Of all the specialist jobs in a niche business like horse racing, being a commentator is perhaps the most scarce skill, with no more than ten people currently occupying that role in South Africa. These rare individuals perch in a small booth, amidst the rafters, high up on the grandstand, using powerful binoculars to spot
Every day, elite athletes and coaches earn a living by pushing the boundaries of human potential. The dividing line between what was once considered impossible and what is now a prerequisite for success is constantly shifting. Michael Johnson, one of the best athletes that has ever lived, has created a high performance centre that is
FIELD SIZE ISSUES AT THE CAPE Race-track operators, Phumelela pulled the plug on a poorly supported Durbanville meeting last week, yet again raising concerns about the viability of staging horse races given dwindling Western Cape field sizes. The target is 12 runner fields, but some Durbanville events were struggling to attract anything close to that
Western Cape Racing – developments.... Kenilworth Racing Chairman, Chris van Niekerk and board director, Hassen Adams outlined visionary plans for the Western Cape at a function staged on Saturday evening at Kenilworth racecourse. Van Niekerk stated that the two primary objectives of the Thoroughbred Horse Racing Trust, which owns Kenilworth Racing, are to enhance the
Throughout much of history, the horse has been used to carry people great distances and was a dependable, relatively swift source of transport. Into the modern era, the horse racing industry has evolved into a vast national and international business, and transporting roles have been reversed. Getting horses to and from the races, stud farms
Gulf Storm outduelled fellow Cape Thoroughbred Sales graduates, Brutal Force and Carry On Alice to win the Grade 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship over 1000m at Kenilworth. Trained by Brett Crawford and riden by PC Orffer, for whom it was a notable first Grade 1 victory, Gulf Storm surged through in the final strides
Iluminator, from the Glen Puller stable, is the winner of the inaugural running of the CTS Million Dollar over 1400m on the turf, Africa’s richest thoroughbred race. The bay son of Trippi was ridden by Heavelon van der Hoven, a low percentage apprentice who seized a dream opportunity when replacing indisposed senior jockey, Weichong Marwing.
EQUINE PHOTOGRAPHY Fancy breaking into equine photography and taking awesome pictures of racehorses in full flight ? That is the dream career switch that Wayne Marks of Baymedia made after 15 years experience as a photojournalist doing corporate gigs and providing glitzy images for the social pages of Johannesburg newspapers. His first move into
The running style that a racehorse employs can make a difference to the result. Ernie, who used hold up tactics to win the 1200m Sophomore Sprint at Kenilworth, is a case in point. Earlier in his career, the son of Elusive Fort would press the pace. He showed fair potential racing that way, but his
Becoming a successful jockey is rarely a smooth, linear progression to the top. Instead, stagnation and setbacks are all part of the process - something that Pierre Corne Orffer understands as a journeyman jock, though his current mood is especially perky after winning the KRA Fillies Guineas on Alexis over the weekend at Greyville. English