Summer Cup

The Sansui Summer Cup 2012

THE Summer Cup is nearly as old as Johannesburg itself and has a rich and fascinating history. It was first run in 1887, a year after the dusty mining camp that was to become Johannesburg sprang up on the farm Turffontein following the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand. The race is run at the Turffontein Racecourse over a distance of 10 furlongs or 2000m.

The Summer Cup is a Grade 1 race for 3-year-olds and older. It is a competitive handicap and it is held each year in November. The current purse for the race is R2 million. The Summer Cup is sponsored by SANSUI and in 2011 will be hosted by Gauteng.

Event details: Joburg’s greatest horseracing event. The racing action starts in the day and continues into the night under floodlights. Five of the 10 races carded are feature races and many of South Africa’s top horses will be in action. There will be loads of entertainment between races and the Neo Africa Sound Experience powered by Sansui in the Entertainment Village will be a big winner!

History: The Summer Cup is nearly as old as Joburg. The first horserace in Johannesburg took place in December 1886 and the inaugural Summer Cup was run the following year. No one could have imagined that from its humble beginning in 1887, the Summer Cup would become one of South Africa’s most famous racing events. In the 1970s and ’80s various changes to the race diminished its glitter, but in 1999 horseracing and tote betting company Phumelela reintroduced the Summer Cup in its traditional format. Many famous horses have won the race down the years including Java and Elevation, who both won the race three years running.

Feature races:

• Sansui Summer Cup hosted by Gauteng (Grade 1) 2000m R2,000,000
• Dingaans (3-year-olds; Grade 2) 1600m R500,000
• Merchants (Grade 2) 1160m R450,000
• Fillies Mile (3-year-old fillies; Grade 3) 1600m R275,000
• Racing Association Handicap (Grade 3) 3200m R225,000

VIP Hospitality:

Packages are available through ENTCO – Contact 0861 29 29 66 or email: info@entco.co.za

Betting: Bet with South African horseracing and tote betting company Phumelela at a TAB, by phone, online or via mobile.

SUMMER CUP HONOURS ROLL

Year Horse Owner Trainer Jockey 1999 El Picha Messrs Brian B Roux, TM Millard & A Swersky GV Woodruff R Hill 2000 Delta Form Mr & Mrs MA Airey, Messrs WI Geary, OV Leibrandt, RJ Simpson & BB Sinclair MF de Kock G Figueroa 2001 Ingleside Mr B Kantor MF de Kock K Shea 2002 Eventuail Mr & Mrs L Jaffee GV Woodruff P Strydom 2003 Wolf Whistle Mrs PM Sargent, MP Egan, HR Enderle, WW Fenner, PK Harris MF de Kock K Shea 2004 Tyson Messrs MK Naidoo & R Pancham ST Pettigrew P Strydom 2005 Ilha Da Vitoria (BRZ) Mrs M Slack MF de Kock W Marwing 2006 Malteme Messrs MC Gerber, J Gerber, GL Blank, DI Catterall, MA Currie, GC Chamberlain & PG Joubert A G Laird B Smith 2007 Strategic News Messrs CG Snyman, JJ Snyman, L Steyn, MG Gramenie, DL Cunha, & LL Cunha D Cunha G Schofield 2008 Rudra Messrs Tony Moodley, P Bayvel, M F de Kock, M C Gerber and F Ladeira MF de Kock K Shea 2009 Aslan Brooklyn Bullet Trust (Nom: Mr A J Joseph) and Mrs L M Leisher S Tarry F Coetzee 2010 Flirtation Mr C and Mrs B A Livanos MF de Kock R Simons 2011 Dancewiththedevil Mr St John D Gray St John Gray G Lerena