OFF THE RECORD #29

New Frontiers: The Alexander Brothers in Australia

Above: The winning team (including Julie) with Pretty Reliable

For over 40 years, Gary and Dean Alexander drove to the stable complex at Turffontein at 4 a.m., navigating the dangerous intersections and traffic lights of Johannesburg. Now based near Adelaide in South Australia, Dean faces a somewhat different challenge that makes him chuckle: kangaroos!

Dean's drive from his home in Adelaide to the Alexander Brothers' new establishment at the Murray Bridge Training Centre takes over an hour. He explained, "We start at 4 a.m., so I have to get up at 2 a.m. It’s not an easy drive because there are kangaroos that randomly cross the road. South Australia is vast, bigger than the entire South Africa, and kangaroos roam the countryside outside of Adelaide."

Gary, who lives just 20 minutes from Murray Bridge, normally arrives first and ensures horses scheduled for grass gallops are prepared and saddled. Dean added, "This is a state-of-the-art facility with a sand track, a fibre track, a grass track, the main course, and an uphill stretch with a gentle rise. There are time slots for groups of horses, and they work under lights. Grass gallops start at 4 a.m. Missing your slot means missing out."

The Alexanders are getting their heads above water after a tumultuous journey that began in Johannesburg in the first quarter of 2021. At times, both wondered, "Why did we decide to do this?" However, the answer is always the same: "For our children." With their stable now home to well over 30 horses, their resilient willingness to leap into the unknown is paying off, and life is looking bright again.

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It’s fair to say that the Alexander family was a part of the fabric of South African racing for almost eight decades. Duncan Alexander started his career as a jockey in the 1950s and later became a trainer, succeeding in both ventures. Gary took over from his father in the 1980s, and Dean joined as his assistant. They were high-profile, Top 10 contenders on the National Log well into the 2000s, with a host of top Graded and stakes winners coming from their yard. Until recently, their popular sister, Julie Alexander, was an on-course presenter and active in charity work.

When Gary opened his email one morning in March 2021, the life and business they had built were about to change dramatically. Out of the blue, there was an invitation from Racing South Australia (RSA) to apply for stables at the Murray Bridge Centre, with administrative assistance to relocate to Australia as part of the package.

Dean explained, "RSA had lost several trainers to New South Wales and Victoria, where the stakes are higher, and for the same reason, they were unable to lure trainers already based in Sydney and Melbourne to Adelaide. We were recommended to RSA after their CEO visited our stables during his trip to the Asian Racing Conference in Cape Town in 2020. They also invited applications from a trainer in Tasmania and one from New Zealand."

The Alexanders were faced with the daunting yet challenging prospect of starting afresh, near the age when most would consider settling down to retire. But this was an excellent opportunity to move their children to a safer country, and that weighed most in their decision-making.

Dean recalled, “Life-changing moves are not supposed to be made overnight, but sometimes one is forced to commit, and we did that. Due to Covid-19 restrictions at the time, we were unable to fly to Australia to make our own assessments, so we literally had to jump off the cliff, hoping that a net would appear. There was a rollercoaster of mixed emotions, but when we decided to take up the offer, there was no turning back.”

The Turffontein business was wound down and horses were transferred to other trainers within weeks. Two families were on a flight to Adelaide in the latter part of June 2020. There were more curves in the road. Dean said, “We had to spend two weeks in quarantine, and during this time, we received the news that our stables at Murray Bridge were not ready. Building operations at the centre had fallen behind schedule during the pandemic.

“We spent several weeks in Air Bnb homes and hotels, and they offered us five stables near the Morphettville racecourse in Adelaide as a temporary arrangement. For those who remember what the Turffontein village looked like 50 years ago, this was it. The stables are on a property similar to those in the streets around the old Turffontein, with a little paddock and a house on each property. Horses walk across the road, in traffic, to get to the racetrack.”

Moving to a foreign country had further consequences. “The authorities were going to help us with a few horses to get us going, but that didn’t happen. We also had promises from some of our South African patrons, but most didn’t come to the party. We had to invest in expensive new stable equipment because we couldn’t bring our tack and saddles with us. The Australian import rules are very strict. If customs officials had found as much as a hair on a saddle, they would not release the container.”

Above:  Brazen Force (Barend Vorster), first winner for the Alexanders in Australia

To get started, the brothers relied on family members and acquaintances in Australia. They decided to race under the banner “Alexander Brothers”, formed a few syndicates, and bought five horses online, including a fair early prospect in four-year-old Brazen Force, secured for AUD$25,000. He was entered for a race on 31 October 2021 and finished third, getting them in the money with their first Australian runner.

Brazen Force broke through for the stable with a memorable win under another former South African, Barend Vorster, on 13 November 2021. It was an ordinary benchmark 60 handicap, but felt like a graded winner because it was much needed and a welcome boost of confidence for all involved.

Dean said, “They moved us to Gawler racecourse north of Adelaide shortly after we saddled our first winner, in 2022. We had 10 stables at the track, and Barend helped us a lot by riding work and bringing new people to meet us. We sent out 12 winners at various tracks in our time there, but Barend was injured when he bumped heads with a horse that threw his neck up. He has been on the sidelines for more than a year. That was a setback ahead of our final move when the Murray Bridge facility was completed.”

The Alexander brothers relocated to their now permanent home at Murray Bridge in June 2023, almost two years to the day they touched down in South Australia, and were the first trainers to move their horses into the $13 million centre. Since then, they’ve saddled a further 12 winners, and their string has grown from 10 to 34, including seven yearlings bought at various sales, such as the Magic Millions and Inglis Yearling Sales.

Gary commented, “We are learning new things every day. Australian trainers have their methods, which are different, but you must adapt. Our boxes are nice, with great doors, easy access, and safety. The barns' design is excellent, with good ventilation and airflow. The horses love it here.”

Above: New stables with good ventilation and airflow

However, challenges remain. Dean explained, “There is a staff shortage, and it’s hard to find good grooms. We also had to get used to work riders. There are professional work riders who come to the track daily, booked at $25 per ride—a necessary additional expense. Former South African rider Andrew Fortune came over for a stint to help us too. Andrew is a super judge of horses and can tell if a horse has ability just by cantering it. He identified a pair of two-year-olds as potential top-level horses and that got us really excited.”

The brothers will be improving their online presence now that they’ve settled down, and they plan on promoting racing syndicates. Dean said, “Syndicates are really popular here. Our horses are all owned by up to 25 individuals with small shares. It’s a concept that has always worked well in Australia and it’s easy to manage. We use Australia’s bespoke Prism Administrative Software, which is a comprehensive system for syndicate accounting and communication.”

South Africans Greg Sadie and Kurt Michael, who were stalwarts of their South African stable, have taken shares in a number of runners. Bradley Michael (the brother of bookmaker Lance Michael) has also come on board. He lives in Australia and has made a huge success of his Meat & Wine Company.

Dean said, “We’re hoping to get more South Africans involved in our syndicates. We’ll be looking at investments of around R6,000 for shares of 2.5%, and your monthly training fees will be about R1,200. With the stakes as good as they are, we’d love to get more of our old friends back in the fray with us.”

As for their new lifestyle, Dean concluded: “Adelaide is a youngster’s paradise. My daughter Taylor attends the University of Adelaide and she is able to drive anywhere, safely, day or night. Gary’s kids attend schools near Murray Bridge.”

Above:  Taylor Alexander (left) with mom, Vanessa