Joey Ramsden

Joey Ramsden

42-year-old JOEY RAMSDEN is without doubt one of the great characters of the South African turf.  Blessed with a tremendous sense of humour and a gift for repartee that Winston Churchill would have been proud of, Joey’s post- race interviews are always one of the most entertaining things on TV. And we get plenty of them, for this hugely successful trainer sends out an almost continuous stream of winners, big and small.  While fans of Variety Club will be disappointed that the ruling horse-of-the-year will not be contesting the J & B Met, the stable remains well represented in Cape Town’s premier race with last year’s runner-up BRAVURA and with the exciting 3yo KING OF PAIN.

What is your name?  Joey Ramsden.

What is your star sign and birthdate?  I am a Virgo (remarkable coincidence). I was born on 27^th August 1968.

Where were you born?  I was born in London, England.

Where do you live?  I live in Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, just behind the famous Blue Peter Hotel.

Tell us about your family?  My family consists of my wife, Fee, my two daughters, Holly (6 years old) and Zara (Big Zee-3 years old) and 3 elderly Jack Russell’s. I am lucky enough to share my bed with 6 women. Not many men can say that. I also have a rabbit named Nibbles, 3 sheep, ducks and a couple of geese.

Do you have a ‘nickname’?  I am known by many names, most of them unprintable, but I am usually called JR or Rambo.

Favourite food?  A good English fry-up or peri-peri chicken. A crispy duck if I am at Mr. Chan’s in Sea Point.

Favourite drink?  Vodka/Grappa.

Favourite music?  Green Day, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen & The Sessions Band.

Favourite sport?  I am sport mad but for my wife’s sanity, I restrict myself to following (or having some knowledge of) soccer, test match cricket, golf and formula 1.  Lately I have been following men’s tennis. Luckily Fee enjoys tennis or this might have been the one that pushed her over the edge!

Favourite soccer team?  West Ham United, of course!

Favourite holiday destination? We love going to London for a week in the summer, for the shopping and the restaurants. At the moment, we are also lucky enough to know Dharmesh and Melissa Naik in Mauritius, who make it a truly special, relaxing week away.

Who is your favourite author? It has to be Dick Francis or his son, who has now followed in his father’s footsteps. I also enjoy a good biography.

What book are you reading at the moment? I have just finished reading Alan Sugars’ book – absolute magic.

Which characteristic about yourself do you like the most?  Tough one! I like to think I am generous and kind. I am passionate about my work. I love animals, in particular, dogs. I am very good at seeing both sides of a story whether it be detrimental to me or not.

Which characteristic about yourself do you like the least?  I am my own worst critic. We can have 6 winners on a day out of 8 runners and I don’t go away thinking about the 6 winners, I go away thinking about the couple that got beaten. It is a tough way to go through life! I also do not like being overweight.

What tertiary education did you complete? I graduated in manure forwarding at the University of Kentucky and Rosehill, Sydney. I also obtained 6 O-levels.

Is there anything the public don’t know about Joey Ramsden that they would be interested to know?  I know a little about lots.

Tell us about your introduction into horseracing? My father/mother/stepmother were always keen on horses. My stepmother got me involved in pony clubbing where I rode to the level of the pony club event and show jumping team. I was lucky enough, when they started training, to ride work on the racehorses. My passion just grew from there. I always knew, from an extremely early age, that I wanted to do something with horses.

As a youngster, did you harbour thoughts of becoming a jockey?  Of course, everyone did. It has to be the best job in racing (maybe not if you are Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s size and eternally wasting). What could be better than riding magnificent thoroughbred’s day in and day out, particularly in South Africa where we are so spoilt to have so much labour. The jockeys just hop from one horse to the next. It must be like being able to drive 10 to 15 formula one cars every morning.

How did it materialize that you started training?  I was lucky enough to operate numerous satellite yards for Vaughan Marshall as well as my stepmother in the UK. This was basically training without having to worry about the money, which is probably the biggest worry. Working for my parents did not work out, not because it wasn’t successful, but, mainly, because it is very difficult to work for one’s parents. I got the opportunity to come back to SA and start off with a couple of horses.

What were the different stages that one had to undergo in order to become a trainer in the UK? Thankfully my qualifications, along with my CV, results and depositions from here were enough to get me my license in the UK.

