Adam Azzie is enjoying a hot streak, having saddled nine winners from his first 50 runners as a licensed trainer. His winning strike rate stands at 18%, while his Win/Place percentage is just shy of 60% – a remarkable return considering he has only 21 horses in training, many of them fairly moderate performers.
Adam (39) started out with just seven horses when he ended his training partnership with his father, Michael, in September 2025 and relocated to Summerveld to establish his own brand in the training ranks.
He saddled his first runner at the end of October, 2025 and frustratingly had five close seconds and five third places from 15 runners in his first three months. “I was starting to think there was a voodoo over me,” said the fourth-generation trainer whose great-grandfather George, grandfather Herbie, father Mike and uncle John all got off the mark with their respective first runners.
Adam finally broke the ice on 18 January 2026, when Drakenstein Stud’s filly Thought Control (What A Winter) shed her maiden at Hollywoodbets Greyville. He then added victories with a further four maidens – none regarded as stars in the making, which makes the achievement all the more creditable.
Adam said: “At the end of last year I was travelling up and down from Johannesburg to Durban, getting all the logistics in place. My kids also only finished school in November. My wife Callie and I also had to find a new home to settle down, so it was a hectic few months.
“I probably could have pressed a few maidens early on to get that first winner, but that’s not the way we train,” said Adam, whose 18 years alongside his father instilled the Azzie family’s traditional horsemanship, including patience, meticulous stable management and an arguably unmatched ability to present runners in breathtaking condition for the parade ring.
He elaborated: “I think it’s important for a trainer to be realistic about what he or she has in the yard. When a horse has moderate ability, it’s better to recognise that, early, and not allow your ego to dictate that it should be running in strong handicaps or feature races.
“We all want top horses to train, but you have to play the cards you are dealt at any point in time. If you place an average horse in the correct races, you can have a lot more fun and a better return on the owner’s investment. Planning the career of the moderate horses is just as important for the best results as it is for mapping out the route to the top for a star runner.”
To this end, Adam’s already had some satisfying results with back-to-back wins from Red Taffety (a Maiden that joined him after eight unsuccessful runs in Cape Town) and Miss World (back-to-back wins after 21 unsuccessful starts in Cape Town).
He said: “The Maiden fields and lower handicaps in KZN are a little weaker than elsewhere, and we also have the Poltytrack option in Durban which we don’t have in other centres. This provides a few extra pickings for battling runners.”
Adam has limited firepower for the higher ranks right now and said: “This is a rebuilding phase and things take time to fall in place. I’d like to build my string to 40 horses over the next few months and my ultimate goal is to get to 80 in the next few seasons.”
Two-year-old colt Green Energy (Gimmethegreenlight) is the stable’s most promising youngster, with two wins on the trot after a close third on his debut. “I’m going to run him in the Gatecrasher Stakes and then we’ll look at a race on Hollywoodbets Durban July day, Gold Cup day or perhaps even both,” said Adam.
Older handicapper Claw (Horizon) is approaching his best form again and should be able to pick up another win soon, while the smart filly Gimmefabulous (Gimmethegreenlight) is on the comeback trail after a rest and is also being prepared for a run on July day in the Thukela Handicap.
Adam has three well-bred yearlings from recent sales, including two purchased by Greg and Gina Bortz, who are new clients in a yard already enjoying notable high-profile support. Gaynor Rupert, Larry Nestadt, Mary Slack and Laurence Wernars have all contributed to Adam’s rebuilding project, while Hollywood Racing has also recently added a horse to the yard.
In addition, he carries regular support from his brother-in-law, Sterling Miller (Pound Bloodstock), while Vermaak Equine has announced that Adam will be its dedicated trainer for its racing club in KwaZulu-Natal.
Adam said: “I am grateful for the support of such wonderful owners, and as a stable we are very happy to be racing in KZN. What Hollywood and Race Coast have achieved at Hollywoodbets Greyville is a racing experience second to none with superb facilities for families.”
While he may be the odd one out in his illustrious family as far as a strike with his first runner is concerned, Adam could well become the one who trains the most winners over time.
His father, Mike, commented: “Adam is a very popular young man and a very good horseman. I think he will develop his stable into a major force in years to come.”