American owner and breeder Barry Irwin announced a disinvestment of his South African racing and breeding interests in a widely distributed press release on Tuesday.
The announcement was received with mix reaction in some quarters, with some even suggesting that it was poorly timed on the eve of our biggest yearling sale.
Kenilworth Racing Chairman Chris van Niekerk was targetted in the Irwin exit statement, with a suggestion that unnamed contacts had informed the Team Valor Internation boss that as long as Van Niekerk ‘continues to be involved in the effort that the initiative is likely to continue to be slow-track because the international community wants nothing to do with Markus Jooste or anybody tainted by him.’
Chris van Niekerk
Approached at the National Yearling Sale by www.turftalk.co.za, Chris Van Niekerk said in reference to Irwin’s comments: “Rather to be thought a fool than open your mouth to remove all possible doubts!”
Adrian Todd, Managing Director of SAEHP, was more vocal and said that he was disappointed and surprised by Irwin’s remarks.
Todd said: “SAEHP, as the implementation arm of the Import/Export Task Team has a widely representative board of directors including myself, Mike de Kock, Chris van Niekerk, Lee Scribante and Marc Greene of the TBA, Dr John Grewar, Mick Goss and Brian Finch. Gary Grant of the Equine Group assists on the accounting side. The board represents all sectors of our industry and carries its interests with urgency, honour and commitment.
Adrian Todd – MD of SAEHP
“To date the SAEHP has created successful partnerships with government. A number of regulatory tasks have been delegated to us by government. We also have successful ongoing interaction with foreign governments.”
“SAEHP is a non-profit organisation with our sole focus being the establishment of long-term sustainable imports.”