When and where did you start out your training career?  I started my training career at Milnerton (where I am still based) with 3 horses.

How many other countries did you train in before choosing South Africa?  If working as a groom/manure forwarding agent counts, I trained in America, Australia and the UK before choosing SA.  I was extremely lucky. I came to SA looking to do something else and literally the first person I met as I got off the plane told me that trainer Michael Roberts (not the champion jockey) was looking for an assistant. It went on from there.

What made you take the bold decision to move to South Africa and what year did you arrive in South Africa? I came for a holiday.

Did you come over as a qualified trainer or did you work as an assistant? I came over as a manure forwarding agent and in the old days, one had to work for an extremely long time before being granted an assistant trainer’s license. You then had to work for an even longer time before being granted a trainer’s license. It is far easier now. Whether it is for the better, I am not so sure.

Tell us about your horseracing life early in your South African career? I worked for Michael Roberts at Turffontein, around the same time that Ricky Howard-Ginsberg died and Mike de Kock took over. I had the time of my life with Mike, David Ferraris and others. They were extremely good, fun times. Boy, has it all changed! I was then lucky enough to move down to PE and work for Vaughan Marshall, running his satellite yard, where some extremely good horses passed through my hands, Face North being one of them. I then had the opportunity to move to Cape Town to run a satellite yard for Vaughan. I grabbed this opportunity with both hands as I had always wanted to go to the Cape. Vaughan is a fantastic man to work for and we were extremely successful with our satellite yard. We then had a bit of a hiccup regarding a hold up and I went back to the UK for a year where I probably learnt the most I have ever learnt in my career. We were very successful at Southwell but, sadly, due to personal reasons, it didn’t work. I then decided to come back to SA and train on my own.

You then left our shores to run a satellite yard for your parents in Southwell. What year did you leave and how successful were you, back in England? I went there in 1994.  We had about 16 winners from 8 horses at a low grade but we did manage to win at a few of the grade 1 tracks like Doncaster and it was extremely educational.

What made you come back to South Africa and once again what year was it? It was 1995.  I came back because I love SA, I love Cape Town, and I love the people here and have many friends. The weather is great. In the UK, you can get going but whenever you have a good horse, someone will come along and make you an offer for it. It is difficult trying to keep hold of the decent horses. I know the ability to trade is better and the training is good but ultimately we are all in it to train good horses.

How did you land up in Cape Town and how many horses did you start off with?  I was given the chance to come back and I started off with 3 horses.

Who were the major patrons in the yard during your early years of training in Cape Town? Miss Fiona Haynes (now Mrs. Ramsden) and Mr. J Ramsden (me)!

Are any of them still with you?  The wife has not left yet!

Is it fair to say that Winter Solstice put the Ramsden yard on the South Africa map? Tell us about his achievements? No, I don’t think it is fair to say Winter Solstice put us on the map. We had started to have winners by that stage and had changed a lot of things around. We were known as a yard that raced their horses and got them to earn their keep, which was not normal at that time. That was how we built up our stables. We were steadily having graded winners and then, thankfully, Winter Solstice came along and moved us to the next level, for which I am eternally grateful. Although he was extremely handy to have at the time, I don’t think I can put our success purely down to Winter Solstice.

The brilliant Mother Russia began her career with you. She was blossoming nicely before she moved over to Mike de Kock. Tell us about her early success with you and why was she moved?  She won first time out and went on from there. She had a busy 2 year old career and then did extremely well at 3 years old. Her last success for us was winning a weight for age race at Greyville over 2000m, beating River Jetez. I feel this was quite significant as they tussled later on in life. While Mike did a great job with Mother Russia, River Jetez was probably her benchmark level, which was quite satisfying. She moved because she was sold to an extremely good offer.

You have been the one trainer that continued to keep faith in Andrew Fortune, even when he was close to giving up. Tell us about your relationship with him and how frustrating was it to see him nearly waste his immense talent?  I am very lucky to have Andrew as an extremely good friend. He is great fun to be around and can handle an awful lot of leg-pulling which he gives back with great gusto.  He is also an owner with a small share in the yard and is extremely pleasant to train for!  As to him nearly wasting his immense talent, one can look at it two ways; one could say he wasted it or one could say he has done extremely well to handle the demons inside him and to get where he is today. He is an extraordinary person. I always say that even if Andrew weighed 50kg’s, he would still want to mess you about with his weight. I have told him that and he finds it extremely funny.

