The Telegraph UK:
The Derby 2009: Bernard Kantor is a lover of horses, the Derby and business
Bernard Kantor, co-founder and managing director of Investec, the specialist investment bank which has just signed a five-year deal to sponsor the Derby, will not appreciate the image of him as the race's knight in shining armour riding over Epsom's horizon.
By Marcus Armytage
Published: 4:00PM BST 30 May 2009
He would not let us get away with it even if we had him astride a zebra, the company's 'brand icon', because quite apart from his desire to keep a low profile, the only time he ever sat on a horse it bolted with him until it reached a gate and stopped dead. The consequence was that he cleared the obstacle, solo, and thus ended a brief riding career.
When Kantor, 59, stood up at Epsom's Breakfast with the Stars on Thursday to make a rare speech, he must have been surprised by the genuine warmth in the applause that greeted him.
There is no doubt racing wishes him well in the race with South Easter, the 33-1 shot trained by William Haggas, which he owns in partnership with fellow South African Markus Jooste. Many would regard victory a fitting reward for returning some self-esteem to the Derby's battered ego at such short notice.
Kantor, however, takes a different view. He is genuinely humbled to be involved in one of British sports' crown jewels which is run for the 230th time on Saturday.
"We owe Epsom a lot," he said. "This is an unbelievable opportunity. When we first came here no one had ever heard of Investec from the tip of Africa. The first thing we did was try to secure the autumn internationals at Twickenham. We also sponsor the media centre at Lord's which doesn't quite get the same visibility but it is to the right target market."
He added: "The next stage is the Derby. I'm amazed how anyone could have given it up. You just couldn't afford to pay for the air time you'll get on BBC1. I'm delighted for the company and I'm delighted for South Africa."
In April it was announced this year's Derby would be without a sponsor as every avenue Epsom explored proved a dead end. It was a sad indictment of the sport that the household name Flat race could not find a backer.
Sir David Prosser, a director at both Investec and Epsom, suggested to Epsom's managing director, Nick Blofeld, that he give Kantor a call. There was no stonewalling about already agreed sponsorship budgets; Investec saw the opportunity and grabbed it. Their research was carried out in three or four days,' the executive called together and, within two weeks of that first phone call, the decision taken.
"I do feel hugely responsible and hope our judgement is not wrong but as a racing lover, how can you go wrong with it?" he added. "Everything, particularly with stallions, comes down to who won the Derby. Manchester United sent one of their shirts with Investec on the front recently and said it would cost £15 million. I'd prefer to do Epsom 20 times over."
The company, which employs 5,500 people in 14 countries, was set up in South Africa by Kantor and some colleagues in 1978. "There were five of us, four chairs, one of which the typist had to have, and three phones," he recalled. "In the morning the last one in had to go out on the street selling leasing facilities to the professional market, we had no money and no balance sheet to speak of, but what we did have was a lot of stupidity and courage."
His interest in racing was stoked by his brother who held a bookmaking licence. "It always interests me, though, why you can take a family and find only one member burdened with this passion and others not. It's been my hobby for 35 years."
He has been a successful owner. He once had winners on three different continents in one day and his penchant for the offspring of Zafonic resulted in Count Dubois, who is now a leading stallion in South Africa, and Dupont who, in the space of 10 days, won the German and Italian Guineas. Both horses were trained by Haggas as is King's Apostle, one of the market leaders for the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Ascot.
Kantor also combines business expertise and pleasure as a director of Phumelela, the company which took the racing clubs from the old Transvaal and Eastern Cape, combined them with the Tote, the intellectual and picture rights and bundled them up into one company. It has been the saviour of South African racing and, he insists, is the perfect model to put British racing into a position not only to survive for the next 30 years but be a dominant force.
The instant reaction from any of British racing's diverse parties protecting their own interests is that such a move would be impossible, the same attitude which originally greeted Phumelela.
"It's not even a debate," insists Kantor. "You'd parcel up the tracks, Tote, TV rights, distribution, the Racing Post, and create a huge corporation. It unlocks value, you plough it back in. The philosophy of the old Club mentally was good for the 18th and 19th centuries but there's serious competition today. Racing has too much to offer not to survive."
His other hobby horse, this week at least, is South Easter. If he triumphs on Saturday it would, technically, be Kantor's second Derby winner. He was a member of the Royal Ascot Racing Club which owned the 2005 winner Motivator though, as one of 265 owners, he does not claim it.
It was, however, the only British winner which he has seen live. "They're all begging me to stay at home on Saturday," he joked. "But I've flown thousands of miles to see my horses beaten so we must take it in that spirit. Good luck to the winner."
