Bela, Gimme A Nother and Jan Van Goyen.
“We are driven by results,” David said. “The better we perform, the more we are relied upon, and the more we grow as individual trainers. I am grateful for the opportunity and hope to remain in this position for many years to come.”
Above: Cosmos Kagona with a quarantined, travelling runner in Mauritius (image: supplied)
Another individual who has made notable progress during his 18 years with the stable is Cosmos Kagona. In addition to his duties as an assistant, Cosmos trained as a farrier under Declan Cronin in Dubai. Together with Roly May, he ensures that the De Kock runners are impeccably shod.
The progression of the horsemen above has not been marked by fanfare, but by competence. In racing, that is the only endorsement that truly matters.