Vengi Is South Africa’s Newest Racehorse Trainer

South Africa’s newest fully-fledged racehorse trainer hopes to saddle his first runners in a matter of weeks and is ‘beyond excited’ at the prospect of working as a member of one of South Africa’s leading teams.

It’s been a whirlwind 21 years since Vengi Masawi arrived in South Africa from Zimbabwe in 2004 on a successful feature raid as the Groom of Lisa Harris’ Triple Crown winner Earl Of Surrey, a versatile equine athlete, who also won Grade 1 sprints in an illustrious career.

Vengi told the Sporting Post on Tuesday that he enjoyed his South African trip so much that he ‘rushed back’ when an opportunity came.

“I worked for Gary Alexander for a few weeks at Turffontein before joining another former Zimbabwean, Sharon Patterson, at her spelling facility near Randjesfontein. After a while Mrs Patterson felt that I would do well in a big racing stable and she spoke to Diane de Kock. In 2007 she got me the job as a stable employee working alongside Mrs De Kock and their two-year-olds, which are prepped before full training and has always been separate from their main yard.”

Talking to us after the news had broken of his appointment to head the Hollywood Racing operation at the scenic Ashburton training centre near Pietermaritzburg, an emotional Vengi recounted the ‘wonderful’ people that had believed in him and created the opportunities along the way that led to his current appointment.

“I have so many people to acknowledge. From Mr Anthony Delpech, the De Kock family, Mr Owen Heffer, and Trevor Brown, and all the team members along the way. A racing stable can never be a one man show, and the guy at the top is only as good as the sum total of the team effort,” he added.

Former SA Champion jockey Anthony Delpech, who is Manager of the Hollywood Racing operation, said that Vengi had been with their team since September 2024.

“I have known Vengi for a long time from my days as stable jockey to Mike de Kock. He is a fantastic horseman and a thorough gentleman. He also has a passion for horses and for racing, and he will make a call to Mike (de Kock) or myself, to consult. He is always willing to learn, and I believe that he and Megan Trott will make a great team.”

As Anthony indicated, the 45-year-old Vengi joined Hollywood Racing as an Assistant Trainer based at their beautifully revamped pre-training and recovery facility at the Ashburton complex outside of Pietermaritzburg.

Born and raised in Zimbawe, Vengi was educated at the Rusununguka Secondary School outside of Harare.

He spent much of his teenage years on the Woodleigh Stud Farm in East Mashonaland, where his father worked as a mechanic.

The farm was owned by Dubbles Draper, who was married to Graham Carey, the grandfather of Ridgemont Stud’s Craig Carey. The great Ipi Tombe, bred by Peter Moor, was born in the same region.

The early seeds of horsemanship were planted at Woodleigh where Vengi soaked everything up like a sponge and assisted with mare coverings on the farm. There were times, he concedes, when he ran away from school to be with horses.

Vengi met businessman Brian Makwabarara, who is well known in Zimbabwe and South Africa as an auctioneer and racehorse owner.

Brian assisted Vengi in securing a job at Borrowdale Park, where he joined then champion trainer Lisa Harris at the height of her success.

Venga credits Lisa with much of his foundation knowledge of stable management and treatment of injuries. He rode work and handled her top horses Double Bluff, Divine Wisdom and Zimbabwean champion Earl Of Surrey – a horse that was to change his life!

After joining the De Kock team assisting with their 2yo’s, Vengi moved to the main stable after veterinarian Dr Terry Casey was impressed with the way he bandaged and treated an injured runner.

“Dr Casey asked, ‘who did this, it is very well done’ and he mentioned it to Mr. De Kock.  I applied my knowledge and experience from Zimbabwe and that day it paid off.”

Against the background of De Kock’s travels around the world, the extent of Vengi’s duties grew as he worked closely with erstwhile assistant trainer John Buckler and became a stalwart in the stable.

Diane de Kock enrolled him at the Summerhill School Of Excellence in 2012, where he studied under Heather Morkel with the guidance of Mick Goss’s renowned multiple championship-winning team.

Vengi fondly recalls the experience of learning.

“We worked in teams, there was obviously a lot of academic work aside from the physical work with stallions, mares and foals and it was a priceless experience. We were each assigned a group of mares, my team leader was the exceptional Denali Mtshali and I was lucky to get the grey mare Jordie. She was the first to foal down with a colt they named Rabada. He became a champion and a stallion, and I am proud to this day of being the only graduate at the time to deliver what would later be a stallion!”

At the time, Mat de Kock suggested that Vengi apply for an Assistant Trainers licence and helped him with the various test questions ahead of his written examination.

“Mathew was a teacher to me. He’d draw up a list of questions from Australia and then mark my answers and discuss them afterwards until I was ready. I am so happy that Mat has come home!”

Vengi also enjoyed working with jockeys Anthony Delpech, Callan Murray and Randall Simons and said they were like brothers to him in the stable.

“Callan (Murray) actually bought my wedding ring when I got married in Zimbabwe,” recalls Vengi with a smile.

Due to his knack with problematic horses, Vengi was asked to assist with the temperamental star Igugu, who needed two handlers to lead her in the parade ring and elsewhere. He also worked closely with horse behaviour therapist Malan du Toit, whose help was called in after another tricky customer Hawwaam’s controversial scratching at the start of the 2018 Durban July.

“I learnt a great deal from Malan, he is very good. We discovered that Hawwaam preferred being led into the stalls from his front side, so I’d take him by the reins and walk backwards into the stalls and then I’d crawl out and away from underneath the pens. I was going to join the horse when he was moved to the UK, but he was injured and returned here to stud. We’re all looking forward to see his progeny on the tracks. He was a top horse.”

While Hawwaam was the best he’d worked with, Vengi also has fond memories of Majmu, Soqrat and Triple Crown winner Malmoos.

Mike de Kock labelled Vengi ‘an excellent, intelligent horseman with people skills’.

“These attributes give him a bright future in racing. He’s been a big asset to our yard, having progressed through the ranks. We are truly proud that he is now a trainer in his own right.”

Vengi has two school-going daughters of 13 and 6 and tells us that his wife sadly passed away during covid-19 in 2021.

“Thanks to the wonderful support of caring people like Mrs Diane de Kock, my daughters go to an excellent school in Johannesburg and are looked after by my sister. But I am very aware that they are growing up fast and need a father figure. I miss them terribly and am planning to try and bring them to live under the same roof as me. There are some good schools here in Pietermaritzburg.”

Good luck, Vengi!