Scenic Invermooi Estate
The jockeys are wearing black armbands at Hollywoodbets Greyville this afternoon in honour of former Gold Circle chairman Chris Saunders who passed away last night after a long illness.
Saunders was a passionate racing man and his Invermooi Stud farm produced many a champion.
Saunders was also a former chairman of the Tongaat Hulett group.
In late 1962, one of the most significant incidents ever to take place in the South African sugar industry occurred when Guy Hulett decided to put in a take-over bid for Natal Estates, a company owned by the Campbell family, which itself had played a long and important role in the sugar industry.
In a long and bitter stock exchange battle, Hulett was successful in his bid, but no sooner had he acquired Natal Estates, when his own company, Sir J L Hulett & Sons, was taken over by a consortium of the C G Smith Group and the Tongaat Sugar Company.
The company name was retained but the Hulett family largely disappeared from the business and the guiding hand became that of Chris Saunders, who was one of the major players in the successful acquisition of Huletts. He succeeded Ross Armstrong and became Chairman of both Huletts and Tongaat.
Condolences are extended to the Saunders family from Gold Circle and the Sporting Post.
