Turffontein was charged with an electric festive atmosphere on Saturday as charities and celebrities, as well as enthusiastic members of the public, cheered home their horses in the Gr 2 R1 million Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile.
The day also hosted six other stakes races and two lucrative Ready To Run Cup Sales races as well as the popular money shower enjoyed by on course patrons.
Trainer Alec Laird landed the Charity Mile for the second year running, this time with the Argentinian-bred five-year-old gelding Bouclette Top.
The lucky charity attached to Bouclette Top was the Thembakazi Primary After Care Centre and the celebrity representing them was an ecstatic Jonathon Boynton-Lee.
M L Jet, who fought courageously all the way to the line, was attached to the Khangezile Primary After Care Centre and they were represented by celebrity Jen Su, while Mitraad was attached to San Michele charity and Fezile Mphula was the celebrity representing them. The respective media partners of the first three horses were Germiston City News, Tembisan and 48 Hours.
Thembakazi Prmary After care Centre received R150,000, Khangezile Primary After Care Centre received R100,000, and San Michele received R80,000 while the Highveld Horse Care Unit received R70,000 as they were attached to fourth-placed Mac De Lago. All twelve of the remaining charities received R50,000 each.
Peermont Emperors Palace Peermont Gaming and VIP Operations Executive Bob Yearham congratulated all concerned and was delighted with the day’s outcome.
