Jewish Report

24 SA JEWISH REPORT
Sport
Larry ensures the show will go on
JACK MILNER
18 – 25 November 2016
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Early in his life Larry Wainstein probably believed his
future was in the world of football not as chief executive
of the Racing Association, the body that represents the
owners in the world of horseracing.
He was instrumental in initiating the International
Jockeys’ Challenge and then, when nobody wanted to
carry on with it, ensuring that it continued.
It will be run again this weekend and once again over
two legs - in Port Elizabeth on Friday and at Turffontein
in Johannesburg on Sunday. Among the jockeys this
year are Italian-born Frankie Dettori, who is one of the
most charismatic jockeys around, and Hayley Turner,
one of the best women jockeys who came out of retirement
to again ride in this event.
When Wainstein was voted in as chairman of the Racing
Association (RA) he was approached by Tex Lerena
and Neil Smith to help set up a Jockeys’
International.
“I spoke to Markus Jooste whose
company, Gomma Gomma, was then
the sponsor of the Summer Cup, to see
if we could host the International Jockeys’
Challenge (IJC) on the same day.
“He agreed on condition I was
involved to ensure the success of the
event. The budget was huge and we
were able to get the big names. We had
Frankie Dettori, Jimmy Fortune, Mick
Kinane, Damien Oliver, Darryll Holland
and Olivier Peslier.”
After the first event the support for
the IJC from some quarters waned but
Wainstein was determined to keep it
going. “The RA board felt it was the
only event that epitomised the sport of
horseracing and get our jockeys recognised
as the athletes and sportsmen/
women they are.”
It has been a tough slog since then. “It
is difficult to get a competitive team of
riders together to come to South Africa
that does not interfere with their riding
engagements in the other parts of the
world.”
Wainstein has managed to turn the
International Jockeys’ Challenge into
one of the biggest events on the calendar,
but has not always had the support
of the racing clubs and sometimes also
the media and the public.
“The criticism you take from all the
so-called experts is frustrating. But on
the other side the most satisfying part
is when the international riders ask to
be invited because of the feedback they
have had about what a great event it is
and how well they are looked after.
“The compliments we get from jockeys
like Joe Moreira, Richard Hughes,
Jamie Spencer and Hugh Bowman are
amazing.”
Larry Wainstein, CEO of the Racing Association,
presents Anton Marcus with his trophy after
the jockey won on Legal Eagle in the Premier’s
Champions Challenge last April.
Wainstein has always been a Johannesburg boy, born
in Doornfontein in 1953, the second oldest of five boys.
But, his life changed when the family moved to Turffontein
in 1960. He matriculated at Forest High and
went on to complete an IMM Diploma at Wits Business
School.
Growing up as a Jewish kid in Turffontein in the 60s
was quite an experience. “The closest Hebrew school was
in Rosettenville and my late brother and I would walk
there every day. On the way we would get into fights
because we would walk with our yarmulkes on and the
Afrikaans kids would say ‘hier kom die Jode’. We soon
showed them whose medina Turffontein and Rosettenville
was!”
The brother Wainstein speaks about is Morris Wainstein,
a boxer who was the Transvaal featherweight
champion. He clearly got his fighting experience on the
streets of Turffontein!
“We attended shul every Friday and Saturday, either
at Oxford or Berea. Often we were asked by Mr Marks,
a horse trainer who ran the Turffontein Shul, to come
there to make up a minyan. As Wainsteins we were
proud to be Jewish.”
Soccer dominated his early life and he played for
Marist Brothers as a youngster and represented Southern
Transvaal and the South African Schools team. At
the age of 17 he signed for Highlands Park as a professional
and was then offered a trial by Wolverhampton
Wanderers in the UK, then one of the leading first
division clubs.
“My father would not allow me to go and said I had to
complete my studies first,” said Wainstein.
By 1973 he was playing for Florida Albion on loan
from Highlands Park. “With Stuart Liley we reached the
Castle Cup Final against our own club, Highlands Park.”
He was living in Turffontein, the centre of horseracing.
“Forest Hill was where all the stables were. My father,
Maisch, was an avid racegoer. He and the late Gabby
Soma (Joe Soma’s father) were buddies and they taught
us about horseracing and the fundamentals of studying
form. My interest was awoken at the age of 13.”
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