OFF THE RECORD #61

Herman Brown Jr. Returns to Training

Above: Herman Brown Jr, back after a 12-year absence

This type of article would typically begin with a phrase like, ‘his father was an illustrious trainer,’ but Herman Brown Jr. has more than earned his own place in the league of top horsemen. South African racing will welcome him back to the training ranks next week, and he’ll be aiming at exciting times for both his patrons and fans.

Brown, with his signature gentlemanly composure, was a notable guest in Kenilworth’s 1881 function room at the WSB Met last Saturday. The excitement of days like these stirred his spirit and has brought him back to the industry after an absence of 12 years.

Above: Herman Brown Sr., with Lester Piggott

Brown spent his sabbatical dabbling in a number of business projects, which required moving between provinces. He said: “I needed the break to experience life and business from other perspectives and I’m back, focused and refreshed.”

He handed over his Summerveld stable to his long-time assistant, Frank Robinson, and purchased a wine farm in Franschhoek. He also ventured into property development, only to realise that every industry requires a certain streetwise acumen that can't be gained overnight. In the process of change and reflection, he also came to the end of his 35-year marriage.

Above: Linngari, in the winner’s box at Nad Al Sheba

Back in Cape Town after a brief return to Durban, new horizons beckon for the man who trained 1100 winners in South Africa and several Group winners during his nine-year stint in Dubai, including the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free with Jay Peg, two Group 1 Singapore Cups with Jay Peg and Gitano Hernando respectively, and three Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort’s with Linngari (x2) and Bankable. Brown’s runner Mourilyan finished third in the 2009 Group 1 Melbourne Cup, the first South African trainer to achieve this feat.

Above: Jay Peg with his connections, after winning the Dubai Duty Free

“I’ve been racing a bit recently with my old friend Marsh Shirtliff, who owned Jay Peg, and enjoyed a few forgotten thrills. I am returning to an industry that’s different to what it was, but I know what it takes to win at local and international level. Our country has a remarkable number of good trainers, jockeys and breeders. We don’t realise how good our horsemen actually are. To compete means having to take on some serious racing operations. But I am used to winning. I want to train winners again and land the big races.”

Brown added: “Ideally, I’d like to train 20-30 runners with a view of proving the best ones here in South Africa and then shipping them to Dubai. It is easier to get horses on a plane again now, with protocols relaxed. I still have my stables available in Dubai with my saddlery and equipment. My international exposure was a gamechanger, as it was for Mike de Kock. We both learnt that the most important aspect of winning the big races was attention to the finest little detail, which makes the difference between winning and losing. Training alongside other international handlers is invaluable. We watch each other all the time, and the bar is constantly raised.”

He is under no illusion that his journey back to prominence will be a walk in the park, and said: “The horse population has dwindled, we are in a rebuilding phase. The lack of numbers has caused an imbalance in that a handful of powerful stables dominate the different regions. There is a big disparity, especially in the Cape. But I see opportunities and I believe the time is right for me to make a comeback. Owners tend to drift between trainers to see if the grass is greener elsewhere. I will be offering hands-on, personal service with a smaller string and I hope to get some older runners in training that may need a change of environment.”

Brown said that training today is a strenuous, all-round operational business in which only the truly dedicated can survive. “Any trainer wishing to have winners needs support from strong owners, to start. Justin Snaith is so successful because he has mastered the entire chain of his business, from the selecting of horses and high-powered backing at the sales to the breaking in process, to training, to veterinary procedures to the expert placing and entering of his runners. He manages a meticulous operation and that is why he gets the great results.”

Brown has been allocated stables at the Philippi Training Centre and said: “Justin and Brett Crawford wouldn’t be training here if the tracks weren’t good. I think the Philippi tracks are kinder to horses, and Milnerton looks over-crowded.”

He will be appointing members of his old Summerveld staff who are keen to work in Cape Town, and intends using the best available jockeys. “I won’t have a stable jockey just yet. I had a chat to my good friend Ryan Moore the other day. He rode winners for me in Dubai. He is keen to help in the few weeks a year when he is not elsewhere engaged, and he enjoys Cape Town. I hope he will make regular trips and take a few rides for my stable.”

Brown starts with a handful of two-year-olds and said: “I will be buying yearlings at forthcoming sales to increase my numbers. It will take some time, but I should have a runner or two in the next three months. Also, I am fortunate to have some relationships with notable breeders and hope that I get support from them.”