Johannesburg - Betway and 4Racing are taking things up a notch this year after announcing that the Betway Summer Cup 2023 will have record stakes of R5 million.
4Racing CEO Fundi Sithebe said the money was a huge boost in the continued efforts to support the revival of South African horse racing, as she believes the sport needs to be made more exciting.
“The R5m stakes for the 2023 Betway Summer Cup is a record landmark announcement which is right up there with the highest prize purse in African horse racing. We would like to thank Betway for supporting our vision to reinvigorate one of South African racing’s biggest races and racedays. We need to make horse racing exciting, fun and viable again for punters, owners, trainers, jockeys, and all who have dedicated their lives to the sport, and this massive stakes increase for the 2023 Betway Summer Cup is a huge boost for the sport. Betway’s integration with and support for the Tote is also hugely important for our industry.”
Sithebe added: “We have to position South African horse racing as a major global player, and we have made no bones about our desire to attract more World Pool events to South African racing to support our industry in its post-Covid recovery, on the back of the strength and quality of our country’s strong horse-racing product.”
Betway South Africa head of customer experience Jonathan Blumberg said that the considerable increase in stakes for the 2023 Betway Summer Cup was part of Betway’s steadfast commitment to supporting the South African horse-racing industry.
“We are extremely committed to contributing to the growth and sustainability of South African horse racing and delighted that we are able to support 4Racing in increasing the stakes of the 2023 Betway Summer Cup to R5m. We have no doubt this will make the event even more attractive for the country’s very best thoroughbreds, the world’s leading jockeys and trainers, and elite owners. We can’t wait for the big day and the build-up to what will undoubtedly be a hugely exciting and high-quality race day,” said Blumberg.
The Betway Summer Cup cemented its prime status on the South African horse-racing calendar last year with a highly successful event in the first year of Betway’s Summer Cup sponsorship, as Laurence Wernars’s Puerto Manzano took the spoils with trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren and jockey Keagan De Melo.
The Highveld’s flagship Grade 1, 2 000m spectacular takes place on Saturday, November 25, at the iconic Turffontein Racecourse.
One of Africa’s premier blue-chip racedays, which also includes the Grade 2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans, the Grade 2 Betway Ipi Tombe Challenge, the Grade 3 Fillies Mile, the Grade 3 Merchants Stakes, the Grade 3 Magnolia Handicap, and Listed ROA Stayers, is set to be even bigger and better after the massive stakes cash injection announced for the main race.
The Star