OFF THE RECORD #69

Racing Icon Ormond Ferraris Reflects on Decades of Triumphs and Challenges

Above: Ormond Ferraris, still active at the track, at 93 (Photo: JC Photos)

Ormond Ferraris will be inducted into the South African Hall of Fame on Champions Day at Turffontein this Saturday, 29 March 2025. The Hall of Fame celebrates the achievements of extraordinary South Africans, honouring iconic figures such as Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Gary Player.

The SA Hall Of Fame announced in a media release: “Mr Ferraris is the perfect example of someone who has given his life to excellence, service, and uplifting others. His love for the sport, his dedication, and the way he’s helped so many others make him a true South African legend. We are proud to welcome him.”

Above: Ferraris with champion filly, Pretty Border (photo: supplied)

Ferraris, who turns 93 years of age on Monday, 31 March, saddled no fewer than 10 Oaks winners, including Pretty Border (a filly he considers the best horse he’d ever trained), St Just and Lambarina. He also prepared eight Derby winners, including the outstanding Distinctly, Newmarket Triple Crown winner Fine Regent, and The Monk, and won the 2013 Triple Tiara with Cherry On The Top.

Above: Ferraris with his late wife Maureen, Weichong Marwing and Michael Clements, 1989 (Photo: Charl Pretorius)

Beyond his success on the track, Ferraris’ greatest legacy is his role as a mentor. He played a pivotal role in shaping the careers of champion trainers David Ferraris, Mike de Kock, and Michael Clements, as well as leading trainers Weiho Marwing, Weichong Marwing and Sharon Kotzen. Yet, what he holds dearest is his founding of the Trainers Benevolent Fund, which he personally managed from 1970 to 2022 and has since been handed over to a private accountant.

Ferraris said this week: “The saddest thing I’ve seen in all my years in racing is the passing of many good horsemen without a penny to their names. Several trainers dedicated their entire lives to the sport, only to die in poverty. We tried to help as many as we could, despite limited funding from racing authorities. Resources are now at a minimum, but we built a reserve that I hope will last a few more years.”

Fresh out of school in 1949, Ferraris briefly worked as a trainee antiques dealer in downtown Johannesburg. But with his heart firmly set on a racing career, he decided to bang down trainer George Weale’s door for a position as a work rider. He was promoted to Assistant Trainer in 1950, becoming the first person in SA racing history to hold that title. In 1954, he was granted his own trainer’s licence and saddled his first winner, Shenandoah, at Gosforth Park on 14 August of that year.

Ferraris went on to train approximately 2,600 more winners before retiring in May 2019, never handling a string of more than 60 runners. After a brief period of rest and reflection, and the launch of his autobiography, ‘Thoroughly: Seven decades in the sport of Kings and Crooks’, he returned to Turffontein in 2022 to assist his former stable jockey, Weichong Marwing, who had embarked on his own training career.

Their roles have reversed in an intriguing twist to a partnership that began in 1989. Working from the same barn where they once teamed up to win hundreds of races, the mentor now sits on the other side of the desk - while his former jockey is the trainer in charge.

Ferraris' daily routine remains unchanged. He leaves his home in southern Johannesburg at 04:00 – still driving his own vehicle – and arrives at the Turffontein stables for a 04:30 start. There, alongside Marwing, he oversees two strings of morning gallopers. He said: “Horses keep me going, and I’m enjoying my time with Weichong. He is a good horseman, kind to his runners. He can make it to the higher ranks, but he needs support from the big owners to compete. I am not sure why this hasn’t happened. He has proven himself more than capable.”

In years past, Ferraris, Marwing, and head groom John Sibeko would walk from the stable complex across the track to the infield training rings - a tough route that passes under two sets of trackside rails. “That was good exercise; it kept me fit. But I can’t bend down like I used to, so now Weichong and I drive around the track to the infield entrance,” Ferraris explained. “Trainer Tyrone Zackey kindly suggested that the track manager modify the rails there, so we can lift a beam instead of bending down underneath it. They’ve done that, which helps. John, however, still takes the shorter route across the track. He’s in his 70s now and has been with us for over 40 years.”

Ferraris’ best memories come from racing’s so-called ‘Golden Age’ - 1970 to 1990. He recalled: “The stands were packed, and racegoers would queue up early for every meeting just to get through the turnstiles in time for the first race. The parking lots were so full that people had to be redirected to alternative areas. The atmosphere at every meeting was electric, and there was a great camaraderie among racing fans.”

He said that on-course bookmakers were the heart and soul of racing. “The bookmakers' ring, right in front of the grandstand, was like a beehive. Everyone watched the activity down there. From the grandstand we could see exactly when the big punters were making their moves, and which horses were being backed.

“I remember a day in August 1974 when we saddled Mirraglo for the Listed Germiston Cup. He was a beautiful, flashy chestnut who took punters’ breath away when he cantered down to the start, hard-held by jockey Tobie van Booma. The fans surged to the bookmaker’s ring like a tidal wave to put their money on him. He started favourite and won by a short-head.”

​He lamented: “Those great days are long gone and they won’t ever return. I have been asked many times, but I am not sure what can be done to restore racing to its former glory and prominence. There are pressing questions and not enough answers. Unifying the operators may be a solution, and a very strong CEO will have to be appointed to oversee everything. We also need to restore faith in the NHA.”

Above: Ormond, Luke and David Ferraris. (Photo: supplied)

​Throughout his nine-plus decades on Earth, Ferraris has witnessed many wars, pandemics, assassinations, natural disasters and remarkable advancements in communication technology. He reflected: “History keeps repeating itself. The wars, riots, and uprisings we're seeing now are nothing new. I recall a time in Johannesburg when people were overturning and burning DKW and Fiat cars in the streets in protest against the Germans and Italians’ roles in the war.”

Despite these challenges, Ferraris remains hopeful about the resilience of the horse racing industry. He concluded: “The world will overcome its current cycle of problems, and I believe horseracing will endure as well. Racing is an industry with a strong backbone that has stood the test of time. I trust that the right solutions will emerge.”