The stories behind owner’s colours: Bryn Ressell

A son of the Eastern Cape soil, Bryn Ressell has become a stalwart of Cape racing and his love of rugby has carried its way into the sport. His colours are the unmistakable red, yellow and black that are worn by Hamilton RFC – “the oldest rugby club in South Africa,” he always reminds one – and they have been just as successful.

Rose Reserve was his first horse, a filly who won three of her first four races at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth in 2008, but went winless for her next 14 starts before being retired. He owned her with good friend Marsh Shirtliff and so started the ride of racing ownership.

Since then Ressell has gone on to enjoy considerable success and fun in racing, both as an owner and as a breeder. His Gr 1 tally has nudged up to around eight, with the likes of Marinaresco, Russian Rock, Zarina, Rio Querari and What A Winter among that list.

It’s another Gr 1 winner however which is his most gratifying. “Fly By Night was a filly trained by Mike Bass who won six races. She won the Mercury Sprint at the old Clairwood racecourse in 2014 when ridden by Anthony Delpech.”

What A Winter, now 17, has also given him plenty of joy. He was the seventh horse that Ressell owned. What A Winter won 15 races in a stellar career, also trained by Bass, and has since gone on to become a champion stallion. Ressell has embraced the breeding aspect of the sport and says it adds another dimension to his love of thoroughbred racing.

The first horse he chose at a Sale was Epic Tale. “Another one I bought for the name – Sheer Trouble – and then the other one that I was allowed to buy was the first What A Winter ever sold – for obvious reasons.” Hammie’s Hooker was another memorable runner. “In any other era she would have won a few Grade 1’s, but she happened to run at the same time as Beach Beauty.” She is one of the few horses not to run in the Hammies silks. “Marsh was clever there, he managed to choose the best Hammies horse to run in his colours. You’ll have to ask him how he managed that one!