One of South African horseracing’s rising stars, Suzette Viljoen became a racehorse owner in February 2018.
On Saturday she proudly has her first runner, Marmalade, in the R1 million Monaco Million Maiden at Turffontein.
Suzette’s blue and shocking pink silks have become a regular feature at a variety of racetracks around the country in recent times. She explains the pink is for girls and the blue signifies her favourite rugby team, the Blue Bulls.
The enthusiastic horse lover has made giant strides in short time – she now has 86 horses with nine trainers countrywide – since her first purchase with Kimberley trainer Corrie Lensley, What A Poet, retired after he failed to win for her.
“I always wanted to race horses and it was a chance introduction to Corrie Lensley that set me on the path of living my dream. Corrie and his family are wonderful people and I think they set the platform for a great experience,”she told the Sporting Post from Hollywoodbets Greyville on Wednesday, where her and husband Basie were enjoying his 50th birthday.
Her and Basie have been sweethearts since their grade 9 days at school in Potchefstroom.
Suzette Viljoen, Khanya Sakayi and Basie Viljoen at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Wednesday (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
They farm cattle near Schweizer-Reneke and also have business interests. They have sons of 24 and 21 and Suzette proudly recounts how their eldest recently got engaged as the lights were turned on at the Eiffel Tower. “He has his Dad’s romantic streak,” she laughs as she tells how both of their offspring are involved in the family businesses.
While Suzette was happy to be guided into racehorse ownership by a variety of top trainers and that veteran bloodstock man John Freeman, she attended her first auction – the National 2yo Sale in 2018 and was determined to buy her own horse.
“Basie liked Mary O. He has a good eye for cattle so I trusted his judgement! He had to attend a meeting so he left me bidding and he suggested we’d go to R100 000. I then felt R200 000 was more realistic. I ended up signing the chit at R300 000. Basie quipped afterwards that he noted how I had added his suggestion to my figure to get the total!”
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At the same sale they also bought Burnt Paper Sky and the Varsfontein Stud-bred Gimmethegreenlight filly, Nog ‘n Dingetjie.
“Our farm is called ‘Net Nog Eentjie’, so Nog ‘n Dingetjie was a bargain at R90 000,” she laughs.
Suzette says they will be at Tuffontein on Saturday where Lezeanne Forbes saddles Marmalade in the feature.
“Win, lose or draw, we will have fun and it’s an honour to have a runner in a high-profile race. Even if it is ‘only’ a maiden!”
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