Above: Horse Chestnut killing them in the J&B Met
Horse Chestnut, his armed security detail and an old paint truck
This Saturday, the thundering hooves of champions will once again grace the hallowed grounds of Turffontein, as the G1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m takes centre stage on Classic Day. Named in honour of the legendary Horse Chestnut, whose brilliance illuminated South African racing between 1998 and 2000, this race is a testament to his enduring legacy.
Fondly remembered as one of South Africa's greatest racehorses, Horse Chestnut left an indelible mark on the sport with his remarkable performances. His story is peppered with moments that exemplify his greatness, and a number of incidents that almost saw him miss crucial races.
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Above: Horse Chestnut wins the Cape Argus Guineas
On January 16, 1999, Horse Chestnut won the Grade 1 Cape Argus Guineas by 6.75 lengths, leaving the racing community in awe. Trainer Mike de Kock said that he couldn’t sleep that Saturday night. He knew that Horse Chestnut was good enough to take on his peers in the J&B Met, but was worried about the colt’s safety in the run-up to the race.
Mike’s concern was that bookmakers stood to lose massive amounts of money if Horse Chestnut was to win the Met. He said: “I’d felt uneasy about the massive bets taken by my patron Henry Mansell on Horse Chestnut winning both the Guineas and the J&B Met. Now, the matter was becoming disturbing. Bookmakers around South Africa stood to lose millions to Mansell – and each other – if Horse Chestnut were to complete this rare, feature-race double. I was worried that somebody would be out to hurt our horse. When there is money involved, you can expect the very worst from human beings.”
Mike wrote in Horse Chestnut: The Story Of A Legend: “The quiet voice of reason warned me to take great care with the safety of Horse Chestnut. While my concerns about unscrupulous bookmakers could have been off the mark, there was always a chance that a lunatic pursuing the limelight could make an attempt to cause physical injury to our rising equine superstar.”
Horrible acts had been committed to famous racehorses before. A sniper shot the legendary Sea Cottage a few days before the Durban July of 1967. Up-and-coming champion, Pas De Quoi, had his legs smashed by mischievous thugs just prior to the J&B Met in the early 1990s. And every racing enthusiast will remember the kidnapping of the Britain’s turf star, Shergar, back in 1981.
Horse Chestnut’s owners, Harry and Bridget Oppenheimer, had always been conscious of good security around their top horses. They shared Mike’s opinion that Horse Chestnut had to be protected against possible foul play.
An official Oppenheimer brief was sent to the Cape Town branch of Gray Security, the company in charge of security at the family’s De Beers Mining Company. Gray’s operations manager, Chris van Wyk, came to Mike’s stables at Milnerton to assess the situation. He walked around the stable area, spoke to the existing security staff and made it very clear that he would follow a policy of zero-tolerance.
Chris suggested that only Mike, his assistant trainer Frikkie Greyling and Horse Chestnut’s handler, Abraham Motha, would be allowed in his stable area. Two of Gray’s top guards, Mortimer van Heerden and Willem Willemse, would be rotated on working shifts as often as possible. Van Heerden had years of experience; Willemse was a horse lover and rider who knew the racing fraternity of Cape Town. One would remain permanently on duty at his stable door; another would patrol the fence at the back of the stables.
At the morning workouts, Chris promised, one guard would be at Horse Chestnut’s side - everywhere except on the training track itself. If Chris could have his way, a guard would be riding next to him on horseback!
Horse Chestnut had become a monster of a thoroughbred. Despite his hard and impressive preparation gallops, he weighed 506kg when the Met was 10 days away – 6kg more than on the day of the Guineas.
The word was out. Horse Chestnut would be very hard to beat in the J&B Met. Racing fanatics from Cape Town came to the track to see him work; members of the general public visited the stables and there were people who Mike described as the ‘bush lurkers’ scanning the training tracks through binoculars.
Gray’s security team held everyone at arm’s length and even the media had to get special permission to come to the stables for photographs.
A week before the race, Mike had to fly back to Johannesburg to attend to some pressing matters at Randjesfontein. He told: “On the evening of Tuesday, 2 February, 1999, a day before my return to Cape Town, our investment in a security network around Horse Chestnut paid off. Frikkie phoned me at around 10:30pm, and my heart felt like it would come out of my throat. He was on his way to Milnerton to meet the security chief, Chris van Wyk, who informed him that somebody had made an attempt to break into Horse Chestnut’s stable. Fortunately, Horse Chestnut had not been hurt.”