How did you feel when he got back in the saddle and won the National Jockeys Championship?  It was an amazing feat. I think he only rode for about 6 months of that year so I am not sure what the rest of them were doing! He also won it weighing about 60kg’s which makes it an even more remarkable achievement. During his 6 months off he was either suspended, too heavy or he might have had the odd injury. It was also fabulous to see him win as when he told me he was going for it, I almost fell off my chair laughing. It was wonderful to be proved wrong.

His amazing story is an inspiration to many and would give the youth hope in South Africa. Don’t you feel that it should have been shared with the rest of the world on perhaps a programme like Carte Blanche, amongst others? It certainly would make for a great book and/or movie. Hold on, I’m just on the line to Steven Spielberg…

Andrew’s son Aldo Domeyer has followed in his father’s footsteps but only in becoming a qualified jockey. How well do you know him and what is your opinion of him?  I know bits and bobs of Aldo. I do know he sports some ridiculous haircuts but he is an extremely nice fellow and competent jockey but there is room for improvement.

You train the very talented Happy Forever who has won three of his four starts to date. Why was he withdrawn recently and how sure are you that he will stay a middle distance?  He was withdrawn as he has some feet issues. He suffers from corns and, as any woman who wears high heels will tell you, they are extremely uncomfortable. I think he will get the 7 furlongs; beyond that, I have no idea.

Interestingly, he is part owned by Andrew Fortune. How did he become involved in the horse and how keen is he to ride him?  Andrew liked the pedigree at the sales. I gave the horse the thumbs up and Andrew bought into him. He is extremely keen to ride him. He loves this horse and if you see how much effort he puts into him and the love he shows him I am sure his partner, Ashley, must be feeling left out.

Have you won the Cape trainer’s championship and what has been your best finishing position on the National Log?  I have won the Cape trainer’s championship 4 times and my best finishing position on the National Log is 3^rd.

How many horses do you currently have and who is your biggest patron? We have about 120 horses and our biggest patron is Mr. Markus and Mrs. Ingrid Jooste.

Tell us briefly about the composition of your current team?  I am extremely lucky to have Mr. Ricardo Sobotker, who has been with me for a long time and is a star. I thoroughly enjoyed his Winning Form article. We also have Chris Huisamen, who operates the treadmill (when available). We have Burger Viljoen who helps in the yard. In the office I have Sheryl Randall and Colleen Alston. My wife, Fee, is my biggest support. We are also lucky to be looked after by Equine Administration, namely Gary Grant and Chris Haynes. Lorenzo Karriem runs my yard in Durban. We also have extremely good stable managers/assistants in Boyce, William and Derek. In Durban, Lorenzo is assisted by Alson. We have a number of world class work riders. Nathan Danster rides work for us every morning, along with Glen Hatt and Andrew Fortune, who also doubles as my entertainment manager. Gordon Meyer is our farrier and has been with me since I first started. Reagan assists Gordon with the shoeing.

Which training centre do you train at?  I train in Milnerton and Clairwood Park (until I am evicted).

Which jockeys do most of your track work?  In Natal, it is Anton Marcus and here in Cape Town it is Glen Hatt, Andrew Fortune, a bit of Bernard Fayd’Herbe and Andrew Nienaber.

Do you have a treadmill and if so, how useful is it?  Yes we have a treadmill. Describing it as useful is like saying Markus Jooste is a good man. It is invaluable.

Does the Ramsden yard have a sponsor?  Yes, we do. We are extremely lucky to be sponsored by Magnum Cream Liqueur Whiskey. This is the most amazing drink with ice. I suggest you get down to your bottle store and try some.

You currently have the brilliant VARIETY CLUB in your stable, fresh from his Queen’s Plate exploits. Tell us about his early career and did you rate him this highly?  We kept him reasonably busy at 2 years as we did with Mother Russia and others. He just went on from there. We loved him from the beginning which usually means they are pretty special.

