Owner of the Month – November – Rob Macnab
The Racehorse Owners Association is excited to celebrate Rob Macnab as our Owner of the month for November, as he achieved his 300th winner earlier this month.
Rob’s journey started in September 2002 with two horses; Sioux Qui (Qui Danzig (USA) x Indian Fields (SAF)) and Royal Fashion (Fine Edge (GB) x Glowing Account (SAF)) who were both winners. Sioux Qui was a series of firsts for Rob, she won the first race on the Turffontein Inside Track on 2 January 2003 guided by Francois Naude’s first ride back from Hong Kong. The inspiration for his racing colours comes from the two flags of Scotland, the Saltire and the Lion Rampart. He is also fortunate to share this passion with his wife, Sue, who enjoys horseracing just as much as he does. Sue has a special fondness for grey horses, and the couple has celebrated success with Kiss Me Hardy, a grey son of Captain Al, who won six races and stakes placed twice. His half-brother, Eyjafjallajökull, the grey son of Erupt (IRE), is currently in training with Gavin Smith and has had 3 wins and three second places from his last 6 runs. Sue has learnt how to pronounce Eyjafjallajökull on a recent trip to Iceland.
Rob owns 41 horses, all in partnership and prefers racing within partnerships for many reasons. He mentions that it spreads the risk, increases the chances of winning and adds that it is enjoyable to share experiences with co-owners, opting to own a quarter share in four horses rather than a full share in one horse. This approach has led to many thrilling moments and lasting friendships in racing, and they are also quite excited about their unraced horses. As a lifelong lover of horseracing, Rob cherishes the thrill of searching for potential champions at the sales, the excitement of leading in winners, and the camaraderie formed with trainers and co-owners. His 300-winner milestone, as he reflects, is “fair reward for going back to the well” and a testament to his perseverance and passion for the sport.
When it comes to his horses and trainers, Rob has a simple “WWW” agreement. He said: “I don’t tell the trainer WHEN to run the horse, WHERE to run the horse or WHO must ride the horse. This has stood me in good stead. We sit down at the start of each season and set seasonal targets for the string. It’s a bit of fun and gives the trainers an incentive”. Corne Spies was his first trainer, currently trains most of his horses on the Highveld along with some with David Nieuwenhuizen. Rob adds that Corne has a fantastic eye for a horse, something he inherited from his father Tobie. He also has a few horses with Gavin Smith in the Eastern Cape. Rob mentioned that the recent incentives by Cape Racing prompted him to race in the Western Cape, noting that Glen Kotzen welcomed him to the Woodhill family and takes good care of his racing interests in Cape Town, Glen also trains On My Honour (Gimmethegreenlight (AUS) x On My Mind (IRE)) who Rob part owns with Sandy and Eugene Arundel. This colt stormed to victory in the Racehorse Owners Association Stakes Listed Race run on Algoa Cup Day just last month.
With an achievement of 300 winners over 22 years, Rob certainly has a host of memorable victories and was excited to mention a few standouts. He started with Campo De Santana’s win in the Port Elizabeth Gold Cup Listed race on the 15th of June 2012. Tommy Gun who was victorious in the Grade 2 Emerald Cup at the Vaal Racecourse on the 27th of September 2014. He also mentioned Van Halen’s two Grade 1 winners in the KwaZulu Natal region including the Gold Medallion in 2018 and the Mercury Sprint in 2020. Another notable memory was Velvet Verona winning three races within the space of one week, running on the 18th, 21st and 25th of March 2016 at Fairview Racecourse. He added that Connery winning his last four starts was a thrilling memory too. Among these, William Robertson cannot be left out, this son of Rafeef has 11 wins to date including the Grade 3 Tony Ruffel Stakes and the Grade 2 Joburg Spring Challenge in 2022. Rob concludes by recalling his favorite day’s racing, the 6th of July 2019 at the Vodacom Durban July. He was proud to have three runners and three winners on the day including Cockney Pride who was victorious in the Grade 2 Zulu Kingdom Golden Slipper.
Rob’s business expertise lies in trading chemicals and polymers. A true adventurer, Rob has traveled to over 50 countries, venturing as far as Antarctica. Yet, his heart remains in South Africa, with the Kruger National Park holding a special place as his favorite holiday destination.
He mentions that he has been a member of the ROA since 2008 and admires how far the Association has come over last 16 years, he also thanks the ROA for the bonus race incentives adding that he is grateful to have won a few.
We thank Rob and Sue Macnab for their continued dedication and support, and we wish them many more milestones in their journey.
