Betway gears up for world-class sponsorship

All that glitters will be gold when South Africa’s horseracing fraternity heads to Turffontein on Saturday 26 November for the Betway Summer Cup, with top guests and panellists today setting the scene for what is gearing up to be a sizzling race day.

4Racing CEO Fundi Sithebe, Betway SA Country Manager Phillip Superamonien, 9-time Summer Cup winning trainer Mike de Kock, world-class jockey S’manga Khumalo, Southern African Association for the Conference Industry CEO Glenton De Kock, Destination Marketing and Communication Manager at Gauteng Tourism Authority Anele Mdzikwa and fashion label Excelsior Lusso Managing Director Sarah Maeli participated in the media launch outlining the event’s special attributes as a world-class horseracing, entertainment and lifestyle spectacle.

Hosted by media personality and commentator Neil Andrews, the panel gave insights on the broader impact of horse racing events like the 2022 Betway Summer Cup.

The race day theme this year is ‘The Golden Summer’ — an ode to the City of Gold, with Betway’s headline sponsorship of this prestigious 4Racing Grade 1 race seeing stakes increased to R2.5 million. 

“We are excited for the return of the highly anticipated Betway Summer Cup, the People’s Race and one of the most exciting days on the South African horseracing calendar. With a group of dynamic sponsors and partners on board, 4Racing aims to create an unforgettable horse racing experience filled with electric racing, fantastic entertainment, and an overall amazing day on the track for all punters. We look forward to welcoming racegoers and event attendees for what is sure to be a memorable day on the track”, said Sithebe.

Gauteng’s most prestigious horse racing event at the historic Turffontein racecourse promises to be a sparkling affair, bringing together an exhilarating horse racing experience with some of the country’s elite thoroughbred champions, fantastic entertainment and an awesome day out for the family.

“Betway is extremely honoured to become the headline sponsor of the Summer Cup. This opportunity allows us to innovatively demonstrate our fully fledged offering to our ever-growing and diverse customer base. We’re sincerely committed to playing our part to reenergize the horse racing industry and will continue to do so. This year’s edition will surely be one to remember, with exhilarating races, thrilling entertainment, premium hospitality, and so much more in store”, said Superamonien.

De Kock has seen it all in global racing and won the Betway Summer Cup nine times, but the champion trainer admits the nerves will still be jangling as he and his stable build up to Summer Cup Day.

“You wouldn’t be human if it didn’t get to you. Anyone that is competitive in any sporting event plays it over and over in your mind a thousand times. What you see on race day is over in two minutes, but there’s many months of planning, massive staff, logistics, the caring of the horses, the grooms who take care of them, the transport, feeding, a lot of it people are totally oblivious to.

“And then they’re in the gates and it’s in the jockey’s hands. Things go right, things go wrong, there’s a helluva lot that goes into getting into the number one box I wish the public knew more about. It’s almost like an act of God to get into that number one box, for everyone to return safely. There’s 20 horses in a race, there’s 19 hard luck stories and only one winner. People should appreciate there’s 20 or 30 people that have touched the winning performance along the way,” said de Kock.

S’manga Khumalo says the butterflies still flutter on the big Grade 1 race days and he is really looking forward to the Betway Summer Cup.

“You are on one of the best horses in South Africa, with the best trainers and owners, so you do get butterflies in your stomach.

“When the gates open, your trainer’s instructions and the game plan all has to come together. You are doing what is best for the horse and you are doing what is best for you. You don’t want to come back and scratch your head and say I should have done this differently.

“When I rode Wagner to a Summer Cup win everything just fell into place on the day. Now I will be on Sparkling Water, who is in a great space at the moment. We all look forward to this event, it’s very nice to have Betway on board and us as riders we see the changes 4Racing have implemented in bringing crowds back to the course, which gives us all a real boost to push forward. We are very thankful for what they have done and I think there is more to come,” said Khumalo.

Gauteng Tourism Authority and Johannesburg Tourism have added their support to the event and this year’s event will be covered live on both DStv and SABC on the day.

The sizzling entertainment line-up will take the event to a whole new level. The famous half-time show will see a breath-taking performance from headline performer South African songbird Lady Zamar, which will make the golden occasion a day to remember.

The Betway Summer Cup is the only race day to feature a half-time show, bringing together a colourful blend of performers to set the tone just before the main race.

The media launch event’s furniture was sponsored by event concept brand Rebel Events.

Betway Summer Cup activities will be geared at festive fun, with a variety of food stalls, bars and a number of hospitality areas available on the day.

Tickets for general access start at just R75, with tickets also still available for the fan favourite Summer Garden and hospitality package options for an extra luxurious experience are available at
https://www.gautengsummercup.co.za/tickets/.