First Horse i backed

The first horse I backed was Regent's Heir at 5-2. Put my salary on as instructed (R 362).

Paid those winnings back hundreds of times since!

Countrymember wrote:
He won the July in 1970 on Court Day, I had my case money on Naval Escort (Not sighted)

Clearly well before my time but legend has it that magaret court won the ladies wimbledon on centre court the same day that court day won the july and centre court ran third ...anyone recall that ?[/quote]


pirates I remember it well.... . Court Day was owned by Mickey Livanos , a massive punter. I think its his Son who still races to-day(?). Legend has it that Mickey was so confident of a win that he organized a plane to leave Jan Smuts airport (now Tambo) for all his friends to fly to Durban. When the all clear was posted they all flew to Durban and had an all night party at the Edward Hotel... :ohmy: . I knew a lawyer who backed it heavily as well, as she said she spends all day in court. She was also a very big owner and I suspect got the correct info at the time. :huh: .[/quote]....my late Dad trained(for a short spell) from Mickey Livanos's farm out near Rainbow Drag Strip on the old Hieldleburg Road.....Court Day was retired there as an entire....
he had fertility problems and only sired a dozen offspring in his 6 years at stud....

Match race On the Line and Shu shine Boy ...
Early days young adventurer ,Copshop,Cut no ice , Bryak (remember this one came back after a good few years to race again )Dawsons Trail,En Avante ...

Frodo wrote: I recall that Margaret Court was a top woman tennis player - not sure if it was in the same period though; some names in that July picture .... was Home Guard not one of those horses that had winning streak of 9 in a row, or something like that - trained by Mr Henry Eatwell I think

Frodo............just for you..........

In 1970, Court became the first woman during the open era (and the second woman in history) to win the singles Grand Slam (all four major tournaments in the same calendar year). She won 24 of those titles (11 in the Open era), a record that still stands


. Trained by Henry Eatwell, Home Guard set (and still holds) the South Africa record for winning his first 11 starts, of which 9 were feature races including the SA Nursery Plate (by 7.5 lengths), Benoni Guineas (by 5 lengths) and the SA Derby. Home Guard’s winning streak ended in the 1969 July Handicap when, as the hot favourite, he was beaten 0.75 of a length by Naval Escort to who he was conceding 9lbs. He would go on to add the 1970 Summer Handicap, the 1971 Hawaii Stakes and the 1971 Woolavington Stakes to his resume, before ending off his career with a 2nd to Mazarin in the 1971 Champion Stakes.

Countrymember wrote:

Frodo wrote: I recall that Margaret Court was a top woman tennis player - not sure if it was in the same period though; some names in that July picture .... was Home Guard not one of those horses that had winning streak of 9 in a row, or something like that - trained by Mr Henry Eatwell I think

Frodo............just for you..........

In 1970, Court became the first woman during the open era (and the second woman in history) to win the singles Grand Slam (all four major tournaments in the same calendar year). She won 24 of those titles (11 in the Open era), a record that still stands


. Trained by Henry Eatwell, Home Guard set (and still holds) the South Africa record for winning his first 11 starts, of which 9 were feature races including the SA Nursery Plate (by 7.5 lengths), Benoni Guineas (by 5 lengths) and the SA Derby. Home Guard’s winning streak ended in the 1969 July Handicap when, as the hot favourite, he was beaten 0.75 of a length by Naval Escort to who he was conceding 9lbs. He would go on to add the 1970 Summer Handicap, the 1971 Hawaii Stakes and the 1971 Woolavington Stakes to his resume, before ending off his career with a 2nd to Mazarin in the 1971 Champion Stakes.

.....and like Court Day....was also a dud at stud.... :huh: