The Snaith brothers have created their own kind of marketing alchemy, learning to turn South Africa’s tedious isolation by export restrictions and a relatively weak local currency, the rand, into advantages in recruiting international owners.
Justin and a another Snaith winner (photo: Snaith Racing)
The beauty of Cape Town, a jewel of a city lying at the base of picturesque mountains and caressed by the converging waters of the Indian and Atlantic oceans at the southwestern tip of Africa, also is a powerful elixir in drawing owners from abroad.
Justin Snaith said that up to 80 percent of his current clients are based in other countries but love to compete in Africa.
“There’s something special about Cape Town, and it’s still one of the best value-for-money places in the world,” Snaith said. “We do a lot of work in Cape Town on the beaches and everyone just loves that. They come down and watch the horses work and then go for breakfast afterwards.
Snaith Racing (photo: Wayne Marks)
“You can race for minimal amounts compared to say Hong Kong or Singapore or England — we are a lot, lot cheaper,” he elaborated. “But, in saying that, the quality is still here — our stock is good. Because of our problems with exporting, we’ve kept a lot of our stock in South Africa, whereas, like you saw in South America, their best horses are [sold and] exported and all of a sudden the quality diminishes a little bit. While [the export restrictions have] been against us, it’s also been an advantage for our racing.”
Read Michele Macdonald’s full editorial on www.thoroughbredracing.com
