Media Release re: International Jockey Challenge!

RACING ASSOCIATION-PHUMELELA-GOLD CIRCLE MEDIA RELEASE
SUBJECT: International Jockeys Challenge
DATE: Tuesday 5 October 2010
RELEASED BY: Phumelela Gaming and Leisure Limited

South African horseracing fans will be treated to a scintillating display of race-riding skills next month, when world-famous Christophe Soumillon will lead some of the best international jockeys in a clash with South Africa’s top riders in a two-legged International Jockeys’ Challenge.
Four Challenge races will be run at each of the two legs. The first leg of the Challenge will be at Turffontein Racecourse in Johannesburg on Friday evening 12 November, when the magic of racing under lights will add excitement to a grand occasion, and the second at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town on Sunday afternoon 14 November.
Four of the six places in the South African team have been set aside for the top four in last season’s SA Jockeys’ Championship - champion Anton Marcus (197 wins); Felix Coetzee (138), Anthony Delpech (133 wins) and Piere Strydom (127). The other two South African riders and the members of the team to represent Europe will be announced soon.
The Challenge is being organised by the Racing Association, which has harnessed the assistance of horseracing and tote betting operators Phumelela and Gold Circle to stage the event, as well as Phumelela Gold Enterprises, the joint venture between Phumelela and Gold Circle that manages both companies’ international dealings, and several sponsors.
“We are very excited about this year’s International Jockeys’ Challenge,” said Larry Wainstein, chairman of the Racing Association, which represents the interests of racehorse owners in Phumelela regions. “Instead of a one-day event as before, there will be two legs this year and that will give more horseracing fans the opportunity to see some of the world’s best riders in action against our own top jockeys.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors and Phumelela, Gold Circle and Phumelela Gold Enterprises for their assistance in helping us put this event together,” he added.
Horseracing fans can look forward to some vintage riding in the eight Challenge races in which riders will score points according to their finishing positions. There will be a draw for mounts in each of the challenge races and the runners will be seeded beforehand in order to equalise the chances of the two teams as much as is possible.
The visitors will be out to avenge back-to-back defeats for international riders at the hands of the South Africans, who won the 2008 Challenge by a massive 60 points and followed up last year with a 20-point victory.
The Friday meeting will be headlined by the R300,000 Victory Moon Stakes with the Gardenia Handicap for fillies and mares as the supporting feature.
Four races have been allocated for the first leg of the Challenge – two over 1160m, one at 1400m and another over 1600m – and special conditions of entry will apply in order to ensure competitive fields of 12 runners plus two reserves. The stakes of all four races will be higher than the usual prize money levels for the respective categories.
The R300,000 Betting World Merchants over 1200m will be the topliner at the second leg of the Challenge at Kenilworth.
The racing programme has been reshuffled to accommodate the International Jockeys’ Challenge with the Saturday race meeting scheduled for Turffontein on 13 November being switched to Friday night. The Greyville meeting programmed for that evening will now take place a day earlier, while Saturday’s Kenilworth meeting and Sunday’s Scottsville fixture have been swopped.

> For more information contact Phumelela General Manager Marketing & Communications Robert Garner: rgarner@phumelela.com

They need to get Frankie signed up!

kieron fallon ryan moore and william buick otherwise waste of time

Might be too close to the breeders cup for some jocks? 2 weekends away from their families in a row?

I hope Frankie returns. Maybe he will be able to see a little more than Lagos for a change

Always a great day, never one for punting anywhere on the planet, but must say last year Richard Hughes caught my eye.
Its good for us to keep this profile and put SA on the map look forward to a great night (tu)

1a...South African horseracing fans will be treated to a scintillating display of race-riding skills next month, when world-famous Christophe Soumillon will lead some of the best international jockeys in a clash with South Africa’s top riders in a two-legged International Jockeys’

1b...................and that will give more horseracing fans the opportunity to see some of the world’s best riders in action against our own top jockeys.........


2. The visitors will be out to avenge back-to-back defeats for international riders at the hands of the South Africans, who won the 2008 Challenge by a massive 60 points and followed up last year with a 20-point victory.


a bit of a paradox.......?????

are they coming the week before so that James Maree can teach them....knees locked....back straight...chin up....ass to STAY OFF THE SADDLE...ARMS to keep next to the body....no HANGING out washing on the line....


maybe the points were allocated in the drinking competition...
then Frankie better come....

Four of the six places in the South African team will be filled by Anton Marcus, Felix Coetzee, Anthony Delpech and Piere Strydom, the first four in last year's championship with the other two members yet to be decided.

The European team is yet to be finalised but reports in South Africa suggest Phumelela officials have canvassed the likes of Ryan Moore, Kieren Fallon, Richard Hughes, Hayley Turner and Johnny Murtagh, although Frankie Dettori is believed to be unavailable as he is due to be riding in Japan.

pirates Wrote:

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> kieron fallon ryan moore and william buick
> otherwise waste of time


What about Hanagan and Hughes. The pair of them are fighting it out for the title.

Hope they don`t invite Richard Hills the guy is criminally bad><

I have read and re-read the media release!!! A well done to Neil Smith for listening to the public and bringing international jocks to a province other than Gauteng and I wish the IJC everything of the best, BUT why not thank or even mention the SPONSORS???

I was told of 2 major sponsors that were on board and surely on an official media release these guys deserve a mention.

But hey, no wonder all our races are called the Soccer 4 or now the All to Come Handicap!!!

If there are no sponsors, why was i told something different is my question?

But anyway, whoever comes, lets hope its a day that brings credit to South African Racing!!

Frankie apparently riding in Japan at that time.... What about bringing over an American jock?? You cant call it SA vs the World unless there is representation from all over??

Would love to see Fallon, Moore, Mike Smith/ Joe Talamo (Yanks), Soumillon, Oliver/ Nash Rawiller (Aussies), Peslier,..... So many names can go in here... Hughes, Hanagan, Turner, Smullen, Murtagh, Hills, Saunders... What about the Japs (Although the Japan Cup has clashed every year so far think that why Frankie aint coming)