OFF THE RECORD #142

The Greeff Family’s Halo Effect

Behind every good man, they say, there is a good woman – in the case of Alan Greeff there are three ladies who support and inspire the master trainer who hit the headlines again when Anotherdanceforme won the Listed TAB Casino Algoa Cup at TAB Fairview last Sunday.

Alan’s wife, Glenifer, handles the yard’s administration and finances, while his eldest daughter, Cailin Boyers, runs the social media and syndication side. His younger daughter, Justine Lockett, is a teacher and stable employee who spends as much time as she can helping out on race days.

Through their regular interaction with owners and racing fans, the trio convinced Alan in 2022 to explore syndication as a way of opening up racehorse ownership to people from all walks of life. As well as attracting those with modest budgets, they hoped to reach individuals interested in investing in higher-priced thoroughbreds.

The ‘Halo’ Syndicate was formed, taking its name from Halo Stables, itself named in honour of the filly Halo, who provided the late Stanley Greeff with his 100th winner in the 1980/81 season. He went on to saddle a then Eastern Cape record 107 winners that term.

That Alan has since set and bettered both his father’s and his own records multiple times — his best being 171 winners in 2024/25, from just one race meeting a week — is just one part of the remarkable Halo Stables story.

In just three years, the original Halo Syndicate, comprising Pine Lodge Stud and Halo Stables, has produced three stakes winners from only seven purchases: Fairy Knight (Global View), Joy And Peace (Master Of My Fate) and U S Ranger (Act Of War), successful on Algoa Cup Day.

Across the base syndicate and its spinoffs, Silvan Mistress (Master Of My Fate), Coral Creek (Global View), Sweet Nothings (Gimmethegreenlight), La Pequinita (Erupt) and Winashare (Global View) have contributed to an impressive overall record of 34 wins and 46 places from just 123 runs — a combined win-and-place strike rate of 64%.

Cailin commented: “In 2023 Dad told us to ‘run with it’ and we are pleased to have done so well for small shareholders from around the world.

“Our main shareholder in all the syndicates is Steve Davis, the well-known auctioneer who is based in New Zealand. Steve is a family friend. He and Dad met years ago at one of the sales auctions and struck up a good friendship.

“Steve is a true character who comes to visit us often. He got a number of his family members and friends in New Zealand to take shares, so we have enthusiastic voices from far away cheering us on, every time we have a runner.

“We’ve also had valued assistance from breeder Ashley Parker of Ascot Stud, where Fairy Knight and U S Ranger were raised. That’s helped us a lot to secure decent horses at value prices.”

To keep the syndicates affordable, as originally intended, the selection process is vital. Alan’s record of picking young, unraced horses is legendary, but it still takes skill and savvy to find the right prospects.

The stable aims to buy one horse for the syndicates each year, but the price has to fall within the R100,000 to R400,000 range to make it viable for the many small investors. As one can imagine, competition from other buyers in that price bracket is fierce.

So far, the figures are stunning. Fairy Knight cost R120,000 and has earned close to R1.4-million. Joy And Peace, a R130,000 purchase, earned just short of R900,000 before being sold on to stud for a further R650,000. U S Ranger, bought for R250,000, has already earned more than R350,000, with most of his racing career still ahead of him.

Shares are sold in 1% blocks, with each person limited to 10 shares. The buy-in covers the purchase price and all related costs for a period of three years, except for travel outside of the Eastern Cape. This allows the syndicates to accommodate anything from 10 to more than 100 shareholders.

Cailin acknowledged that administering hundreds of small shareholdings presents an ongoing challenge, but said good accounting software and open lines of communication make the task easier – and well worth the effort given the results they have achieved.

“Social media has made it easy to reach a global audience. We have new queries every week and from what we’re seen there will be many more to come. More than 50% of the members of the first syndicate are still on board, and among them, four or five have moved on to bigger, individual investments.`

“We learnt a lot from the first syndicates. The obvious problems arose, including a few issues with minor shareholders in one of our WhatsApp groups, but since then we’ve addressed everything with rules of conduct that are explained to all new members.

“My Dad has a diplomatic way of dealing with clients, and everyone understands the boundaries. We also have breakfast days at the stables where shareholders can socialise and get to know one another. These gatherings are wonderful learning experiences for patrons who are new to the game.”

The next syndicate purchases to go to the racetrack will be Fort Gibbs and Emerald Jet, two more sons of Global View. Cailin commented: “They are nice horses and fully subscribed. They will be making their debuts soon and are runners to watch.”

Interestingly, Cailin herself is an accomplished performer in the equestrian discipline of ‘Showing’ – where horses and ponies are evaluated against an ideal standard for their breed, type, or class. Judges assess conformation movement, manners, training, and overall presentation.

Cailin’s show horse is the five-year-old thoroughbred Legal Thriller, who has already won her an Eastern Cape title and the recent South African Championship for Horses-In-Hand, staged in Kwazulu-Natal.

Legal Thriller is a two-time winner off the track by – you guessed it – Global View, and Cailin said: “I am super proud of him. He is doing exceptionally well for such a young horse!”