Horseracing In South Africa

Horseracing in South Africa is a substantial industry and has a significant impact on the country's economy as a whole.

Horseracing in South Africa is responsible for over 100,000 jobs and the annual turnover in betting recently exceeded R5 billion ($850 million). There are currently eleven operational racecourses in South Africa today, six of which are run by Phumelela Gaming and Leisure while the remaining five fall under the auspices of Gold Circle (Pty) Limited.

Phumelela and Gold Circle control tote betting in South Africa although betting through bookmakers is also available. It is estimated that 60% of all bets placed on horseracing in South Africa flow through the pari-mutuel tote. The two operators of South African horseracing have formed a partnership and tend to work together very closely, with the result that the industry has become a lot more organised and successful in recent years.

There is at least one race meeting per day in South Africa with the solitary exception of Christmas Day, and punters can now bet on race meetings in the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, and Mauritius as well. Phumelela alone is responsible for running 470 race meetings a year. They are also responsible for Africa's richest race, the Summer Cup, now known as the GommaGomma Challenge, with stakes of R3 million ($500,000).

The race with the richest history and most overall prestige, however, remains the July Handicap. This race is run at Greyville on the first Saturday of July over eleven furlongs (2200 meters) and has traditionally attracted the best horses in the country.

In the past decade South African horseracing has taken giant leaps forward and several horses that started their career on South African racetracks have gone on to enjoy incredible success on the global stage. This tradition was started in the 1960s when Colorado King and Hawaii were exported to the United States. Both went on to win major races there and Hawaii became an influential sire (one of his sons, Henbit, won the Epsom Derby).

In the late 1970s and 1980s horses from South Africa like Bold Tropic, Prince Florimund, and Wolf Power followed the same path. But recent exploits by South African champions London News, Horse Chestnut, Ipitombe, and Victory Moon have put all those earlier accomplishments in the shade.

The South African thoroughbred breeding industry is now recognised as world-class, and national yearling sales attract buyers from many different countries as a result. It is difficult to say which South African racehorse is the single greatest of all time. Empress Club, a brilliant filly, would get a lot of votes, as would Horse Chestnut who would have rewritten the record books if not for an injury. South Africa's favourite horse of all time was probably Sea Cottage, but no racehorse from South Africa has performed as well as Victory Moon.

It is a little-known fact outside horseracing that every single thoroughbred racehorse in the world can trace their origins back to one of three founding stallions. The majority of today's thoroughbreds, in South Africa and elsewhere, descend from Darley Arabian. The other two stallions were Byerley Turk (owned by a Captain Byerley and ridden in war before retiring to stud), and Godolphin Arabian. Legend has it that Godolphin Arabian was found in Paris pulling a water cart. The most famous silks in racing today would have to be Godolphin Stables, which represent the Dubai sheiks, and who have now won 125 Group 1 races in 11 countries.

South African horseracing has typically been dominated by imported horses, and the most important additions to South African bloodstock tend to be horses imported from Europe (French horses have had a big influence on South African horseracing), South America (specifically Argentina and more recently Brazil), and to a lesser extent Australia. South Africa's most famous sires, horses like Foveros, Elliodor, Jungle Cove, Al Mufti, and Fort Wood were all imported from overseas.

On the other hand, South Africa's jockeys and trainers have typically gone abroad where they have routinely shown that they are the best in the world. South Africa's champion jockey, the incomparable Michael 'Muis' Roberts, became England's champion jockey, while Douglas Whyte, Waichong Marwing, Felix Coetzee, and Robby Fradd dominated in Hong Kong and Dubai. South African trainers like Michael DeKock and David Ferraris have put South African horseracing on the map with their achievements at the biggest race meetings in the world in Dubai.

You can now place your bets on South African horseracing over the phone, either to the tote or your bookmaker, on the computer, or even text messaging via your mobile phone. South Africa's racecourses, notably Kenilworth and Greyville, are also fantastic to go to in person both in terms of the facilities and the spectacle of watching live racing there. Entrance to racecourses is now free of charge, and night racing is also offered at Newmarket in Gauteng and Greyville in Kwazulu-Natal.

Betting on horseracing in South Africa is a pleasure both because of the form guides that are available to all punters, and the wide range of races that are offered on the tote. South African form guides such as Computaform are widely acknowledged to be unmatched in terms of information provided. Thanks to dedicated televised coverage of race meetings around the world on TellyTrack it is also incredibly easy to follow international horseracing meetings while betting in the comfort of your own home right here in South Africa!

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