Mildred and Katok Kasimov
Well known former Cape owner and SA Turf Club Steward Abraham ‘Katok’ Kasimov passed away in Houston, Texas at the age of 89 last Thursday after an illness. The charismatic retired builder and leading owner of his time raced many good horses, including the 1973 Cape Guineas winner, Ocean City.
A son of Russian immigrant parents, the ambitious and astute Katok Kasi-mov was a self made man who ran a successful building business and loved his horses and racing. He started out in building and eventually started making his own bricks. One thing led to another and soon he had a thriving business.
Just one of his recognisable developments that will be known to many is the landmark Blouberg Heights block of flats, that stands tall on Sir David Baird Drive in Bloubergstrand.
Katok was a loyal one trainer owner and was a great friend of the legendary Syd Laird. The staunch racing man built a flatlet on his Camps Bay home that became Laird’s home from home, when raiding the big race riches and silverware of the Cape.
One of his most memorable afternoons was at Milnerton in February 1973, when his Sea Cottage gelding Ocean City, won the country’s most important classic, the Cape of Good Hope Guineas. There was a very strong south-easter blowing down the straight which soon stopped the pacemakers Fitzgerald and Morn Again, who had made it a cracker from the start.
Ocean City was sent into the lead by Johnny Cawcutt some way out and, though tiring visibly, was still a long way clear as the post was reached. Sword Dancer, under Stephen Page came slicing through the field to take second place in front of Yataghan. The Kannemeyer trained Mrs Noah ran fourth.
Trainer Syd Laird owned Ocean City in partnership with Katok Kasimov. The winner, bred by Katok Kasimov’s favourite breeders(he sup-ported Birch Brothers at almost the exclusion of other breeders), was the first winner of this great race to be sired by a South African bred stallion.
On the late Syd Laird’s relocation to Johannesburg, Katok, who loved to watch his horses in the flesh, moved across to Peter Kannemeyer. The two men had formed a bond of friendship when Peter had ridden as a heavyweight jockey in the sixties.
The retired trainer has fond memories of their association: “I was privileged to enjoy the patronage of no nonsense successful men like Katok Kasimov. Syd had trained him very well. He was an easy and supportive owner.
“He was also one of a group of the richest and strongest Jewish owners any trainer in this country could have wished for. The likes of Abe Bloomberg, Jeff Bubb, Alec Tross, Harold Bowman, Graham Beck, Gerald Jaffee, Laurie Jaffee and Jules Horowitz, were just some of the other big names. That’s power in that collective!
“They were the Friday evening regulars at the stables. They enjoyed their racing. They enjoyed having a bet. They paid their bills. And believe me, they didn’t enjoy losing, but there were no tears when the horse got beat. Tomorrow was always another day,” said the enthusiastic Peter Kannemeyer, as he reminisced fondly. Katok Kasimov relocated to the United States some years ago, to be closer to his daughters.
He is survived by his wife Mildred, daughters June and Avril, and three grandchildren.
