It’s time for the Nomads Charity Race Day

Jockey Aldo Domeyer got Grazinginthegrass home to win the Memorial Mile. Photo: Pauline Herman

THE Fairview race track in Greenbushes will be buzzing on Friday, when charity and breathtaking thoroughbred racing combine.

It is the Nomads Charity Race Day in aid of Yokhuselo Haven, and a good crowd is expected to support the charity drive and racing.

There will be auctions held and prizes could be won, but the racing on the Polytrack will be as competitive as ever.

The new East Cape season which stretches from this month till the end of July next year, started last Friday with eight races on the Poly.

It is very interesting that the top five trainers in the province from the past season were all in the winners’ enclosure straight away.

It was appropriate that the reigning champion, Gavin Smith, won the first race of the new season after a fierce duel with long-time rival, Alan Greeff ,to keep his title.

Smith, Greeff and Sharon Kotzen had two winners apiece. Kotzen was third on last season’s log.

Kelly Mitchley, fourth on the log, and Zietsman Oosthuizen fifth, also didn’t waste time opening their account for the season.

There will be lots of Women’s Month celebrations at South African race tracks and Nelson Mandela Bay Racing is very proud of the four Fairview lady trainers.

Kotzen and Mitchley already have winners behind their name, but Tara Laing and Montana Turner will also be very keen to get that first winner in Women’s Month.

There are of course many more women involved in various roles at the stables and the Fairview offices who play a major role in the successful running of the local racing industry.

It all starts with the animals though, and three horses showed why they are true champions with excellent runs last Friday.

The sixth-year-old gelding, Grazinginthegrass, was the top earner at Fairview last season, and was in the action straight away winning the Memorial Mile in fine style.

He has now notched up an incredible five victories in a row, and was also the winner of the same race last season. He has become a stellar performer in the Greeff yard, and of course Grazinginthegrass is a huge favourite with punters nationwide.

Two stars in the Kotzen stable are the five-year-old mares ,And We Danced and Phedra.

And We Danced won the East Cape Paddock Stakes and Phedra was way too good for the opposition in a Pinnacle Stakes.

Grazinginthegrass, And We Danced and Phedra are ultra-consistent performers. Their names will feature strongly when the judging panel sits down soon to decide which horses will get recognition for last season’s performances.

The Racehorse Owners Association Awards ceremony will be held on September 9 at Fairview.

Fairview in August

11: Poly – Nomads

18: Turf

25: Poly – East Cape Challenge Leg 1