'King of the Kids' Kieser dies

Former Kranji trainer Theo Kieser suddenly died in Thailand at the age of 61 on Jan 11.

The cause of death of the South African horseman was an abdominal aortic aneurysm – a swelling of the artery from the heart to the abdomen.

His daughter Molly said it was too late when she found her father dead at their Khon Kaen home in the morning.

“Dad had already passed when I woke up. The hospital said he died at around 5am,” said the 14-year-old secondary school student.

“He’s had some stomach problems which he might have neglected. He did go to the hospital to get it checked up.

“Otherwise he was okay, but he recently had some food poisoning. It may have complicated things.

“Yesterday, he was still fine, and was okay to walk, but that was to be the last time I saw him alive.”

Kieser moved to the northeastern city of Khon Kaen in 2019, one year after he retired from training at Kranji.

He dabbled in food business, but devoted most of his time to caring for Molly, especially after his divorce from his Thai wife Saifon.

Even if the Singapore racing industry has ceased to exist since Oct 5, its participants were still reeling from the heart-breaking news about one of their comrades.

None was more distraught than one of his most loyal owners, Chua Chai Lee of RX Stable. The Singaporean owner sent his horses to Hideyuki Takaoka and Stephen Gray after Kieser closed shop, but kept in contact with his good friend.

“I’ve always stayed in touch with Theo after he left. Just a few days ago, I called him and all seemed well with him,” said Chua, who still has an interest in an Irish-bred horse in Malaysia.

“He did come to Singapore two years ago to sort out some banking matters. He looked run down and I told him to go for a check-up.

“Little did I know that was the last time I would see him and it was also the last time I spoke to him the other day.

“He was a very good friend and a very loving father to Molly. He cooked for her and sent her to school every day.

“He was also a great horseman and a gentleman of a trainer. He was very honest.

“We had many winners together, including a horse that cost only A$1,500 (S$1,300), Black Fury.”

As it turned out, the last winner Kieser saddled was one of Chua’s, First Choice, on April 24, 2018. It was to be his 165th winner in a training career that began in Singapore in 2010.

Kieser spent his first 25 formative years in South Africa, starting off as an apprentice jockey before working at the stables with noted trainers Vaughan Marshall, Michael Airey and Dave Goss.

He first came to Singapore as a track rider in 1998, before quickly working his way up to the position of stable supervisor and assistant trainer across three yards, those of Michael Clements, Peter Muscutt and Laurie Laxon.

Kieser had a few strings to his bow as he could also do his own horses’ shoes and teeth.

He certainly put his farriery and dentistry skills to good use when he took out his own trainer’s licence in 2010, with Win Lots his first winner on May 2 that year.

Though Kieser did not win any Group race, he earned a reputation as a trainer of two-year-olds with the likes of Kaiser, Goal Keeper and Griffin, hence the “King of the Kids” tag he was given.

But the best horse he trained was Super Winner for his stalwart owner Soh Seng Lye. The Kaphero gelding beat degenerative muscles to score 11 times for Kieser, including the Korea Racing Authority Trophy (1,200m) in 2015.

He was even invited to Korea to contest the inaugural Korea Sprint in 2016, finishing a creditable eighth to Super Jockey.

Kieser is the second ex-Kranji trainer to pass away in the space of two months. Leticia Dragon died at age 50 on Nov 13, 2024.

A funeral wake is being held at Molly’s Thai grandparents’ home until the cremation on Jan 16. Kieser leaves behind two daughters, Molly and Jessica, from a previous relationship, who lives in the UK.

manyan@sph.com.sg