THIS SATURDAY will be an extremely special day for racing enthusiasts in particular those who throughout the years have stoutly supported the black body, red sleeves and black cap of Hopefield Stables.
Sir David Seale, the pioneer and backbone behind the Hopefield Stable – a household brand for decades – will celebrate a major milestone, one unmatched by most who have endeavoured to blend business with sports. Sir David who received the Knighthood of St Andrew in 2000, will no doubt look to the heavens with smiles and praises as he racks up a half-century in the sport of kings.
Having held key positions within the family business R. L. Seale and Company Limited, this business magnet took to his beloved horse racing blending both work and play successfully.
After fashioning the very popular Hopefield Stable, his involvement in racing could be seen in every facet locally, regionally and internationally as his colours spread across the region along with Canada, United States of America and the United Kingdom.
In those 50 years, Sir David played crucial roles in the continued development and survival of the industry lending his expertise for many years to the Barbados Turf Club (BTC) in several capacities – as an executive steward/steward, director and currently as president.
With eyes for some of the finest quality equines he started with his first imported filly Isthmia, to be followed by the likes of Western Isle, Local Knowledge, Kingly Street and Concorde Hero, all of which helped to fashioned his racing empire. His popularity for winning Gold Cups is surreal.
Through stallions like Kingly Street, Local Knowledge and Concorde Hero, Sir David (Mr Barbados Turf Club) as his long-time friend and former president Philip Moseley calls him, is fourth on the all-time list of owners and breeders here with some 278 wins.
Those who have exceeded in wins during the club’s 100 odd years’ existences are father and son Sir John and Bill Chandler, 546, Sir Charles and Lady Williams, 350, and Challenor and Diana Jones on 346.
In his primary breeding days Sir David also had a strong presence in Trinidad and Tobago where Paid In Full, Oiseaui De Mer and Storm At Sea, all bred at Hopefield and sold to Trinidadians, performed creditably.
On November 12, 1977, a two- year-old named First Slip, who was by Elco out of Slip In, gave Sir David his first local success and one year later Royal Opera gave him his only Barbados Derby.
His top sires were Kingly Street, which produced King Dyal, Night Shift an orphan foal, Another Chick and Street Vendor, which both won the Barbados Guineas in 1985 and 1988.
His last win in this category came April 12 this year with Golden Moment.
Horses Sir David bred includes Local News, which is by Local Knowledge, was the winner of four straight races before becoming a top stallion in Antigua.
The Concorde Hero line produced C’est Paris which went on to win the 1990 Shell Breeders Classic Stakes and Trophy over 1 800 metres on the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Classic, First Victory which carried the stable silks in the United Kingdom with success, and Iche Ban who took the 1991 Life Of Barbados Breeders Stakes and Trophy (1 570m) and the 2 200 metres Coca Cola Classic.
Moseley said he only understood what racing meant to Sir David as he stood alongside him one Saturday afternoon and was left in a state of disbelief as he witnessed him biting a pen in half, over winning a G Class race.
The introduction of the Cockspur Gold Cup in 1982 only served to light up a burning fire which, after a close second-place finish with Concorde Hero in 1984, he turned the heat on all comers with victories of quality dominance starting with Bentom, 1986, Sandford Prince, (3) 89, 91 and 92, Chou Chou Royale, 93, Dancing David, 2012, and Aristodemus in 2013.
One gets the impression that after 50 years of simply cantering down the back stretch on the bit Sir David still has plenty left in the tank.