Over the next few hours, it transpired that an unknown man, identifying himself as a veterinarian, arrived at the Milnerton training centre at 7pm, demanding to see Horse Chestnut. During the Cape summer the sun only sets at 9pm, so was not unusual for trainers and veterinarians to visit the stables after normal working hours.
As luck would have it, Gray Security’s Willem Willemse was one of the guards on duty. Willem knew the Cape’s racing crowd, but he’d never seen this ‘vet’ before. Moreover, he’d been given clear instructions to allow nobody but Frikkie, Mike and Abraham Motha access to Horse Chestnut’s stable.
The unknown ‘vet’ tried hard to gain entry, but gave up after a while and disappeared. At around 10pm, however, the guard patrolling the back of the stables came across two would-be intruders fiddling with the locks at the back entrance to Horse Chestnut’s stable.
An argument ensued and the troublemakers fled into the veld across the road from the Milnerton track. Warning shots were fired, and one person, carrying a bolt-cutter, was arrested. The reason for this incident was never established. The arrested man was taken to a nearby police station where he was unsuccessfully interrogated. He claimed not to have understood a word of English and played stupid, leaving the police no other choice but to charge him with trespassing only. The next day this culprit’s bail was paid and he was released from prison.
Chris van Wyk ordered that the guards looking after Horse Chestnut would now be armed around the clock, as opposed to nighttime only.
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On Thursday, 4 February, it was time for Horse Chestnut’s final prep gallop for the J&B Met. He enjoyed it, was in top, winning shape, frisky and on his toes. Abraham Motha gave the colt a shower, after which he flattened the breakfast in his manger. Abraham brushed his coat, which had taken on a deep, shiny, golden-brown glint.
In his stable, Horse Chestnut went back into his lazy mode. He stood perfectly still with his eyelids half-closed, as if daydreaming. Mike compared him to a rugby player getting psyched up for the big moment, like Springbok rugby hero Francois Pienaar would have done before the 1995 World Cup Final.
Matthew Lips wrote in Sporting Post: “Imagine, for a moment, that you have spent the last six months travelling in outer space or perched on top of a far-flung mountain in Peru. You come home to find, not only that a three-year-old is running in the J&B Met, but that he is odds-on favourite. You would probably think that you have lost your mind, or that everybody else has lost theirs. Yet that is precisely the situation that we have as Horse Chestnut attempts to rewrite all sorts of records in the Cape’s showpiece event at Kenilworth on Saturday.”
On Saturday, 6 February, 1999, interest in the J&B Met had reached fever pitch, and there was a colourful buzz in the air. Tickets to the Met were being sold nationwide through the ticket-chain, Computicket. A record crowd packed the stands at Kenilworth and J&B couldn’t have asked for a better day. It was bright, hot and beautiful with no sign of the dreaded Cape Southeaster.
During the course of the morning, congestion was reported in the suburbs of Kenilworth, Plumstead, Wynberg and Rondebosch, in the vicinity of the racecourse. In view of the traffic reports, Mike’s runners Smart Money and Star Defence were taken to Kenilworth on the regular Milnerton float, but, per custom, private driver Russel Waterston was tasked to Horse Chestnut alone, in his own float.
In normal traffic, Kenilworth racecourse would not be more than half an hour away from the base at Milnerton but, to make sure, the team left for the track about two hours before the race. Chris van Wyk from Gray Security led the procession. He was followed by Russel towing Horse Chestnut’s float. Abraham Motha and an armed guard stood inside the box with Horse Chestnut, with another security car in pursuit.
Mike and Diane de Kock joined Frikkie Greyling and his wife, Lynette and their friend, Greg Gallo, in Frikkie’s car and brought up the rear of the Horse Chestnut convoy, following the second security car. To avoid the heavy traffic, Chris led them along what was thought to be a quiet, alternative route, but despite this they only managed to reach the racecourse an hour before the race.
Mike recalled: “I started to sweat, and Frikkie lit up his tenth Camel Filter for the morning. We were stuck in the middle of a long row of cars, with traffic cops rushing by on motorcycles and others trying to regulate proceedings close to the entrance gates. We were moving very slowly, with no chance of reaching the saddling enclosure in time.
“I had to do something. With expletives flowing freely, I got out of the car and walked over to Chris van Wyk, sitting in the front security car. In desperation, Chris and I stopped the traffic with waving hands, making way for the entire Horse Chestnut convoy to get through to the entrance gates.
