Internationally acclaimed trainer Herman Brown Jr. is making a highly anticipated return to the racing scene. Best known for guiding Jay Peg to victories in the Dubai Duty Free and Singapore Airlines Cup, Brown established himself as one of South Africa’s most successful trainers on the global stage. His Dubai-based stables flourished for years, but with increasing difficulties in exporting horses from South Africa, he stepped away from training in 2013.

Now, nearly 12 years later, Brown is set to restart his career, basing himself at Philippi in Cape Town. The decision comes at a time when South Africa’s revised export protocols have finally opened the door for horses to be sent directly to Europe—an opportunity he believes will reinvigorate the country’s racing prospects.

Brown enjoyed significant success in Dubai, training top-class horses like Linngari, Sushisan, and Bankable. Linngari secured a memorable win in the 2006 Al Rashidiya at Nad Al Sheba, with Ryan Moore in the saddle—an early partnership that Brown still values today. As Moore rose to become one of the world’s top jockeys, their relationship remained strong, and Brown hopes to call on his services whenever possible in Cape Town. However, with a modest starting string, his focus will be on quality over quantity.

His crowning moment in Dubai came in 2008 when Jay Peg, under a masterful ride from Anton Marcus, defied the odds as a 50-1 outsider to win the Dubai Duty Free (Group 1) in a record-breaking 1:42.21 at Nad Al Sheba. Two years later, Brown celebrated another major triumph when Bankable, again ridden by Ryan Moore, captured the Group Two Al Fahidi Fort at Meydan—his third victory in that race.

In 2012, he added another significant win to his record when Mikhail Glinka, with Royston Ffrench aboard, claimed the Dubai City of Gold (Group 2) over 2400 meters.

While his immediate focus will be on re-establishing his stable in South Africa, Brown has maintained strong ties in Dubai and still holds the option of returning to Meydan. His global connections and wealth of experience bring a valuable boost to South Africa’s training ranks, which have been in need of fresh depth.

A season business man outside of racing where he dabbled in other investments and property Herman told SAHorseracing.COM, in 2021 that he was flirting with the idea of starting a stable again and he has finally dipped into that part of his life that had led him to his greatest professional successes. 

With a proven track record and a renewed enthusiasm for the sport, Brown’s comeback is set to be a fascinating chapter in his storied career.