Life Member of the Month – May – Elias Miliotis
The Racehorse Owners Association is pleased to feature Elias Miliotis as our Life Member of the Month, his journey in racing has been built on passion, loyalty, friendship, and a lifelong love of horses.
Elias did not come from a racing family. His parents were immigrants from Cyprus, with his father arriving in South Africa in 1938 before returning to Cyprus a decade later to marry his mother. Elias was born in Auckland Park in June 1949, and it was there, quite unexpectedly, that his love affair with horses began.
Growing up opposite the old police barracks and stables in Henley Road, young Elias would eagerly watch mounted police officers leave on patrol each morning and return in the afternoons. Fascinated by the horses being washed down, groomed, and fed, he quickly developed a deep admiration for the animals. Today, the site where those stables once stood is occupied by the offices and studios of the SABC, but the memories remain vivid.
After moving to Regents Park and later Robertsham, Elias attended Parktown Boys’ High before going on to university. Professionally, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant, initially running his own audit practice in the 1970’s before pursuing various business interests until his retirement in 2023.
His first venture into racehorse ownership came in 1981 when he purchased a horse named Kip To Peke, trained by the late Dave Bullock. While the horse showed little in his first three starts, fate intervened through a young apprentice jockey named Michael “Lucky” Houdalakis. One morning at the stables, Lucky respectfully asked Elias if he could ride the horse in its next race, explaining that he worked the horse every day and knew exactly how to handle him. Elias agreed, and the result was unforgettable as Kip To Peke stormed home by 7.5 lengths. The horse would go on to win five races, all ridden by Lucky, before unfortunately suffering an injury that ended his career. Yet from that first victory grew something far more enduring: a lifelong friendship between owner and jockey (now trainer) that Elias describes as akin to a father-son relationship. So close did the bond become, that Elias and his wife became godparents to Lucky and Natalie’s two children.
When Dave Bullock later stepped away from training to become a stipendiary steward, Elias moved his horses to the accomplished trainer Robbie Sage at Randjesfontein. It proved to be a golden partnership. At the 1987 National Yearling Sales, Sage selected a colt named Kadarko for Elias to purchase. After winning four races, Kadarko produced the performance of a lifetime when he captured the prestigious SA Derby in April 1989. Sadly, the victory was followed by heartbreak when the horse sustained an injury in his next race and never recovered. The success stories continued, however, with another Sage-selected filly, Legality, purchased in partnership with Sally Abrahams. The talented mare won five races, four of them under Lucky, with her crowning achievement coming in the Empress Club Stakes in 2003. The victory carried special significance, as it came shortly before Lucky’s riding career ended following a serious injury sustained on the way to the start of a race. Through determination and strong family support, especially from his wife Natalie, he rebuilt his career and today enjoys success as a trainer.
Another memorable chapter came through the filly Urabamba, purchased alongside business partner Ashley McNabb. She showed tremendous promise as a two-year-old before winning the SA Fillies Classic on Classic Day in 2008. Over the years, Elias also enjoyed success with respected trainers such as Dianne Stenger and the late Danie Burger. One standout performer was Pouloui, who won five races for Stenger, including a Grade 3 staying feature at the Vaal under Francois Naude.
Today, Elias still remains actively involved in racing ownership, with four horses currently in training in partnership with Lucky and close friends. While neither of his two sons followed him into racing, they continue to support his passion and are always delighted when he leads in a winner.
Outside of racing, he enjoys gardening, growing his own vegetables, philately, and travelling with his wife to visit family in the United Kingdom and Cyprus. Racing has also taken him abroad, including memorable experiences attending race meetings and visiting a stud farm in Ireland through family connections.
Reflecting on the future of the sport, Elias believes strongly that ownership promotion is key to racing’s long-term success. He suggests that breeders, trainers and the racing operators should plan and promote ownership and the racing experience to the general public. “Our racing needs owners and a broader racing public to increase tote betting turnovers and thereby increase stakes to owners,” he says. “We also need more race sponsorships by private enterprises for the smaller race meetings.”
We thank Elias for sharing his wonderful journey in racing and his longstanding commitment to the ROA.
