Durbanville (Western Cape)ĭurbanville racecourse is a unique track with great drainage which makes it a perfect winter racecourse, which is where they host most of their meetings. Racing mainly takes place on Wednesday and Saturdays. There is also a short track of 1200 metres. The “old” track is oval-shaped and used during autumn and winter months. Three are three racecourses at Kenilworth with the main one called the “new” track an oval-shaped 2800 metres circumference track with a short straight. The biggest meeting is in late January which features four Grade 1 races including the Cape Met. It is the main track in the Western Cape with eight Grade 1 races run at the track in January and December. Kenilworth racecourse is the oldest in the country established in 1881 offering majestic views as it sits at the bottom of the Table Mountain in Cape Town. Racing mainly takes place on Friday and they host 20 Listed races throughout the year including the Port Elizabeth Gold Cup in June.Īrlington which was the other racecourse in Port Elizabeth closed in 2013 after hosting race meetings for 63 years. A new polytrack opened in 2013 which hosts meetings at the Port Elizabeth racecourse. Fairview (Eastern Cape)ĭraaifontein Road, Greenbushes, Port Elizabethįairview racecourse opened in 2007 which boasts a stabling complex and various training tracks and facilities. There are seven racecourses in operation in South Africa which hosts race meetings 364 days a year. South African Racing (Photo: Twitter - African Racecourses The most famous jockey to come out of South Africa is Douglas “Durban Demon” Whtye who dominated the Hong Kong racing scene winning the Jockeys’ title 13 years in a row (2001-2013). Top young jockey Luke Ferrais became the youngest jockey to win the South African Triple Crown in 2021 when he teamed up with de Kock and steered Malmoos to victory in the SA Derby. He claimed another South African Triple Crown in 2021 when Malmoos won the South African Derby. He is an eight-time champion trainer in South Africa and won the Summer Cup six times, Durban July four times and Cape Met three times. He has had much success around the globe including in the UAE, Hong Kong, Singapore, United Kingdom and USA. Leading international trainer Mike de Kock is South Africa’s most successful trainer with 129 Grade 1 winners. The “big three” races on the South Africa calendar are the Durban July at Greyville in July, the Cape Town Met at Kenilworth in January, and the Summer Cup at Turffontein in November. Phumelela, in partnership with Gold Circle, manages Tellytrack which has the exclusive rights to broadcast the vision of racing in South Africa. In 2005, Gold Circle and Phumelela, established the National Racing Bureau to handle the administration of racing to ensure the sport was streamlined in South Africa. Gold Circle was formed in 1996 when the Durban Turf Club, Clairwood Turf Club and Pietermaritzburg Turf Club amalgamated. Phumelela is licensed to operate horse racing and tote betting in seven of South Africa’s nine provinces (Free State, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, and Gauteng) while Golden Circle control horseracing in Kwazulu-Natal which has racecourses Greyville and Scottsville. All tote betting is commingled into a national pool. They contribute around half the country’s prize money which is generated from tote turnover. Phumelela was formed in 1997 when horse racing was corporatized in Gauteng to ensure it was competitive as the gambling market was set to grow with the legalization of casinos and a national lottery. The two bodies which control racing in South Africa are Phumelela Gaming and Leisure and Gold Circle. Horse racing takes place in South Africa 364 days of the year which generates a massive R $7 billion turnover. It aims to ensure that thoroughbred racing is provided with the highest level of integrity. Horse racing is regulated by the National Horse Racing Authority, formerly The Jockey Club of South Africa, which was founded in 1882. Today it plays host to the biggest race on the calendar in the G1 Durban July at Greyville which was first run in 1897. South Africa has a long and rich history with horse racing with the first race taking place in the KwaZulu-Natal province in the 1840s.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |