By Lucky Sindane
THE CITY of Johannesburg has joined forces with Phumelela, the organisation that runs horseracing in South Africa, to host Africa's richest horse race - the Johannesburg Summer Cup.
The City recently entered into a partnership with Phumelela Gaming and Leisure Ltd to host the Summer Cup, which has a purse of R2-million.
"Our aim is to market the city, just as Ethekwini is doing with the Durban July and Cape Town with the Cape Met, both of which are crowd-pullers," said Johannesburg's spokesperson, Nthatisi Modingoane. "We want to make it the city's biggest race."
The Summer Cup, held annually at the Turffontein racecourse in the south of Johannesburg, is nearly as old as the city itself.
It was first run in December 1887, little more than a year after the settlement that was to become Johannesburg sprang up on the farm Turffontein following the discovery of gold.
The race was instantly established as the social and horseracing highlight of the year in Johannesburg and was to remain so for almost a century.
In 1971 the name of the race was changed to accommodate a sponsor.
As years went by further changes took place - to the race's name, the terms of the race and the date it took place - and eventually what had been one of the social events of the year lost its appeal.
In 1999 Phumelela reintroduced the race with record prize money. It has grown over the past five years and now attracts 10 000 people to the course on race day.
In 2004 Phumelela approached Johannesburg's executive mayor, Amos Masondo, during one of his road shows, requesting the City endorse and financially support the Johannesburg Summer Cup. A partnership agreement was then drawn up.
"The City has set aside R300 000 for marketing and support of the Johannesburg Summer Cup," says Modingoane.
The aim is to grow the event to match the Durban July and the Cape Met. In order to market the race:
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