How Alimony turned into gold - Sunday Times

How Alimony turned into gold
GEEGEES: Mike Moon Published:Oct 03, 2008



MENTION the word “alimony” and blokes look nervous and change the subject. It’s been said that paying alimony is like feeding hay to a dead horse.
Which might partly explain why Randjesfontein owner-trainer St John Gray had no luck in selling his six-year-old gelding called, um, Alimony.


The horse had a fair record, having won races, but his age and merit rating suggested his best days were behind him. And then there was that name.


A year and a half ago, the asking price was R40000. It dropped steadily to R20000. No takers.


“People in Mauritius, Kimberley and Port Elizabeth weren’t interested. They were laughing at me.”


Paying good money to acquire Alimony somehow seemed like a grudge expenditure squared.


Here’s the amusing bit: if you’d parted with the paltry R20000 two months ago, you’d be R500000 richer today.


Instead, Gray has trousered all that loot and has banished all thoughts of parting with his little bay friend.


The much-respected horseman senses a guiding hand of fate in this story.


He’s known as “King of the Sand” for his success at the Vaal sand track, and, until a few weeks ago, was set to dominate that course’s richest race, the R600000 Emerald Cup, with his “dune masters” — Naples and Quicksand [another crazy name].


But Gray got the offer no horse owner can refuse — to race the duo in Dubai and earn petrodollars. Off went Naples and Quicksand, leaving him with no runner in the cup. A king without a crown, it seemed.


“A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a sand horse,” the monarch cried. And the plea was answered.


He doesn’t know what moved him to do it, but, on the spur of the moment, St John entered the unwanted Alimony in a race on sand, a surface he was deemed completely unsuited for and on which he’d never set foot.


Three sensational victories later and he’d qualified for the Emerald Cup line-up. Then came the real drama.


With a name like Alimony you’d think he’d know all about mud- slinging. But, right after the start, when he collected a big lump of wet sand kickback on the shnoz, Alimony hit the anchors. He and jockey Devin Habib were suddenly trailing.


Habib pulled the gelding wide on the bend to avoid the flying earthworks; uncomfortably wide, and his many thousands of backers abandoned hope.


But, as the cavalry charge started in the straight, Alimony summoned all his might. One by one he passed his 13 rivals, with the big crowd roaring its head off, and nabbed frontrunner Renegade in the shadow of the post.


As the gobsmacked thousands at the riverside course regained their composure they knew they’d witnessed an equine performance of note. And the racing gods had crowned the King of the Sand.