DJ Jazzy D, widely recognized as 'The Groovemaster,' is making a significant impact in the world of horseracing. Beyond his musical prowess, he's becoming a household name by openly expressing his genuine passion for horses across various social media platforms. This unique blend of music and equestrian enthusiasm is capturing the attention of both racing aficionados and those less familiar with the sport, solidifying his presence in the horseracing community.

DJ Jazzy D has found a welcoming audience among racing fans who appreciate his candid insights. Whether delving into pedigree analysis, deciphering form lines, or predicting race winners for his burgeoning stable of horses, his genuine and knowledgeable approach has endeared him to the racing community.

In an exclusive interview with SAHorseracing.COM, DJ Jazzy D shared his deep-rooted love for horses, tracing it back to his childhood in the 80s and 90s. Introduced to the track at Turffontein and Gosforth Park by his horse-loving parents, he fondly reminisced about the early experiences that ignited his passion for the sport.

Jazzy D painted the scene, saying, "My parents were in love with the game, and when we were little kids, we went to the in-field at Turffontein, camped at the 800m mark, and enjoyed the horses running by, these beasts of animals." With a sparkle of passion in his voice reminiscing about his youthful teenage days, he added, "We were literally on the rail, well 3m away from the rail that is. There was this road where the ambulance would pass just by. You could feel the horse, the beauty, the hooves thundering, and the strength of the animal."

"We were quite far away from the finish, so never got to see the winners, we just heard them. In the 80's and 90's, I loved horses like London News (1996 Durban July winner) and Quarrytown (1980 Cape Guineas, 1981 Queen's Plate winner, 1980 Benoni Guineas), both raced in Johannesburg where the young Jazzy D formulated his memories."

"When stalls broke open, we could just hear the sound. You could hear the horses coming, getting louder and louder until they pounded the floor around us. Whips were cracking, and jockeys were shouting. In the DJ world, we mix music in sync; it must be smooth, unlike the thud of the horses," explained the DJ when asked about the association of sound compared to the music industry. "When we mix music and it's bad, we ask them if they're running the Durban July. In racing, it's the opposite. It's a beautiful sound," he added.

On to the ownership side,"We learnt alot with owning. Owning was another thing altogether. You have to learn the dynamics of the game first. P6 and PA were my dad's favourite bets. I wanted to find out about the other dynamics of the game. I wanted to understand more about jockeys and trainers. Also to start learning about bloodlines and how to choose horses. Understanding the work riders, feeding, stables, vets and vitamins etc."

So how did he get involved? "Ah, this game.. It was not a great start, I bought a few horses about 20 years ago. I had a good horse and then sold the horse I paid like R33k for it and sold it for like R200k. With the money, I bought a Fort Wood and when he died, unraced, of colic, we called it off."

The bug had bitten and it took sometime but the DJ was back, getting involved again a few years back. "We went to the sale and bought two bad horses and they didn't do too well. We spent R100k. Then went back and said now we must spend proper money. We came in with a million to spend and bought Feather Boa's full sister (Damostar) and Mercantour's half sister, My Lady Soul.

"Tyrone Zackey is my base but I had a long relationship with Garth Puller. I sent Garth a baby (now a 3 year old) who won yesterday but we are based in Gauteng so we want to race in Joburg."

With respect to the stable numbers, "we have 4 or 5 babies that haven't raced and 8 that have run or ready to. Zackey has 4 that ran and some haven't run."

On his most expensive purchase... "Our most expensive one to date is one got at Nationals, a One World half brother to Malmoos. He cost us R600K."

DJ Jazzy D is no fool when it comes to understanding horses and uses a range of techniques and ideologies to pick horses. He especially likes to buy fillies, stating, 'Our Fillies and Mares that have done well. When we buy, we study the mares and strike rate, for example, we look for 80 percent strike rate mares, multiple winners to foals, also generally MR90 above type produce. I also look at the trips they went.'"

DJ Jazzy D refers to a 'we' in discussions, and that is in reference to his son, with whom he enjoys many great moments, from studying form to selecting horses and everything in between. "My son and I look at the pedigree in detail. We like Flower Alley x Silvano and have found only 5 in the country. We own one, Feather Boa is the other. Ours being Damostar. We picked one other and paid R70k for the yearling."

There is no doubt that DJ Jazzy D enjoys the sport. He combines everything that horseracing is meant to bring into one pleasure pursuit. The family, the fun, the racing, the breeding, the form study, the bet... it's all in a day of horseracing and a lifetime of pleasure.

Welcome to the sport, again, DJ Jazzy D and family.

 Image DJ Jazzy D with jockey Calvin Habib after winning with Wonderful on Monday