A Southampton man became the first English racehorse owner to win the coveted South African equivalent of the Derby last week.

Michael Barfoot, who was born and raised in Hedge End, is the proud owner of what has now been officially named as the fastest horse ever from South Africa.

Trademark broke the track record at Greyville in Durban, to earn over £6 million for owner Barfoot.

And is was Saints legend Terry Paine who introduced Barfoot to horse racing.

Barfoot, who had previously worked as a welder in Southampton, emigrated with his family to South Africa 17 years ago, where he took up a job in telecommunications.

It is there where he met the man who is arguably Saints' greatest ever player.

Barfoot, in the crowd at a game Paine was playing in, called out "Up the Saints" to his hero. They started talking afterwards and have been close friends ever since.

The former Saints winger, a keen horse enthusiast himself, persuaded Barfoot to buy his first racehorse - and it now seems to have paid off!