John Koster
We didn’t have a gate at the top of our driveway. What we did have were two wolves called debt and overdraft. There was one horse guarding my family from those two wolves and that was Captain Al.
We didn’t have a gate at the top of our driveway. What we did have were two wolves called debt and overdraft. There was one horse guarding my family from those two wolves and that was Captain Al.
Part of being a trainer is that you have to believe in yourself. You make mistakes – you think you need to be hard on them, then you feel sorry for them and you’re too soft – you’ve got to find the balance. When you’re winning, you know you’ve got it.
It’s like a pendulum this breeding game. You do well for a bit and then you don’t and then of course, the thing swings back. It’s a phenomenon of the business and you’ve just got to wait your turn.”
You have to take the highs with the lows and learn to treat them all the same. But most of all, you’ve got to learn to take a chance.
They say saving a horse may not change the world, but it does change the world for that horse. In Fantasia’s case, it seems she may well change the world after all.
“We bought him off the farm. Dr Crohin came down from South West Africa with a big suitcase, opened it up in front of Granville and he couldn’t refuse! He was an absolute champ – he won the Nursery, the Guineas, the Derby and the July – you can’t ask for more.”
They tell you all those stories, but the truth is it can be done by a small owner, and you can have a tremendous amount of satisfaction.
Hurvitz said he wanted me to go to Cape Town and have a crack at the Met and I said ‘I’m not going to Cape Town, nor is Furious – he’s having a holiday.’ Those were my very words to him, so he knew who he was dealing with!
It’s important to look after your image. It opens doors to other countries and it’s a way of getting your name out there, even in places where you don’t know anyone
I’m happy. It doesn’t happen often in life, but I worked for so long to find a horse like this – it’s hard to explain, but it gives you confidence
This amendment places South Africa’s African Horse Sickness (AHS) free zone back on the Annex IV list as an authorised zone within South Africa from which registered equines are authorised for direct entry into the EU following the required in-country pre-export quarantine period
Buyers better look sharp at Master Of My Fate’s 24-strong draft destined for next month’s National Yearling Sale
A case of crossed wires, bureaucratic dragging of heels or simply the age old left hand-right hand syndrome?