Hard hitters in the punting stakes

This thread has got me going!

Another legend of my youth was Solly Goldberg. I remember him regularly doing a double circuit of the betting ring claiming R2,000 OF a horse with each bookmaker - of which there were 30 odd. ( In those days a 'claim' was honoured whether you wanted to lay it or not ).

Apparently he got rubbed out. Or so the legend goes.

Then there was Vancho. ( I think he emigrated to Australia ). He could punt H-U-G-E but quite recklessly. He also tended to seek assistance from the bottle when making up his mind. I witnessed him blow about R 300,000 over the phone in 3-4 midweek races. He then told the bookie that he was 'pissed' so the bets were not serious. That didn't fly.

Also saw the legendary Ronnie Skoljdhammer (spelling?) in action around the ring. MASSIVE and a thrill to witness. ( Sadly technology killed off the 'theatre' of this kind of betting )

Let's not forget Abe Bloomberg - Robert's grandfather. He would sidle up to Louis Miller and whisper in his ear. Shortly thereafter a wave of boardmen could be seen high tailing it across from the Crossbar to the Gold Ring. The bookmakers in the Gold Ring would then try and guess what 'they' were coming for and often shortened the wrong horse!

Jack Howsley also made an impression on me one rainy afternoon at Robbery Park (Durbanville) when there were still hedges as opposed to running rails. I saw him open his raincoat to reveal wads of neatly bound currency lining the coat.

Whether you approved or not - it was a mighty colourful game! I feel privileged to have known the game before the accountants got hold of it.

Yet amazingly - the people I have got to know in the last 40 odd years from gambling turn out to be amongst the kindest and most compassionate I know. Probably because they have all tasted failure and despair too.

Titch and one of the greatest.........Cyril Hurwitz.......................(tu)

When the Summer Cup rolls around and racing fans reflect on the history of Johannesburg’s premier race, the names Furious and Anne Upton are likely to crop up.

Furious won the 1978 Holiday Inns (previously the Summer Handicap, now the Sansui Summer Cup). What made the victory special was that just a year earlier the gelding was on the scrap heap, about to be sold by his wealthy and impatient owner.

His trainer was far removed from the big time. Anne Upton’s private yard on a smallholding in Hilton, near Maritzburg, had never housed more than 16 thoroughbreds, many homebred by her family.

The millionaire behind Bull Brand beef products, Cyril Hurvitz, had bought Furious on the National Yearling Sale in Johannesburg. But the young son of Savonarola contracted biliary and when he came to race, performed dismally.

Hurvitz wanted to get rid of the expensive flop when his trainer, Fred Rickaby, who’d noticed Anne’s talents as a horsewoman, suggested she might have the patience and resources to turn the gelding around.

“Hurvitz called and said if I wanted to train Furious I should collect him from Fred’s yard at Summerveld,” recalls Anne. “When he arrived, he was a little light as a result of his illness, but he was very scopy. I thought cross-country work in the plantations around our farm would build him up, and it did.”

Furious’s first start for Anne was at Scottsville in January 1978 over 1600m.

“In those days there was the dip in the back straight at Scottsville where horses disappeared from view. With Furious still inexperienced I didn’t want him tangling with other horses, so I told jockey Harold Taylor to hang back in the dip,” says Anne. “So he came into the straight stone last. But he won by a distance. It was phenomenal.”

He won again in February at Greyville.

“I phoned Hurvitz to tell him - he was in Botswana counting his cattle - and he immediately said he wanted to win the Holiday Inns at Turffontein at the end of the year with Furious. In those days it was tough qualifying for major races, but Hurvitz insisted I do whatever was necessary.”

Furious kept on winning and clinched his spot in the big race when he travelled to Turffontein to win the Black & White Gold Bowl.

On 9 December 1978, less than 11 months after his first win, ridden by Robbie Sham, Furious claimed the Grade 1 Holiday Inns in style.

Unbeknown to the trainer, from the moment he instructed Anne to aim at the big race, Hurvitz started backing his horse heavily. It was one of the biggest betting coups in history....

Not only have i spent time with mrs hemming here in the uk i also know how she achieved her success because i was at first hand close to a stable she took under her wings here. This stable had a maximum of 6 winners a here in the previous 10 years before jean started to assist, she assisted from her home 3 hours away using a local vet ( friend of mine) to assist her.... No doping ever took place but certainly different types of treatment and training methods were introduced.

