Phumelela Gaming gets Dubai Cup boost
JSE-listed Phumelela Gaming & Leisure — due to release half-year results today — report that their hosting of the global tote pools on the recent Dubai World Cup meeting resulted in a turnover increase of 26% compared to 2010.
There were nine races at Meydan racecourse on Dubai World Cup night, with the turnover reaching R60m.
“Nearly 60 tote hubs and operators from 18 different countries commingled into the global tote pools with bets being instantly transmitted to Phumelela’s Amtote computerised betting system,” Phumelela said.
The 18 countries that participated in the global tote pools included Austria, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Canada, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Peru, Trinidad, the UK and the US. Their participation “contributed significantly to the growth in turnover”.
US raider Animal Kingdom, a former winner of the Kentucky Derby, took top honours in the $10m Dubai World Cup.
Geoff Woodruff, who used to train Shea Shea, one of two South African winners on Dubai World Cup night, will be hoping he has got another top horse on his hands in the Jet Master colt Yorker.
The three-year-old returns from a 75-day break in today’s eighth race at the Vaal and may prove too smart for his 13 rivals.
Yorker, a R1.8m buy as a yearling, won his second race by four lengths and then finished a creditable third behind Alec Laird’s useful three-year-old, Gitiano.
Sean Tarry sends out three runners in this 1,700m contest, and Selborne Supremacy may prove the pick of the trio, with leading jockey Piere Strydom booked for the ride.
Tarry will also be expecting a bold showing from Dark Knight following the gelding’s close second behind Starspangledemblem at Turffontein last month.
The third runner representing Tarry’s yard is Bamako, but the five-year-old has not raced for eight months and may be in need of the outing.
With Anton Marcus riding three winners at Scottsville on Tuesday, Strydom will be eager to add to his seasonal total and both Stormy Cape (second race) and Royal Cookie (third) could provide him with visits to the No 1 box.
Stormy Cape, a bargain buy at just R10,000, should appreciate the step up in distance and is selected to beat Dominic Zaki’s runner, Bronze Star.
Royal Cookie, another inmate of the Tarry stable, had shown precious little before running second on her fifth outing.
She meets a moderate bunch in the first leg of the accumulator and will be a popular banker with most punters.
Jockey S’Manga Khumalo — sidelined through injury in recent months — will be keen to get back among the winners and he should go close on Dontstopmenow in the first leg of the Pick 6.
Trained by Chris Erasmus, Dontstopmenow has been placed in four of his six starts.