Punters from 28 nations for World Pool event at Turffontein
The minds and money of millions of punters, in 28 countries around the world, will be focused on Joburg’s Turffontein Racecourse on Saturday 6 April, Champions Day, which has been chosen as a World Pool event by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC).
Wagers on the first 10 races on the day’s card will be comingled into gigantic international pools by the HKJC, “generating unprecedented liquidity” and “a multimillion-dollar betting experience”, according to Highveld racing operator 4Racing, which unveiled its 2024 The Championships season yesterday.
Turffontein’s annual autumn feature season has been repackaged as The Championships, with particular marketing emphasis on four major race meetings – Guineas Day tomorrow, Classic Day on 2 March, Champions Day, and the Championships Finale on 27 April.
The first three meetings also make up the Triple Crown and the Triple Tiara series for top threeyear-old horses.
The HKJC has in recent years selected prestigious race meetings around the world for its increasingly popular World Pool initiative, with the Durban July and the Cape Town Met fixtures staging some comingled races.
The HKJC’s partnerships with, and financial support for, South African horseracing has been invaluable to a local industry still recovering from an existential crisis.
Michael Fitzsimons, executive director of wagering products of the HKJC, commented on the tieup: “We’re delighted to be further strengthening our ties with South African racing this season, with the inclusion of Champions Day from Turffontein as a World Pool event for the first time, which will give customers from 28 countries the chance to bet on South African racing as well as access to unrivalled pools.
“World Pool’s involvement on Champions Day – part of the excellent 4Racing The Championships initiative – also seeks to raise the profile of a key race in the South African calendar and showcase high-quality action from an increasingly important racing jurisdiction.”
4Racing CEO Fundi Sithebe said: “We are thrilled to present a season that not only showcases the peak of South African horseracing, but also delivers an unparalleled global experience for punters and racegoers.
“The inclusion of Champions Day as a World Pool event elevates the stakes and is an enticing opportunity for punters to engage like never before.”
At the launch of The Championships at Randjesfontein training centre, a new punter competition was also unveiled: the TAB4Racing Champion of The Championships, with a R100 000 bonus prize for anyone who can top the leader board on all four days of the season.
The prize for the overall winner is R10 000, with R5 000 for second and R2 500 for third.
To enter this competition, go to https://www.tab4racing.com/ tabs/competitions/296.
For information on 4Racing’s hospitality offerings, contact 011-681-1796 or e-mail