“We’d become self-styled traffic officers, although the real men in uniform would never have sworn like I did when the gate official refused to let us through the entrance and onto racecourse premises.
“ ‘Get the f**k out of the way,’ I screamed. ‘You need a pass sir. Where’s your race day pass?’
“The poor guy was only doing his job, but I was in no mood to argue. ‘Can’t you see the float? This horse has to run at 4 o’clock!’
“Hesitantly, and after some calming words from Chris van Wyk, the official allowed us in. We drove by a maze of rainbow-coloured people, cameras and music and into the stabling area, where racecourse officials, trainers, veterinarians and grooms had started the preliminaries. The atmosphere was electrifying.
“Hordes of excited patrons and race day guests were perched on different levels of the stand like colourful birds. The afternoon sun reflected off shiny advertising boards. Heads hung from windows, arms waved and fingers pointed as the first runners entered the ring. I’d never seen such keen interest in a pre-race parade in my life. The atmosphere was electrifying.
“The runners cantered down to the start while I was speaking to interviewer Robin Bruss, but I managed to get a good look at Horse Chestnut as he thundered past the main stand to almost deafening cheers and loud applause from the crowd.
“At that moment, I knew that Horse Chestnut would win the J&B Met. He’d never looked as well before a race and his stride was big, rhythmic and smooth. He’d tucked his bold head into his chest and the muscles on his hindquarters rippled with every elastic stride– a fearsome sight for the connections of his rivals.
“Race caller Jehan Malherbe announced that the field was ready to go and, amid a tremendous roar from the crowd, the runners jumped from the pens. With Diane clutching my arm, I lost track of space and time - everything a kaleidoscope of sounds, voices and heartbeats, in slow motion. I tried to concentrate on Horse Chestnut’s position in the early part of the race, and soon found the bobbing head with the prominent, diamond-shaped blaze clearly visible above his noseband.
“The TV monitors displayed an innovative aerial view of the first 200m – shot from a hot-air balloon - and Weichong Marwing had Horse Chestnut perfectly placed behind two early pacemakers. He’d settled nicely in third. I expected a bit of scrummaging down the back straight, but that didn’t happen. Horse Chestnut - like a large, dangerous battleship out at sea - had lots of room around him. This near perfect early position appeared to have been reserved for a single runner – the all-conquering Fort Wood powerhouse!
“Indeed, victory itself had been reserved for Horse Chestnut. He was a heavyweight in a lightweight contest; a well-lubed engine revving up to full throttle as the runners swung around the final bend and into the home straight.
“‘Look towards the inside!’
“My body had gone numb and my eyes were watery, but my sense of hearing was sharp enough to detect Malherbe’s voice commanding the uproarious crowd to watch the Oppenheimers’ black-and-yellow silks surging ahead to challenge for the lead.
“With 400m to go, it was all over as a contest. when Marwing pressed the button, Horse Chestnut unleashed his blistering turn of foot, as if charged with dynamite. Within a matter of strides he’d gone three, four lengths clear, and 300m from the line the only question was how far he’d win.
“My Adam’s Apple had swollen to twice its size, but I was not about to cry. Trying to breathe was a more important consideration. Diane was screaming with excitement. Arms slapped at my back. Hands tugged at my jacket. That slow-motion feeling returned, and Malherbe’s voice in the distance: ‘This is true greatness! Horse Chestnut is killing them in the J&B Met!’”
Matthew Lips assessed in Sporting Post: ‘We can all live to be a thousand, and never again witness what we saw in the J&B Met.’
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Above: Thanks to the kindness of strangers, Horse Chestnut made it to the Gosforth Park Classic
In 1999 the South African Triple Crown comprised the Newmarket/Cape Argus Guineas (the winner of either qualified); the Gosforth Park Classic and the South African Derby, and not a single horse in South African racing history had ever managed to complete this elusive treble.
Horse Chestnut had already won the first leg of the Triple Crown, the Cape Argus Guineas. And, by the looks of entries for the Gosforth Park Classic, he would have little trouble in landing this 1,800m second leg. He had trounced the best three-year-olds in the country a number of times.
Horse Chestnut came frighteningly close to being scratched from the Gosforth Park Classic. Again, the issue was an unexpected transport problem.
Mike recounted: “Blissfully unaware of what had happened to Horse Chestnut on his way to the racecourse, I entertained some guests at our race day table overlooking the track at Gosforth Park.
