The next couple of weeks will be a golden period for horse-racing fans in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Some of the most popular races, held annually at the Fairview track in Greenbushes, will be run over the next two meetings.
First up is the conclusion of the East Cape Poly Challenge this coming Friday and then it is Algoa Cup Day on October 28.
The Poly Challenge is always an exciting affair and the third and final leg will be run over 1 600m on Friday.
If the first two legs are anything to go by, we are in for another nail-biting finish after Naval Secret won the first, and Celtillus the second leg. In both races, they just managed to beat the luckless Greenlighttoheaven.
The Challenge was introduced in 2016. No horse has been able to win all three races for the bonus of R250 000 and it will again only be the consolation bonus of R50 000 up for grabs in the final leg.
The Algoa Cup Day is a red-letter day on the local racing calendar. It is when quality racing combines with a charity drive and lots of fun and entertainment.
Two charities, the East Cape Horse Care Unit and Sunshine Coast Eventing, are involved with the big day.
Five Western Cape stables have nominated horses to run in the Algoa Cup and the other big race on the day, the Racehorse Owners Stakes for three-year-olds.
They are the stables of top trainers Justin Snaith, Candice Robinson, Glen Kotzen, Brett Crawford and Andre Nel.
The involvement of the Cape Town stables adds quality to these races and will make it difficult for the locals to keep the silverware out of the visitors’ hands.
The big question is if a local trainer can win the Algoa Cup this year. A Nelson Mandela Bay trainer last won the Algoa Cup back in 2009.
This past Friday it was one of those Cape Town stables that won the Wedgewood Handicap.
The filly Double Check, trained by Snaith, was way too good for the opposition. The Snaith-stable had a successful Fairview visit and returned home with two winners.
This performance will give the stable a lot of confidence for their next Fairview onslaught on Algoa Cup Day.
Champion trainer, Gavin Smith, had another good day when saddling a treble last Friday. One of his winners was the Work Riders’ Maiden Plate, where Sibongile Liyaba rode yet another winner.
The work riders’ races give a chance to the amateurs who do a lot of hard work at the stables, to show off their skills in a proper race.
Liyaba is the current champion work rider and has grown in confidence in these races. He is clearly a cool customer in the saddle.
Entry to all Fairview meetings, including Algoa Cup Day, is free but for your hospitality bookings phone 041 372 1859.
