It was recently announced that the Super Six Series that ran last year, is now back as Global Team Horse Racing (GTH) – only this time it will be bigger and better than before!
WHAT is different and WHAT remains the same?
The new format is moving away from the traditional horse racing model but the incentives for jockeys, owners and stakeholders stay the same and the races are held strictly according to National Horseracing Association (NRA) rules and regulations. Jockey riding fees remain unchanged and the racing stakes are the same, if not slightly higher, than regular racing and regular punters will still be able to wager on the races via all the standard channels available.
The net effect is that GTH will add four additional racing fixtures to the racing calendar in 2022 as well as add more than R3,5 million in additional stakes.
GTH has also committed over R10 million in investment for 2022 to develop the live series and broadcast all fixtures on SuperSport and through streaming services around the world.
HOW are the events run?
To keep the audience fully engaged, GTH has been specifically designed to be fast-paced, with 8 races taking place within the span of two and a half hours and only a 15 to 20-minute break between races at the event.
Three teams compete over three weeks in a knockout challenge
Three teams go head-to-head over three weeks scoring points per race run, with the two highest-scoring teams battling it out in the final event in the fourth week of the series. Teams are easy to identify as the jockeys (10 per team) wear team colours.
Only two teams compete in the 8 races that are held per race meeting, with 8 runners competing in each race (4 runners per team) in races that don’t exceed 1600 meters. The teams will be balanced with horses matched according to their NHRA allocated merit ratings.
- Day 1 Showdown: Team A Vs. Team B
- Day 2 Showdown: Team A Vs. Team C
- Day 3 Showdown: Team B Vs. Team C
- Final Showdown: Two highest scoring teams from the qualifying rounds.
“We have intentionally deviated from the norm of horse racing with the objective of engaging new audiences through a shortened team version of the traditional sport,” says Angus Campbell, who heads up GTH South Africa, “but we have taken great care not to jeopardise the opportunities for trainers, jockeys and seasoned punters.”
The first event of the GTH series takes place at the Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse on Friday the 5th of August 2022. Follow us on social media for updates.
