OFF THE RECORD #74

Family, Friendship, and Thoroughbreds
Koekemoer’s Racing Dream in Motion

Above: Quentin Koekemoer in the winner’s box with Quinette and Wilma Koekemoer (right), Sheridan and Weiho Marwing (left). (JC Photos)

Quentin Koekemoer only discovered his interest in horses and racing at the age of 50, just five years ago. What began as a casual curiosity quickly deepened into a profound love for the most majestic of animals, and an all-consuming passion for the sport.

Above: Navajo Nation (Kobeli Lihaba, green and grey silks), beats Tamarisk Tree in a driving finish. (JC Photos)

Last Saturday at Turffontein, Quentin and trainer Weiho Marwing teamed up to win the Racing 240 Pinnacle Stakes over 1800m with Navajo Nation, a four-year-old gelding acquired from KwaZulu-Natal. It marked Quentin’s eighth winner as an owner in just over a year since registering his individual racing silks - grey and green halves - and he now has his sights set on stakes success with this good-looking son of The United States.

Quentin said: “Weiho had identified Navajo Nation as a potential buy some time back and we made inquiries, but we couldn’t come to an agreement with his original owners. The deal was only done recently. We think he is a good stayer, more than he is a miler, and our ultimate mission with him is the (R6-million) Betway Summer Cup.”

Navajo Nation’s share of the R120,000 stake was Quentin’s biggest win to date. His journey in racing began in February 2020, when his very first runner, Flamboyant Flyer, trained by Craig Mayhew, finished a close second in a MR 79 Handicap at the Vaal. “That was a riveting experience,” Quentin recalled. “The bug bit me right there and then.”

He had to wait another six months for his first winner, Lady Eli Mo, who broke her maiden at the Vaal. But the wait, he says, was well worth it. “In this past year especially, horses and horseracing have enriched my life, and the lives of my family!”

Quentin’s youngest daughter, Quinette (17), is a promising showjumper. It was her interest in horses that sparked his own. “When Quinette was younger, she was always eager to own a horse and learn the ropes in showjumping,” he told. “In 2020, we finally decided to buy her a horse and get her started. She made swift progress, and now she’s competing at national championship level.”

To support Quinette’s ambitions, Quentin imported an experienced jumper from the Netherlands - a horse that had already cleared 1.5m fences. Quinette is currently jumping him at 1.10m and 1.20m levels as she works her way up the ranks. Meanwhile, Quentin’s own racing string now numbers 23 horses, including 12 young, unraced prospects.

“We bought yearlings and two-year-olds at a number of auctions in 2024, including the Bloodstock SA National Sale and the August Sale. We got three more at the National Sale this April, including a colt by Declarationofpeace and one by Danon Platina.”

Quentin and Weiho have made their purchases mostly in the lower to middle ranges - R100,000 to R400,000 – the same bracket in which the trainer bought formidable international performers Divine Jury (Grade 2 Dingaans, Grade 1 SA Classic), Oracle West (2^nd in the Group 1 Sheema Classic) and Grand Emporium (winner of the Grade 1 Triple Crown 1600, the Grade 1 Daily News and the Group 2 Godolphin Mile) in the early 2000s.

The stars mentioned were owned by Kenny Geemooi, with whom Weiho Marwing enjoyed a spectacular run of success and, interestingly, Geemooi also raced in grey and green silks. “I’ve seen pictures of those momentous wins on the wall in Weiho’s office,” Quentin mentioned. “Those were great days for his stable, and I’m hoping we can repeat them again, together. Weiho has a proven eye for a good horse, we’re buying carefully and we get on superbly well. We’ve become good friends. We grew up in the same era, in Johannesburg. We clicked the moment we met.”

Quentin, who cut his teeth in the insurance industry and now owns a diverse portfolio of successful businesses - from insurance to mining - believes firmly in doing things properly. “I’m very privileged to be able to afford to own racehorses, and it took hard work to get to this stage,” he says. “When you set your heart on something, it makes sense to do it the right way. There are basic rules to follow, a path to walk. There are no shortcuts. I teach this to my family.”

All four of his older children – two boys and two girls - hold management positions in his various companies, and Quentin is now applying the same business principles to his racing operation. “The horse comes first, but there’s also room for strategy, planning, and smart decisions. My wife Wilma is a true animal lover at the centre of our lives. She drives Quinette up and down. If it was up to her, we’d have an unlimited number of horses,” he said, fondly.

Quentin has sent his unraced youngsters straight into Weiho’s yard at Turffontein, bypassing time at a spelling farm. “Weiho and his team perform the same functions as a spelling facility, and we decided to let the newcomers settle directly into the environment where they’ll be spending most of their time over the next several years,” he explained. “I’m comfortable in a yard where my horses get close attention. I have input, but I don’t interfere. We’re building something really good and we’re having a wonderful time.”

Above: Quentin Koekemoer and Warwick Marwing with Lady Noir (Sam Mosia), at the Vaal. (JC Photos)

While it is too early to identify any future stars among Quentin’s new acquisitions, Weiho noted that they are a very nice and promising bunch. Among the recently raced ones, he regards Lady Noir (Capetown Noir) as a potential Oaks prospect and said that Royale Jacket (Ideal World) was a colt to keep an eye on.

At the time of our interview, Quentin and Weiho were driving to Durban, towing his two-berth horsebox to HWB Greyville for a meeting on Wednesday. “Weiho entered two runners, one is mine, so we decided to make this a fun week and travel down together. This is what it’s all about,” Quentin said.

Two friends, a shared dream, and a horsebox on the road. The journey may just be getting started, but it already feels like something special.