He has won an amazing 12 races from 17 starts and earned in excess of R3 million. How many Grade 1 wins has he had to date? Sadly, only 3 although he has nearly won all of his races at WFA terms. That is the trouble with domiciling in the Cape; there are fewer opportunities to win Grade 1 races.

How did it come about that you started training horses for prominent businessman and Variety Club’s owner Markus Jooste? I have been extremely lucky to have a close association with John Koster from Klawervlei. One day John approached me and said Markus would like to buy a filly for us, along with Judge Johan du Plessis. Between us we found Nania, which turned out to be a Grade 1 winner, running in the Klawervlei silks. We have been fortunate enough to go on from there. Obviously a lucky start but it is a barometer of the standards we have tried to maintain for ourselves all round.

How many horses does he have in your yard?  He would say too many!

Is there anything that you would like to add about Variety Club’s sire, Var?  He is plainly extremely good and thankfully, Variety Club and others have proved that as a sire, Var is not a one trick pony.

You have accomplished what most of the world’s trainers find hard to do, in that you kept the son of Var on the boil for over a year. How difficult was it for you and did you have any hiccups along the way?  It is obviously extremely tricky but the horse is healthy and, touch wood, extremely sound which makes things easier. One always has hiccups along the way and it is a case of how one handles them. Thankfully Variety Club is a star and I like to think his consistency pays us both a compliment.

The question that is on all South African racegoers lips is, will he run in the upcoming J & B Met? Sadly not.

Many racing pundits feel that the Kenilworth ten furlongs, i.e. the Met distance is a soft race and milers have been known to get away with it. Do you share the same sentiments?  Yes, I do.

Do you feel that he sees out the ten furlongs, bearing in mind that he was fairly and squarely beaten by Jackson in the Derby over the Met c & d, almost a year ago?  I think he certainly sees out 10 furlongs. Does he get the 10 furlongs? Possibly not. Remember, we had a busy early season and a few hiccups when his starting stall certificate was withdrawn. He had quite a tough campaign. I feel he is bigger and stronger now and his results against Jackson this season show that they were no fluke.

Speaking of the Derby, do you have a serious contender for this year’s race on Met day?  We have a nice horse in Silvano’s Jet, which could well run into the money. You will see a different horse once he is gelded.

His recent win in the Queen’s Plate was absolutely brilliant. How nervous were you coming into the race and tell us how you felt during the race?  I don’t really get nervous for the big races. I get more nervous when I run my 2 year olds for the first time, especially the ones I think have ability, as they are the future. Due to unforeseen circumstances, one doesn’t get to try them out properly. Whereas Variety Club and other decent horses are just like looking at your watch; you have a fair idea at what level they are going to compete. With regards to the Queen’s Plate (and I don’t mean to sound big-headed) he always looked like he was in control and at the 200m mark, Anton was still sitting relatively quietly and it was great to see him kick again.

The critics have quickly stated that he had plenty of fortune in that win due to the false start. What do you have to say to that?  All I can say is that he has been a fortunate horse for 12 victories, usually front running!

You have enjoyed great success in the Queen’s Plate in the past, yet you were extremely emotional in the post-race interview. What did this achievement mean to Joey Ramsden? It is probably my favourite race in the racing calendar and certainly carries the best trophy. I know this win meant a lot to Markus and the fact that it meant a lot to Markus means it meant everything to me.

How did you celebrate his win that night?  Sadly, I had eaten very little during the day which meant that I was struggling to drink very much. We had a late night but probably I didn’t party as hard as I might have had I been able to eat. Note to Ronald McDonald: try keeping your restaurant open beyond 11pm.

He has won an opportunity to go to America to compete in the Breeder’s Cup Mile on the Santa Anita circuit, in November. Have you and owner Markus Jooste discussed anything about this opportunity?  We have discussed it and it is very much in the pipe line. Sadly, as always, Markus has been extremely busy travelling in order to keep me alive and he, Derek, Anton and I have not had a chance to sit down and discuss our itinerary.

