IT WAS no April Fool’s on Saturday 1, but punters and families had a field day.
Venue: the Turffontein race course, when R4.33 million World Sports Betting Derby Day delivered its fair share of entertainment and thrills, as the Triple Series of The World Sports Betting Championships’.
Big winners included Trip of Fortune, the winner of the R1 million Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes, brilliantly led home by Aldo Domeyer for trainer Candice Robinson-Bass.
Son of Raj, ridden to victory by Keagan De Melo for trainer Weiho Marwing was the big winner of the R1.5 million WSB Derby on the day in the highlight of the day’s racing, followed.
And in the very special R750 000 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer Oaks, it was a classy win for None Other, who was expertly guided home by Richard Fourie for trainer Michael Nicholas Houdalakis in a fitting tribute to the much-loved first lady of horseracing.
Yeah, it was not packed to capacity as one would have grown accustomed to but horses galloped and punters went home with fat wallets- considering the high cost of living.
“World Sports Betting Derby Day provided plenty of entertainment for all ages at Turffontein! Congratulations to all the winning runners’ connections and a big thank you to World Sports Betting for sponsoring Derby Day as one of the highlights of The World Sports Betting Championships season’s festivities.
All the spectators who watched the action live on the course, from punters to children having fun in the play areas enjoyed themselves fully and that’s our goal as we look to ensure a day at the races is an exciting and fun day for all,” said Fundi Sithebe, CEO of 4Racing.
Here’s a full list of the winners for the WSB Derby Day races:
Race 1: SPIN WITH THE BEST WSB MAIDEN PLATE
Horse: Cosmic Star
Jockey: Gavin Lerena
Race 2: WORLD SPORTS BETTING SPINA WINA MR 93 DIVIDED HANDICAP
Horse: Tabebuia
Jockey: Richard Fourie
Race 3: THE CITIZEN PINNACLE STAKES
Horse: Master Archie
Jockey: Craig Zackey
Race 4: WORLD SPORTS BETTING BET WITH THE BEST MIDDLE STAKES
Horse: Whafeef
Jockey: Diego De Gouveia
Race 5: EUROPA POINT MAN O’ WAR SPRINT (Grade 3)
Horse: Mercantour
Jockey: Richard Fourie
Race 6: HF OPPENHEIMER HORSE CHESTNUT STAKES (Grade 1)
Horse: Trip of Fortune
Jockey: Aldo Domeyer
Race 7: WORLD SPORTS BETTING SA DERBY (Grade 1)
Horse: Son of Raj
Jockey: Keagan De Melo
Race 8: WILGERBOSDRIFT BRIDGET OPPENHEIMER OAKS (Grade 2)
Horse: None Other
Jockey: Richard Fourie
Race 9: : WORLD SPORTS BETTING CARADOC GOLD CUP (Grade 3)
Horse: Nebraas
Jockey: Richard Fourie
Race 10: BERRY BLAZE MR 76 HANDICAP
Horse: Western Wishes
Jockey: S’manga Khumalo
The World Sports Betting Championships season continues to sizzle on and will be entertaining race lovers in two weeks’ time with the Royal Race Day meeting on 15 April 2023, which will also take place at the Turffontein racecourse.
The upcoming race days and feature races in The World Sports Betting Championships season are as follows:
Day 4: Royal Race (Ladies) Day, 15 April:
• HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes (Grade 1)
Day 5: Championships Finale, Champions Day, 29 April:
• Premier’s Champions Challenge (Grade 1)
• Computaform Sprint (Grade 1)
• SA Nursery (Grade 2)
• SA Filles Nursey (Grade 2)
• Gerald Rosenberg Stakes (Grade 2)
• Camellia Stakes (Grade 2)
• Gold Bowl (Grade 3)
Entry to the Turffontein Racecourse is free throughout The World Sports Betting Championships’ season.
Yours truly, tried betting thrice with the help of two ‘patient’ staff ladies thinking might be playing April Fool on me- with no luck!
Image supplied (Trip of Fortune, the winner of the R1 million Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes).
