The World Pool Gold Cup race day is commonly referred to by South African racing enthusiasts as the best day of racing on the entire calendar.
A 10-feature race card that includes four Grade 1’s, three Grade 2’s, two Listed races and the headline Grade 3 World Pool Gold Cup will enthrall viewers with a high class mix of speed, stamina and endurance on Sunday 30 July at Hollywoodbets Greyville, the Theatre of Champions.
The supporting feature on the day is the Hong Kong Jockey Club Champions Cup. There is a lot at stake in this R1,25million Grade 1 WFA event over 1800m, including the title of EQUUS Horse of the Year with See It Again and Princess Calla touted as potential winners of this coveted award if they were to come out victorious on Sunday.
The HKJC Champions Cup will provide a special farewell to a horse that has stolen the hearts of many with his two sparkling wins in Africa’s greatest horse race.
Do It Again completed his racing career in this year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July after running fourth. His record-breaking 6th appearance in the race left him with a record of two wins, a 3rd place and three 4th places.
Also, a winner of the 2019 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (Gr1) and the 2019 Rising Sun Gold Challenge (Gr1), Do It Again retires as a 9-time winner, having competed over 6 racing seasons and a tribute to his longevity and performing at the pinnacle of racing excellence for so long, must go to his Champion Trainer, Justin Snaith.
The evergreen son of Twice Over could quite easily have been competing in the HKJC Champions Cup, however, fittingly he will be leading out the next generation of Champions as he bids farewell to his many racing fans from South Africa and no doubt from the rest of the world as well.
The World Pool Gold Cup race day also welcomes back former South African Champion Apprentice Jockey Douglas Whyte.
Who could forget his exploits on London News as they flew the South African Horseracing flag in Hong Kong when winning the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in 1997, but few could have imagined the success that Whyte would go on to achieve in Hong Kong over the next two decades.
Thirteen consecutive Hong Kong Jockey Titles would follow and now a successful career as a trainer has resulted in the HKJC naming the Douglas Whyte Stakes (Gr1) in his honour. Gold Circle is pleased to announce, that Douglas Whyte will attend the World Pool Gold Cup and we look forward to welcoming “The Durban Demon” back home.
Another returning Champion Jockey is Lyle Hewitson and he has a full card of rides on Sunday. Hewitson rides Nebraas in the World Pool Gold Cup, and will hope that they can replicate their 2021 victory.
After taking some time to taste success in Hong Kong, Hewitson has now established himself and is confirming his world class ability, following in the footsteps of Bartie Leisher, Felix Coetzee, Anthony Delpech and Dougie Whyte.
Gold Circle looks forward to honouring the champions of old and celebrating the new champions that will establish themselves on this high-class day of racing.