Interestingly, you have also nominated the three-year old KING OF PAIN for the J&B Met. Tell us about his career thus far and what are the chances of him taking his place in the race?  He is taking part in the Met. We thought long and hard and decided that if you go and run the Derby and win it, whilst it is a reasonable stake, you carry that Grade 1 penalty for an awfully long time, making life extremely difficult for you. The Met carries far greater prize money and 3 year olds appear to have a good record in it. He is looking for the 10 furlongs and having been lucky enough to have had in my yard. Horse Chestnut and Badger’s Coast, with which we did a good job, I feel King of Pain certainly deserves his place in the line-up. He has had a great early on career. He didn’t have the best of fortune in the Guineas and I cannot wait for the first Saturday in February.

How many grade 1 winners have you had in your career?  17.

How many Mets, July’s and Queen’s Plates have you won?  We sort of won it with Badger’s Coast (I am sure Mike won’t mind me saying that) and ran 2^nd last year with Bravura. We have not won any July’s – yet – and we have won the Queen’s Plate 3 times.

Which has been your most memorable grade 1 winner thus far?  It is hard to beat your first which was Taupo Retreat, training for a fabulous man in Gavin Klette. Every one is truly memorable as winning a Grade 1 is what we all aspire to. It is the pinnacle. The Queen’s Plate this year was pretty special.

Which is your favourite racecourse in South Africa and abroad?  I don’t have a favourite in South Africa. Any course I can win a decent race on comes fairly high up the list. Abroad it is pretty hard to beat Epson Downs on Derby Day, particularly if you are lucky enough to be racing with Mr. Bernard Kantor and Investec. The best days racing in the world.

You have seen many top jockeys in the world. How highly do you rate Anton Marcus?  He is right up there in every single department (including his weight).

You currently have a satellite yard in Natal. How many horses are being trained there and who does the training?  We have 10 at the moment.  Lorenzo Karriem and Alson do an extremely good job despite getting no support.

Where is the yard situated and mention a few that the public can follow?  It is at Clairwood. Sadly I cannot mention any specifically. Most are moderate.

You have openly aired your views on the KZN trainers’ objections to satellite yards in the province. In a nutshell, please explain to us what were the reasons for the objection and what is the current situation?  How long have you got? It is unconstitutional, it is restrictive, it is affecting the breed. If you see a maiden winner, it should have taken on all comers, not just a restricted bunch of losers from your own province. Ultimately the South African Stud Book will just become a work of fiction and the NHA and TBA must do something about it. I am currently in discussions with various parties and, like a dog with a bone, I am struggling to let go.

On a lighter note, your website has become a hit with avid racegoers. Whose idea was it and who runs joeyramsden.com?  It is nice to hear it is a hit. Good friends Melissa and Dharmesh Naik in Mauritius, co-owners of King of Pain amongst others, basically run it and organize it for me. They do an extremely good job. I just wish they would get off their butts and find me some advertisers (joke!). I am extremely lucky to have them.

Apart from racing news on the website, what other features does it contain?  It contains many features and is well worth going on. I am going to do a daily blog on it which should be fun. I just need to get myself more organized.

You were successful in raiding Gauteng during their feature season in the past. Will you make that pit-stop this year before coming to KZN for the winter season?  Not sure at this point. It is extremely difficult to be successful in all 3 major provinces and to keep the horses fresh. I suppose it depends on where we go with Variety Club and what Natal’s stance is against me in the future negotiations.

Which horses are you bringing to KZN for the winter season?  Sound ones, hopefully, because they need to be.

Are there any up-and-coming juveniles that the public can keep an eye on? I have not done enough with them to have a proper opinion that is worth anything. We have a couple of Judpot’s which keep catching my eye.

Describe your routine on a typical raceday?  Uncurl myself from 6 women, brush my gnashers, get in car, get out of car and retrieve my 3 dogs from the bed (2 are deaf and have forgotten to wake up). Once at stables, a cup of tea and discuss the morning’s work with the assistants and the jockeys, work 3 strings, go home and shower, go to the races, try and remain cheery all day, have a drink or two. If it is summer time, go out and have a meal with some owners/friends or come home to the family and try and stop going over the day’s events and beating myself up, retrieve rabbit from chimney, start worrying about the next day. Someone should do “A Day in the Life of ” on TV. It would open a lot of eyes!

