Berlin’s summer carnival ready to head for home straight
A PARTY of riders will descend on East London for the much-vaunted Berlin November, a summer carnival race, to have a crack at the R500 000 prize-money.
Horse-racing enthusiasts are in for a treat next Saturday at the Berlin race track with 18 fixtures which will see topquality riders from Lesotho, North West and KwaZulu-Natal battle it out for the coveted prize.
The race will be preceded by an amateur boxing tournament on Friday, organised by former SA featherweight boxing champion Jackie Gunguluza.
Amateurs from in and around East London will battle it out in four weight classes and fans will be spoilt for choice with the 20-bout lineup.
The Berlin November is dubbed the Eastern Cape’s flagship horse-racing event, with four riders in each race sharing the spoils.
Legends Gaming Promotions, the organisers of the Berlin November and Traditional Horseracing League have gone all out to make sure the event is a showstopper, with VIP lounges, contemporary design couture, a music festival and a 5km fun run.
The fun run starts at 8am at the race track.
Mziwethu Sanda, general manager of Legends Gaming Promotion, who runs the Traditional Horseracing League said: “There is a growing perception that you cannot monetise a traditional and communal activity.
“Horse-racing just like heritage and culture should be packaged in a dignified way so that those involved can benefit.
“We view this signature event as responding to sports heritage and everyone in the value chain needs to benefit”.
The Lesotho contingent is back this year and will form part of the quality racing and top-class action.
The spectacular races, which start at 11am, are billed as follows:
The indigenous horses will compete in two categories including Umphalo (speed, turf or galloping races) and Umhambo, Oonoqalinkundla Abakhwetha, Izigogo and Amagqirha. Umphalo has four fixtures ranging from 800m, 1 000m, 1 200m and 1 400m.
All winners of Umphalo, races 5-8 will participate in a winners race called Galaxy Bingo Special for a prize-money worth R50 000. Distances of 800m, 1 000, 1 200m and 1 400m are run in Umphalo races, and there are no rules regarding the style of riding. It is a simple galloping race based on speed, where the first horse to cross the finishline wins.
Thoroughbreds have three races featuring distances from 1 000m, 1 200m and 1 400m.
All winners of thoroughbred races 9-11 will participate in a winners race called the MTN Special, for a R50 000 prize. — DDC