The Story Behind Owners’ Colours: Ashwin Reynolds

The racing bug had bitten Ashwin Reynolds years before, but it was when he was talking to his friend, and established racehorse owner Rick Achmat, that he decided to take the plunge and join the owners’ ranks himself.

Reynolds is a man of the people, a straight-talking, passionate product of the Cape Flats and he’s now into his early 50s, but enjoying life, and racing, as much as ever. 

“I used to write down racing results for my dad while he napped and later I married into a racing family. So, there was no escaping. I was talking to Ricky about becoming an owner and he told me things like, ‘you can’t just own a horse, you have to register and choose your own colours.’ This sounded like hard work! 

“So, I looked at the polo T-shirt I was wearing and said, ‘OK, these are the colours (blue and red) and this is the kind of design I want. And that’s exactly how I came to settle on my colours. I like blue and I’m a Liverpool supporter so there’s also red.

“Shortly after that I had to buy my first horse, so I bought 10 percent in Noordhoek Ice, which won in its sixth start under Anthony Delpech on the Hollywoodbets Greyville Poly. After that it was like a drug, owning horses!”

Reynolds is best known for his involvement with Kommetdieding, who was picked and bought by trainer Harold Crawford for R55,000 at the 2019 Klawervlei Yearling Sale. “He wasn’t an impressive looker but started maturing and eventually became very good-looking,” Reynolds often said.

Not only that, Kommetdieding – named by Reynolds and a homage to his Cape Flats roots – could run! 

He won his first four starts and eventually retired with six wins, including the 2021 Hollywoodbets Durban July and 2022 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met, and now stands at stud.

And Kommetdieding supplied Reynolds with his best moment in racing. Ah, yes, but which one? The July or Met?

“Neither!” Reynolds exclaims, surprisingly. “You know what my favourite moment with him was? Winning first time out. He opened at 25-1 and started 14-1 and won by two lengths!”

Kommetdieding had been entered in the R225,000 Graduate Race over the tough Hollywoodbets Kenilworth 1200m on debut in June 2020, but trainer Michelle Rix was unfazed by the win, saying: “We have always known that he was special and we have thought highly of him from day one.”

Six months later Kommetdieding returned to the racecourse, again ridden by Sihle Cele, this time backed in from 14-1 to 9-2 and this time beating a field that included Russian Rock, who would win the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas in his next start.

And so, Reynolds was on his way, catapulted into the owners’ limelight, further evidence that good things happen to good people.

By Gary Lemke