The very 1 st season she assisted the stable they went to 20 winners ( same horses)

Thos continued for another 3 years until circumstances meant that they had to stop assisting trainer...nothing untoward happened the vet actually had to relocate and could no longer get to the yard,

Trainer back to 3 or 5 winners a season...

For sure they did things different

The MAIN thing they did different was PUSH the horses to be fitter ( almost breaking point) small stables are reluctant to do this because they fear of losing a horse or 3 or in % terms 30% of the yard....pushing them to be fitter coupled with better recovery treatment ( legal) and quicker recovery treatment ( legal) meant the horses improved...simple really.

Many of the failings of horses are due to a lack of fitness, not ability. You gotta push them.

Flash, if you knew jean you would know her vet at the time.....

That vet took over a pre training centre and also started assisting a stable in jean and his methods.....that stable went from ZERO winners to group winners in 1 season and are now the top stable in Sydney, there are no drugs, no positives but what there is, is hard fit horses well treated and ready for action.

I am sure people will google and find out who i am talking about, the facts are there for all to see....certain people train for 30 years ( like this uk trainer) work very very hard and never even hit the cross bar...others have a gift. Mrs H has a gift....

I am sure all of us can remember our biggest and successful punt, we forget the loser, who want to remember a loser anyway
one of my biggest bet happened on a horse Andrew Fortune was riding
Iam not sure if it was CLWD or SCTSVL 1200 he was riding a horse called Starlight STRIKE " for Ricky Maingard well bred was this horse
opened up at 16/10 and was drifting
Had a bad day punting on account and was R30 000 down, so phone bookie in Zeerust, not a big operation, and lay it R30 000/10 000 and I sat there thinking if horse lose i am in the shit for R40 000 so another R10 000 won't make big difference and phoned and laid same bet again and bookie said bet accepted.
So they jump AF was sitting 3/4 behind pacemaker at 400m he pulls out horse and start moving up at 200m hit front and at the 100m start patting horse put back glasses and pose for camera as he went by the winning post 3 l clear.
phoned back bookie he daid he never got 2nd bet on I say to him play back tape on tape you can clearly hear him say bet accepted, shame he paid me off on the bet 3 x R10 000 payments
i still have the video somewhere one of my biggest win will tell later how I took bookmakers for R120 000 ON THE IINTERNET without making one call to place bet

Who remember the Boomstreet Tattersalls ?in the times there was no commentary from the Vaal and result delayed so beit with two or three minutes?Had a good mate Johan Strydom played rugby and cricket for Ntvl(one of six ever to do it)(I was priveledged to play cricket with all six)he was big mates with Henry van Wyk (Rhys''s Dad) and he told me a story where there was no commentary from the Vaal they phoned the result through to the tickey box outside tatts and they had a strike on the horse with the late Bill Walton well knowing they cant lose:-)Those were the days bloody technology;-)

Sorry Bosman street tatts building belonged to Manie Heyneke I think

What ever happened to Kid Colt (Etttiene). I remember him walking in Natal Tattersals and claiming Dancing Duel after it won the Daily News. he was quite a character on course.

Cyril Hurwitz..........He had a very good horse with Rickaby called Majestic Crown which had quite a serious injury...........was off for ages but entered for the Holiday Inns ..........was told before his comeback run that he was back to best and back him for the big race BEFORE the prep as he would shorten(ridden in both by Muis Roberts) ........................short story got 16/1 .........won his prep easily and eventually started fav at 7/2 and won the big one in a canter!
(Hurwitz made over a million apparently.......huge money at the time!)
The bookmaker Michael Ratner used to do the Hurwitz commissions in Durban!

Its very interesting for me to see that the majority of the big punter stories originate from jhb and Durban.....

triple tempo Wrote:

---

> What ever happened to Kid Colt (Etttiene). I
> remember him walking in Natal Tattersals and
> claiming Dancing Duel after it won the Daily News.
> he was quite a character on course.


I haven't see him in years so don't know if he still punts.......:S

A friend of mine ran a half marathon with Ettiene last year.!.... Says the " Kid" is as fit as ever and hasn't aged a bit over the last 40 years. Still as dapper and exquisitely turned out with not a hair out of place........

i re member these guy is on winning way some time back

Jack Kahn was the potato farmer, got posted in the end