First phase of grooms’ residential renovation completed at Turffontein

Johannesburg-based horse racing operator 4 Racing has completed the first phase of renovating the grooms accommodation quarters at Turffontein Racecourse.     

This upgrade is part of a comprehensive series of benefits for grooms, aimed at empowering and improving the welfare of traditionally the most marginalised workers in the horse racing industry.

4 Racing CEO Fundi Sithebe  said the renovation programme, which will be extended to training centres at the Vaal and Turffontein in due course, was about far more than a new coat of paint, new beds, floors, showers, bathrooms and kitchens.

“This has been a challenging journey, but one we believe was absolutely necessary to ensure that the grooms, who are the backbone of our industry, have a comfortable and clean environment they can call home,” she said. “The double-storey units at Turffontein have been completely refurbished and handed over.

“Together with the range of benefits, such as medical and funeral insurance provided by 4 Racing with the support of the Racehorse Owners Association, this has seen dignity and equality returned to the horse racing workforce — most importantly to grooms and stablehands.”

In racing, the sum of one plus one is not always two. But there is a potentially potent line of form in race 3 over 1,200m at the Vaal on Thursday which makes finding the winner look as easy as one-plus-one.

Candice Dawson’s King’s Ransom, a plucky second on debut to Wyzeact, a considerably bigger horse, is the first runner and probably the first winner from what could prove to be an excellent collateral form-line.

Wyzeact is considered to be a quality horse with a good future by his trainer Corné Spies, which gives us an inkling of what King’s Ransom is all about.

King’s Ransom’s trainer, Dawson, said on Wednesday: “He is doing very well and if he’s not drawn on the wrong side of the track, he will run a big race.”

King’s Ransom will race on the stand-side track of the Vaal straight at 17, but one gets the feeling that he will be good enough to win it, even if the track favours inside draws on the day.

Mount Etna (race 4) and Tuscan Gold (race 9) let the side down last week, but both ran well enough to suggest they can recoup losses. The speedy Dakota Cat (race 3) is one for doubles and trebles, reverting to 1,200m.

SELECTIONS:

1st Race: (7) Teo Torroatte (3) Arctic Commander (6) Potato Salad (5) Bees and Honey

2nd Race: (2) Dakota Cat (1) Wilkies (9) Universal Cove (8) Princess Vritti

3rd Race: (13) King’s Ransom (14) Kinshin Sha (5) Circle Of Grace (16) Royal Edition

4th Race: (7) Mount Etna (5) Leonesa (6) Villa Semaya (2) She’s A Klawer

5th Race: (4) Halberdier (5) Breath Of Magic (7) Diesel’s Shadow (10) Mondial

6th Race: (9) African Torrent (3) Supreme Dance (8) Bob’s Your Uncle (5) The Kop

7th Race: (6) Trois Troix Quatre (7) Nothingelsematters (10) Nuclear Force (12) Indian War Dance

8th Race: (1) Mini Coop (11) Whorly Whorly (2) Princess Ilaria (6) Sage King

9th Race: (8) Tuscan Gold (4) Alabama Anna (2) Robert Burns (12) Feather The Nest