Happy days are here again

This is a brilliantly produced visual history of the “golden era” of the South African turf, packaged into 17 episodes and highlighting many of the great horses of the 1960s and 1970s – the likes of Sea Cottage, Hawaii, In Full Flight and Politician.

Filmmaker Aidan Lithgow, scion of a celebrated racing family, has spent the past 10 years painstakingly collecting material for his labour of love.

The “limited web series” is made up not just of old newsreels, but thousands of photos, press cuttings and artefacts that tell an enthralling story. Racing operators, various archives and hundreds of individuals have provided a vast trove of source material.

In the process of this research, Lithgow became the go-to guy for visual material on racing – obligingly helping media people such as I out with rare pictures, for example.

His Last Cowboy Productions movie company has also shot new footage, interviewing old-timers on their memories of the good old days and even recreating moments from the past, with actors, to lift history into the present.

The son of late Tellytrack presenter Jimmy Lithgow and former thoroughbred trainer Elaine Rathbone, Aidan was so in love with racing as a child that he wanted to be a jockey. When he grew too big for that job he turned to other equestrian pursuits, becoming a showjumper, an acclaimed showjumping commentator, filmmaker and a stage and film actor.

During 2009, while producing the “You be the Judge” talk show for the Tellytrack TV channel, he quickly noticed that discussion about great horses and racing personalities of the past was the most popular fare.

A plan to produce a series of 10 to 15-minute TV inserts under the title “Legends of the Turf” proved unworkable thanks to Lithgow becoming hopelessly engrossed in the material, much of which had never been aired before.

A bigger project was necessary – but then it just grew and grew. Funding for the time and the technology to transform piles of dusty bits, such as film of varying quality and size, into high-definition video was a major challenge. The Legends of the Turf website and Facebook page acknowledge the assistance received over the years from The Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Mauritzfontein and Wilgerbosdrift Studs and Gold Circle.

It also notes: “Aidan worked closely alongside his long-time friend and partner from film school Thulani Khumalo, who was engaged on this project as principal cameraman and director of photography. Kathy Pienaar was also a key player…”

The streaming episodes can be bought as a box set of 17 for R499 or individually for R49 – for viewing over a six-month period.

“Whether you’re a part-time equestrian, horse lover, animal lover, racing enthusiast, or even someone who is simply interested in a slice of South African history, this series will give you a richer understanding of how these legends were born,” says Lithgow.

“These are stories of triumph in the face of adversity, heartbreak and success, thrilling rivalries, international stardom, and even a few shocking villains. Enjoy!”

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