David Shapshak
The horse racing industry has been rocked with rumours that bookmakers tried to hobble Horse Chestnut, one of South Africa’s top horses and the hot favourite for this weekend’s J&B Met.
The horse, owned and bred by Harry and Bridget Oppenheimer, almost had its legs broken two weeks ago. But security guards shot at the men who had broken into the stable at the Milnerton racecourse.
One of the men caught after the shoot-out was carrying bolt cutters but refused to divulge what he intended to do with it. He was arrested for trespassing, while his accomplice escaped. A Milnerton police representative confirmed the incident but said there was no substantive evidence to tie the arrested man to charges of sabotage.
The plot is thought to have been orchestrated by bookmakers, who stand to lose a fortune should the three-year-old win on Saturday at Kenilworth racecourse. Two weeks ago bookies had to shell out for the colt’s surprise win in the Guineas, on the same track as Saturday’s race.
Because they didn’t expect it to run the Met, bookies allowed bets on the horse winning both events. They are really worried, say industry sources, especially as the industry believes Horse Chestnut’s chances of winning the Met are good.
Horse Chestnut has been billed as the country’s best horse since Sea Cottage, who was shot before the 1967 July Handicap, and top trainers have compared it to greats like Colorado King and Empress Club. The three-year-old has developed an enviable media profile in the past few months – and is kept under 24-hour security.
The horse’s trainer, Mike de Kock, downplayed the rumours this week, focusing instead on how this media hype is improving horse racing’s image. De Kocksays the colt’s chances are good, despite criticism that he’s running against older horses. No three-year-old horse has won the Met in 50 years, but, says De Kock, “I personally think he’s up to it.”