How interested are you on the breeding side of the game and mention a few of your favourite stallions?  I am extremely interested in the breeding side. I had quite a few mares but thankfully have cut that number down. Obviously I have favourite stallions. As I said, the Judpot’s have caught my eye and Klawervlei has some extremely exciting options. It is hard to look beyond the major sires as they are so dominant. It is lovely to see so many new sires and fresh blood coming into the country.

Do you like buying horses in training?  I love buying horses in training and think I am relatively good at it. However, the prices are ridiculous.

Do you ever take your horses to the beach for training?  Not anymore but I would like to. It is extremely difficult now and if anything were to happen to them or to anyone on the beach, the cost would be hard to justify. We do give our horses plenty of holidays at farms. I firmly believe in spelling horses. Arc en Ciel do a great job.

Would you ever consider sending horses overseas if they were good enough? I would certainly consider it. Ability and soundness are the main issues.

Do you ever punt?  Yes, I do.

You will be having a very busy day at the Met. Please give us a run down on all your runners for the day?

Race 2: ISLAND FLYER – Had a great comeback run, obviously second run back and might be a bit sharp for him but has a good jockey up and should be running on at the finish.

SOVEREIGN SOUND – Right trip, drawn towards the outside where they have been racing and with a bit of luck in running should be in the finish.

RED BANNER – Little bit disappointing of late and is better than his form suggests. He is working well and hoping he comes back to his best on race day.

Race 3: IN A RUSH – Ran a great race in a feature last time out . Back in handicap and with luck in running a huge runner in this race.

SHADES OF INDIGO – Good honest horse but needs a lot of luck. Drawn on the outside, with the right ride and some luck he should run well.

Race 5: PARADO – Coming back from a break. He is a lot better than his last run and if he puts his track work in he has a big chance.

WIND POWER – Great draw, doing very well and expecting a good run.

BIG BIRD – Second reserve runner and probably won’t get in. If he does it will be extremely hard from the draw.

Race 6: Cape Derby; SILVANO’S JET – Doing very well but it will be very hard to beat Capetown Noir. He is definitely a runner for second place.

J&B Met: BRAVURA – Put up a good gallop this morning (24 January). If he has some luck in the race he is definitely one to finish in the money, down 2 kilos from last year and doing very well.

KING OF PAIN – Also put up a great gallop this morning (24 January) and will have blinkers on for the first time. He has been crying out for 2000m and we are expecting a good run from him.

Race 9: MISS SAIGON – Drawn in the bush and it’s not going to be easy for her. She will have to drop in and run on from the back but other than that she is doing very well at home.

FREDDY’S SISTER – Draw a line through her last race, she was found to be in season. Good draw and loves 7 furlongs.

EXPERIENCE COUNTS – Great Jockey on, even though drawn 9 she is quick and runs up handy so she could well be in the shake up. Doing well at home.

Race 10: LION IN WINTER – Back over a mile which should suit him perfectly, a great draw for a change of 1 and Anton Marcus on board so he should run well here.

Race 11: FULL REGALIA – Unfortunately drawn badly. She was hampered at a crucial stage last time out. If she overcomes the draw she is not a horse to leave out of any bets.

Race 12: CROWN OF GOLD – Ran a great race over 2000m a week ago. Unfortunately not very well weighted here but he is doing very very well and should enjoy this 2800m.

A BOY NAMED SUE – Strong front runner, should love the distance but the same as Crown Of Gold he is not well weighted with Blake and a couple of others in the race.

You are now the proud father of a little girl. What is her name and in what way has she changed your life?  I am the proud father of 2 little girls and as any parent will tell you, they have changed my life. Anything I do now is basically for them and, being 2 little Daddy’s girls, I would do anything for them. I avoid all banks as I am just waiting for one of them to say to me to pop in and give it a go. I would then pop in and rob it for them, without a question. I am a sick man.

The old maxim is, “Behind every great man is an equally successful woman.” Does this apply to Joey Ramsden? Your question is like signing a death warrant! I don’t think I would ever describe myself as great. Maybe we should swop them around and have me as successful and Fee as great. I certainly have to be successful as her expenditure is great! Fee is extremely supportive and always looks fabulous and has a tough job bringing up the family because of the job and the travelling I do. I am a lucky man.