A Malaysian lass, Isabelle Lonjuing Sayeed, has become the youngest racehorse trainer in the world when the Royal Sabah Turf Club granted her a license to train.
The Royal Sabah Turf Club issued Isabelle with a license as a professional trainers and stable agent on 26th November 2020. At just twelve years and four months, Isabelle eclipses the record of Bailey Rogerson, who started training in New Zealand at the age of sixteen.
Isabelle is the daughter of polo player Adil Ghulam, and granddaughter of Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Hj Ghulam Sayeed. She started riding at Glenora Stables in Kinarut, Sabah, when she was five years old. Her instructors were Susan Douglas, and daughter Claire Mosun.
When she was in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year, Isabelle had lessons at KL Academy of Polo with Peter Abisheganaden, who she now counts as a mentor. Isabelle has since become an accomplished polo player handicapped by the Sabah Polo Association. Isabelle foundered and is captain of Sabah’s first female polo team, El Venato Polo Team.
Susan Douglas tutored Isabelle in an intensive course on all aspects of stable and horse management, and racehorse training, as she prepared to take the trainer’s license test with the Royal Sabah Turf Club (RSTC). While she is the owner of ILS Stables, Isabelle also qualified as a race starter, barrier tester, nutritionist, and is now the youngest racehorse trainer in the world.
John Gorton, Director of Racing at RSTC, was the tester who granted her a license. An accomplished racing man, he was originally from South Africa, but became a top jockey in the United Kingdom. Gorton returned to train with success in South Africa and Australia, and was a pioneer of racing in Mongolia and China.
Both Douglas and Gorton discovered that Isabelle has a real passion for horses, perhaps helped by a very high intellect at 154 certified on the BMI scale.
Her grandfather, Datuk Seri Ghulam has been her mentor and guardian in life. He has arranged a 6-week internship for Isabelle with champion American trainer Bob Baffert in the United States next summer.
Isabelle said, “I am humbled to be the youngest licensed horse trainer in the world. I know the path is not easy, but I am ready to meet the challenges ahead.”