“About an hour before the race, Frikkie Greyling phoned to say that Horse Chestnut had just arrived on course. This was strange. Horse Chestnut was normally there at least two hours ahead of time. By Jockey Club Rules, all runners have to be in the saddling area at least one hour before they are carded to race. If not, the Stipendiary Stewards have no choice but to scratch such latecomers or fine the trainer.
“I jumped up, excused myself and took the escalators down to the stable area. ‘What did you say, Frikkie? He’s arrived only now?’ I asked. ‘Why so late? What’s going on?’
“It transpired that Horse Chestnut’s designated ‘driver’, Russel Waterston, had experienced severe engine trouble on the way to Gosforth Park, the outcome of which was so unusual it was hard to believe.
“Ironically, due to nagging problems with his own truck, Russel had decided to use the newly reconditioned truck of his friend, Nicky Terblanche. But Terblanche’s supposedly reliable vehicle failed to make it to the track.
“Travelling in peak traffic, on a hot day, Russel noticed that the truck’s temperature gauge was rising fast. Smoke puffed from the hood and he brought the truck to a standstill just off the N3 highway to Germiston, about 10km away from Gosforth Park Racecourse.
“Russel made several attempts to cool the engine down and was soon up to his elbows in grease and oil. As time ran out his fellow-passenger, Megan Hay, tried to calm him down. She made several calls on her mobile phone, but support was not immediately forthcoming.
“Realising the importance of the situation – the entire South African racing fraternity was eagerly awaiting Horse Chestnut participation in the second leg of the Triple Crown - Russel decided to switch to Plan B: drastic action! With time running out fast, the former jockey stood fearlessly in the middle of the highway and flagged down the first vehicle remotely resembling a truck.
“With cars swerving in all directions to avoid hitting the waving, oil-covered character in the road, the driver of one vehicle decided to stop. It was old, dirty, run-down paint truck with badly dented bumpers and a loose tow bar.
“Poor Russel was in no mood to smile and had little time to explain. The owners of the truck – two Afrikaans-speaking paint contractors – knew nothing about horseracing. They’d never heard of Horse Chestnut, but Russel must have looked angry enough to be taken seriously.
“Without further ado, Horse Chestnut’s float was hooked up to the ailing cab. Russel and Megan squeezed in next to the driver and his colleague in front, and three hired painters hung on for dear life between large drums of Plascon and a stepladder on the back. Bobbing up and down in tow behind them came the float carrying Horse Chestnut and his groom, Abraham Motha.
“Frikkie Greyling – pacing up and down the Gosforth Park parking lot - made a frantic call to Russel Waterston. ‘Hey, Russel,’ he screamed, ‘where the hell are you? The Stipes are going to scratch Horse Chestnut!’
“ ‘We’re here,’ Russel replied. ‘We’re at the entrance. Open the gates!’
“ ‘I don’t see you,’ cried Frikkie, looking in the direction of a weathered paint truck rattling onto Gosforth Park’s premises.
“‘Over here,’ shouted a short, grease-marked man resembling Russel Waterston, emerging from the truck and waving at Frikkie. ‘Here’s the horse!’
“‘Relief’ was not a suitable word to describe his feelings, Frikkie later told us.
“Horse Chestnut walked from his box as if nothing had happened, and we thanked the confused paint contractors for their kindness. In our rush to prepare the colt for the pre-race parade, we’d forgotten to take their names. I wonder if those Good Samaritans realise that they saved us from untold embarrassment. What’s more, they played a significant part in writing a little piece of history. If Horse Chestnut had missed this race, the South African Triple Crown would not have been won in the 20th century!”
Horse Chestnut was as keen as ever to get the job done and this time Weichong Marwing wasted no time in sending the colt to the front to set a cracking pace. Sighs of discomfort went up in the Gosforth Park grandstand, but Horse Chestnut was striding as comfortably as ever. The Gosforth run-in was only 450m long: Marwing knew that; he stole the race by shaking up his mount before the field turned for home.
At the 300m-mark, with Horse Chestnut five lengths clear and proverbially coasting, Fort Defiance emerged from the pack to launch a challenge, but that was short-lived as Horse Chestnut kept up his relentless gallop.
Commentator Graeme Hawkins took advantage of the situation with a loud and innovative invitation to the crowd: ‘Ladies and gentleman, I’ve said enough! You bring home the Champion,’ Hawkins called at the 200m-mark, and allowed the race to play out in quiet. They responded as one, cheering and clapping as Horse Chestnut romped home to a four-length victory.