GALLOPING INTO HISTORY

Ashwin Reynolds, the first person of colour to own a Durban July winner, dedicates the victory to the “uncles at the tote”

- LINDSAY DE FREITAS

IT’S the biggest, most glamorous event on the racing calendar and the Greyville Racecourse in Durban is usually swarming with the who’s who of South Africa, dressed to the nines and quaffing bubbly in the balmy KwaZulu- Natal winter sunshine.

But of course, things must be done very differently these days. Last year the Durban July was held behind closed doors and this year it was a significantly watered-down affair.

There were no cheering crowds, no booze, and precious little fanfare. The only people allowed onto the grounds were trainers, jockeys, core racing personnel and a handful of media representatives.

Everyone else had to watch the R2,5million race on TV – and that included the owners of the racehorses galloping to the finishing line in all their thoroughbred magnificence.

But for one owner, it was good enough – in fact, it was almost too much to take in. Ashwin Reynolds watched as his horse, Kommetdieding, overcame an unfavourable draw to dash to glory in the final seconds of the race. The win caused a major upset for race favourites Got the Greenlight and Linebacker.

In a rags-to-riches story fit for a fairy tale, the sensational win made Ashwin (47), who grew up in impoverished circumstances on the Cape Flats, the first person of colour to own a Durban July winner in the race’s almost-125-year history.

His racing colors will now be displayed on the wall of honor in Hollywoodbets Greyville’s Classic Room alongside many of South Africa’s most famous racing silks (the colorful uniforms jockeys wear).