Robert Maroun.

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ROBERT Maroun, training between 1972 and 1995, limited his seasonal string to 25 or 30 horses. He never chased a title, made the top 10 on the old Transvaal log, maybe, twice and generally kept to himself.

Yet every older racing enthusiast will fondly remember Robbie Maroun, a top-notch horseman in a competitive era. He trained marvellous thoroughbreds like Creator and Duzzon, and fathered the late and now legendary "King Of Sprinters’’, Kevin "Buddy’’ Maroun.

Robbie is a man with a fine sense of humour and he likes to joke about himself. At 76, he quips all that he can remember is his year of birth, 1933. Yet he quickly recalls some wonderful racing stories from years gone by and talks seriously about making a comeback to the trainers’ ranks.

"I live a holistic lifestyle with healthy foods and I’m physically in good shape, except for a bit of arthritis’’ he tells. "I yearn to be out there with a bunch of horses, I love them so much!’’

He admits that circumstances have changed, however. Not least of all, the thoroughbred itself. "They are `soft’ today, much more so than when I was a trainer. Their knees remain open for much longer.

"In my day one could quickly get going with the two-year-olds. Not today. My son Bradley, who trains at Randjesfontein, has eight nice young horses but we can’t race them. We can see they have ability but have to wait, otherwise we will hurt them, break them down. They don’t breed racehorses like they used to!’’Read the full Article

The best value trainer that i've seen in SA- if you had a horse with him you would normally have 10 runs before the end of a season at two!! He was always open to the media and would always take a call. He got them fit by racing them not boxing them and you'd be hard pressed to see a Maroun runner breaking down on track. He had/s a wicked twinkle in his eye when a woman walked by and is a charmer of note. A true legend that has not received the praise he deserves.

He trained my first winner Mucho Hombre, I was with Robert when he had Creator used to love going to the stables on a Sunday morning and watch his lighty "Buddy" ride the work.

I had the RXP this morning Hibby and sure it was Legends of the Turf by "Charl" not Nicci, so dont have me in the shit with a phone call.

OOOPs sorry Charl will fix the heading..