London — "Just call me Robin Hood of Epsom" — that was the enthusiastic comment of leading owner Markus Jooste as he revealed his latest takeover plan. No, not a company this time; instead, a piece of land in England with a huge racing history. After negotiations with Investec who hold the sponsorship rights to the Epsom Derby meeting (June 2-3), Markus’ Steinhoff-owned company, Poundland, has signed a 10-year deal to take over the famous Hill, which will in future be called Poundland Hill. It is doubtful the deal took long to finalise as Markus is a great friend of Investec chief Bernard Kantor. Investec was an adviser to Steinhoff International when it bought the Poundland chain of discount stores in September 2016. "I want as many people as possible to enjoy this wonderful meeting," Markus said recently. As the Hill is public land, Epsom are unable to charge spectators for admission so it seems racegoers will get automatic access if they produce a receipt showing they have spent ...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.