Cape Town - With a week to go for the Sun Met, the racehorses set for the track were treated to a spa day at the beach
yesterday.
The horses were taken through a cooling and relaxing experience at Muizenberg’s Sunrise Beach beach to prepare them for the upcoming races. In true horse racing fashion, the horses were in the company of beauty queens, with Miss South Africa Sasha-Lee Olivier and top 10 finalist Chuma Matsaluka in attendance.
“We’re shooting one of the release photos for the Sun Met. It’s my first time attending this year and there’s some very exciting news that you guys will learn in a few days’ time,” said Olivier.
The favourite, Do It Again, moved swiftly through the beach sand with his gallant bearing.
His trainer, Justin Snaith, said: “Its a totally mental break, a day for the horse to come out to the beach and relax. Its purely a walk in the ocean, its good for their legs, lungs and their head and at the end of the day, the horses are our priority and we would do anything to help them.
“Do It Again just got beaten last time but he is a two-time Durban July winner. He is the highest-rated horse in the history of South African racing since the 1800s. I think this is a race where usually the best horse wins,
and a lot of horses after this tournament will be travelling to Australia and Hong Kong, and that’s the kind of level of horse that will be racing in the Sun Met.”
Chuma Matsaluka in an African print dress by Eli Gold from Masa Mara poses with a horse during the Horses’ Spa Day at Sunrise Beach in Muizenberg in preparation of horses running in the Sun Met - Africa’s Richest Race Day.
Picture: Ian Landsberg/ African News Agency (ANA)
Miss South Africa, Sasha-Lee Olivier and Chuma Matsaluka in African print dresses by Eli Gold from Masa Mara pose with horses during the Horses’ Spa Day at Sunrise Beach in Muizenberg in preparation of horses running in the Sun Met - Africa’s Richest Race Day. Picture: Ian Landsberg/ African News Agency (ANA).
Miss South Africa Sasha-Lee Laurel Olivier and Chuma Matsaluka with Kasimir at the Sun Met Horses’ Spa Day in preparation for Africa’s Richest Race Day favourite contenders of the sun met walk along the Sunrise Beach, Muizenberg. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane African news agency(ANA)
Miss South Africa Sasha-Lee Laurel Olivier and Johathan Snaith with one of the favourite horses Kasimir at the Sun Met Horses’ Spa Day in preparation for Africa’s Richest Race Day favourite contenders of the sun met walk along the beach Sunrise Beach, Muizenberg Photographer Ayanda Ndamane African news agency(ANA)
Miss South Africa, Sasha-Lee Olivier and Chuma Matsaluka in African print dresses by Eli Gold from Masa Mara pose with a horse during the Horses’ Spa Day at Sunrise Beach in Muizenberg in preparation of horses running in the Sun Met - Africa’s Richest Race Day. Picture: Ian Landsberg/ African News Agency (ANA).
Sun International lifestyle and entertainment manager Gareth Flusk said the spa day was the chance for them to see some of the competitors and some of the “greatest equine
specimens in the country” in just a little bit of a casual environment.
“What we then try to do is bring the talent we look after, Miss South Africa, Sasha-Lee Olivier; she is here to take pictures with the horses. We also have a local model and Miss South Africa Top 10 finalist, Chuma Matsaluka. We loved her on the competition and we decided, since we’re coming to her home town, why not bring her?” said Flusk.
The theme for this year is “African Luxury Visionaries”.
Flusk said they wanted to get the biggest South African talent they could get from around the world to come and celebrate Africa in Cape Town. “We got Bonang Matheba and we have Black Coffee for the after-party.”
Matsaluka, from Nyanga, said life has been great following her appearance at the Miss SA pageant.
“I’ve grown from the competition. I’m a different person, I’ve learnt a lot of lessons and I believe that it’s opened a lot of opportunities for me. I’ve taken each step as it comes and it’s been amazing.”
Matsaluka said that she’s now doing her final year at UCT and
balancing that with her modelling career and public speaking at schools.
Sun Met takes place at the
Kenilworth Racecourse next Saturday and gates open at 11am.
Sun Met Horses’ Spa Day in preparation for Africa’s Richest Race Day favourite contenders of the sun met walk along the Sunrise Beach, Muizenberg Picture: Ayanda Ndamane / African News Agency(ANA)
Sun Met Horses’ Spa Day in preparation for Africa’s Richest Race Day favourite contenders of the sun met walk along the Sunrise Beach, Muizenberg. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane African news agency(ANA)
