A horseracing fan hopes to fund a stable of champions – with rap music. Unlike many of his contemporaries who live in a world of drugs, guns and violence songwriter and producer Dexter Everald Anthony Edmund – aka DeJay – spends his days dreaming of winning The Derby.
The 6ft tall dreadlocked star has penned a track he hopes will land him the cash to buy a top thoroughbred. DeJay lined up alongside world leaders, billionaires, jockeys and trainers at Tattersalls’ thoroughbred sales in Newmarket this week hoping to find a racing superstar.
None of the 1,800 one-year-olds up to auction had ever set hoof on a racecourse. But they are seen as racing certs for glory sired by
champions such as Frankel – who retired undefeated rated the sport’s GOAT – and Galileo who romped home in the Derby and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes before becoming the world’s most desired stud.
DeJay watched as United Arab Emirates Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum coolly broke off from a chat to snap up one chestnut colt for £1.8m.
It was among 25 thoroughbreds the ruler of Dubai bought for his Godolphin stable for a total of £28m in 72 hours.
DeJay admitted he was still working to ‘get some skin in the game’ but was learning the tricks of the trade from experts like the Sheikh.
The racing rapper got hooked on the sport of kings on a visit to the Ngong racecourse during a business trip to Nairobi, Kenya.
DeJay, 38, said: “I was inspired. I had a work trip there and I had an amazing experience.
“I got to see the jockeys on the gallops at 6.30 in the morning with the sun rising above the trees.
“It was like Goodwood with palm trees. I got to have an experience behind the scenes of horseracing and how it really works with the jockeys, with the horses, with the trainers.
“And that moment changed my life. I decided to commit my life to bridging the gap between the world that I come from and the world that I would like to be fully involved in.”
The Bristol-born star, who lived for 14 years in America, was a session bass player and now runs his own record label.
He hopes the tracks he releases – including the latest called Ten Bagz – will provide him with funds to become a top racehorse owner.
“I believe in common denominators,” he said. “You bring music all the way down to the common denominator of frequency and vibration.
“With horseracing the common denominator is the horse and you still get that frequency and vibration with the horse.
“I’m a horseman first. I spent many years being on the ground with the horses. I worked in the stables at Newmarket.
“Those elemental things are the things that drive me, that keep me going.”
He said racing was a broad community which transcends all cultures with billionaire owners happily mixing with folk who earn a few quid mucking out.
It is rocketing in popularity among DeJay’s young audience thanks to student race days and Ibiza-style clubs at major race meetings such as the Grand National.
DeJay told the Daily Star he believes the climate is right for him to combine his two loves – racing and music.
“Tattersalls is amazing – not just the theatre but anybody who is anybody who is something in horse racing is here,” he said.
“I’ve been in and around Newmarket for the last couple of years. I’ve worked these sales.
“I know what it’s like to be here at 4am and look after these horses and show all day and lead through the ring with a busy horse. I’ve done it all from the ground up.
“Now we are on the next level to see if we can get some skin in the game.
“For me I’m looking at who’s doing what, who’s buying. But I’m still learning.
“I know some of these main players by face. But I’m not trying to steal any information. I’m trying to learn some information off the guys who have been doing it a long time.”
DeJay said forking out a fortune on an un-raced horse was a massive gamble.
But it could be highly lucrative for those with a nose for a winner.
Not only can thoroughbreds land vast sums of prize money winning the world’s biggest races but they can then themselves go out to stud to produce more champions of the future.
DeJay said the skill was spotting the winners before they have race.
“You are going in blind,” he said. “But can you see athletic ability in their walk? They are not trotting here. Can you see an athlete even if they are just walking? That’s what I’m looking at. I’m trying to see who the stand out athletes are.
“I came up in music but I had a great time learning from YouTube and stuff and then I went and studied at the National Stud. That’s how I learned about bloodstock and pedigrees and everything like that.
“Now you’ve got to try and put it into practice.
“Racing is everywhere in all countries – big countries, small countries. Newmarket is the Mecca, this is the home, this is the capital. This has been my stomping ground and hopefully now my place of business.
“I have written a tune for the experience. The tune is called Ten Bagz and it’s really about, ‘let’s just get some money so we can buy some horses’.”