It will be a Royal Raceday in every sense on and off the track this Saturday 15 April as Turffontein Racecourse hosts a special raceday sponsored by Her Serene Highness, Princess Charlene of Monaco.
It will be a raceday when the grandeur of the famous sovereign Principality on the French Riviera meets the warmth and hospitality of the Johannesburg South, with plenty to entertain punters and racegoers keen to dress up and have a good time.
With its ‘Roaring 1920’s Great Gatsby’ theme racegoers are encouraged to dress up at Turffontein this weekend, with R15 000 on offer in the Best Dressed competition.
The winner of the Best Dressed prize will walk away with R7 000, the runner up will get R5 000 and third place will win R3 000, so there is good reason to dress to impress at Turffontein on Saturday.
Dress in your Great Gatsby best and be on course between 14h30 and 14h45 in the front parade ring for the selection of the Best Dressed competition winners on the day.
While Princess Charlene’s Monaco touch undoubtedly brings plenty of glitz and pizzazz to the event, the raceday will as always focus on giving back to charities and supporting the Turffontein community and its surrounds where the popular day is held annually.
The Royal Raceday is staged by the Racehorse Owners Association (ROA), supported by 4Racing, and is passionately driven by Princess Charlene’s father, Mike Wittstock.
The major beneficiary charity from the Royal Raceday this year will be The Earth Centre in Ruimsig, which provides equine therapy with its horses in supporting the disabled, vulnerable and the disadvantaged and which partners with 11 special needs schools in Gauteng.
Other charities that will benefit from the proceeds of the Royal Raceday are the Hamlet School for intellectually disabled children and their families and the United Cerebral Palsy Association of South Africa – which are both in close proximity to the Turffontein Racecourse.
So, it’s a meaningful fun day at the track and a serious raceday for punters too, headlined by the Grade 1 R1.25 million HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes.
It will be a compact, but high-quality competitive field for the main race, with the likes of Majorca Stakes winner Desert Miracle, Gimme A Shot, Feather Boa, Miss Daisy and Under Your Spell all in contention for the day’s major honours.
There will be a bumper 18-horse field of maidens lining up in the R300 000 Monaco Sport of Kings Charity Maiden Sprint over 1160m, which is a popular addition to Royal Raceday.
The Maiden Sprint had unique entry conditions aimed at giving as many owners of maidens as possible a chance at winning. The race is open to all maidens which have run at least three times and allowed for one horse per trainer at ballot stage until a maximum field of 18 was drawn – giving smaller stables a chance to get a runner into the race.
While Princess Charlene herself will unfortunately not be at Turffontein this year, the Monaco Sport of Kings group of businessmen from the Principality will be in attendance to support the Royal Raceday.
“This day is not an ordinary horseracing event on the Highveld, this event has a special purpose which is particularly close to the hearts of HSH Princess Charlene, as well as the Monaco Sport of Kings group. While the Royal Raceday has traditionally been one where the thrill of the race and the glamour of the occasion has been showcased, the event is also about giving back to the community. It is about bringing people together, creating a sense of community and using the excitement of the races to make a positive impact on the area surrounding Turffontein Racecourse,” said Racehorse Owners Association CEO, Natalie Turner.
Entry to the Royal Raceday is absolutely free and hospitality packages are available by calling 011 681 1796 or emailing [email protected].
- Media release by 4Racing on Wednesday 12 April 2023
