A groundbreaking initiative, and one of the most constructive moves to materially recognise and reward the vital role played by Grooms in horseracing, Hollywoodbets and Gold Circle celebrated the R5 million milestone in their Grooms Incentive scheme in the KZN Capital City on Sunday.
With the running of the sixth race at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, the Grooms initiative between Hollywoodbets and Gold Circle reached a milestone R5 million that has been injected into the pockets of the unheralded heroes and stable backroom men since its launch in October 2019.
The initiative has been mirrored in racing centres across South Africa.
Making history! Elliot Ncongo and Northern Warrior were the milestone men on Sunday (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Michael Roberts saddled Northern Warrior to win the sixth race and his Groom Elliot Ncongo enjoyed the moment after an informal guard of honour and gathering in the parade ring at the historic track.
“This is a wonderful initiative and it is most valued by these hardworking men. They will be talking about the win and the rewards all week! It’s a great morale booster and everybody deserves acknowledgement for hard work and success,” added a delighted Michael Roberts.
Grooming racehorses is a vital aspect of the preparation and training process – the hours are long and the weather can make it a challenging and tough occupation.
R5 Million Up! The Grooms show their support for the excellent initiative (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Gold Circle’s Events and Marketing Executive Stephen Marshall told the Sporting Post that the Grooms Initiative was one of the first incentives introduced by Hollywoodbets and Gold Circle.
“It’s significance was recognised by the other racing operators who introduced similar schemes to provide additional financial support to Grooms across the country, which has further amplified this incentive scheme. We operate in a delicate ecosystem where Operators provide the platform, Owners support Trainers, who in turn support Grooms, and finally Punters who bet on the sport. Hollywoodbets have made substantial contributions to the Operators (sponsorships), the Owners (stakes boosts), the Punters (Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge) and today we get to recognise their joint contribution to our Grooms,” said Marshall, who added that having grown up in a stable yard himself, he had experienced first hand the sacrifice, care and love that Grooms have for the horses.
“It is important to recognise milestones and at the same time acknowledge and appreciate all our stakeholders’ contributions to our industry. So today we thank Hollywoodbets for their unwavering support and we laud and recognise all our Grooms for their invaluable contribution to our industry,” he concluded.
Hollywoodbets Brand and Communications Manager Devin Heffer endorsed the view that the multipurpose focus of the partnership between Hollywoodbets and Gold Circle has always been to both acknowledge and reward the Grooms.
“The Grooms play a vital role in the racing chain and acknowledgement and incentivisation are important. It really and truly has been incredible following the journey of the initiative, and witnessing its impact on the horseracing industry across South Africa. We look forward to celebrating further milestones in our quest to uplift every sector of the industry,” added Heffer.
