From the desk – July

Dear Member

As July draws to a close, we celebrate the culmination of another memorable South African racing season. The season reached a fitting crescendo with a spectacular 2026 World Pool Gold Cup Day at Hollywoodbets Greyville, where outstanding racing, thrilling performances and an electric atmosphere once again showcased the very best of our sport.

The performances witnessed throughout the season, culminating on Gold Cup Day, have now completed the judging process for the prestigious 2026 Equus Awards. We look forward to announcing this year’s nominees on Monday, 3 August, before celebrating our equine and human champions at the Equus Awards on Tuesday, 18 August, hosted by 4Racing at The Galleria in Sandton. This black-tie evening remains the pinnacle of our racing calendar, recognising excellence across every facet of our industry, and we look forward to sharing what promises to be a truly memorable celebration with the racing community.

A reminder to members of the racing media that entries for the 2026 Equus Media Awards close on Monday, 3 August. We encourage all eligible journalists, photographers and broadcasters to submit their entries before the deadline. Full entry criteria can be found on www.equusawards.co.za and in the article here.

One of the highlights of July was welcoming more than 100 owners, members and racing enthusiasts to another hugely successful Rise & Shine Breakfast at the Randjesfontein Training Centre. While the winter morning may have been crisp, the enthusiasm certainly wasn’t. There is something truly special about watching these magnificent equine athletes at work as the sun rises, and it was especially rewarding to welcome many first-time visitors to the training centre. Our behind-the-scenes stable tours proved incredibly popular, giving newcomers an opportunity to experience the care, dedication and professionalism that exists behind every racehorse. Thank you to everyone who joined us, as well as the trainers, grooms and industry participants who helped make the morning such a memorable occasion. We look forward to welcoming you again when Rise & Shine returns to Turffontein in the spring.

We also look forward to celebrating National Women’s Day on Saturday, 8 August, when the ROA, together with 4Racing and our valued partners at Avroy Shlain, will welcome owners and racegoers to a special raceday recognising the remarkable women who contribute so much to our industry. Thanks to the generous support of Avroy Shlain, the first 200 ladies in attendance will receive a complimentary goodie bag. We thank Avroy Shlain for their continued partnership and invite you to join us for what promises to be another wonderful day at the races.

This month’s newsletter also shines a spotlight on two valued members of our racing family. We are delighted to feature Advocate Mannie Witz as our Life Member of the Month, whose lifelong passion for racehorse ownership continues to inspire, and Kayleigh Oakes as our ROA Member of the Month, whose journey into ownership reflects the excitement and opportunity our sport offers. We hope you enjoy reading their stories.

As we look ahead to September, we are excited to introduce Equora, 4Racing’s new ownership community, created to bring owners and racing enthusiasts together through an enhanced ownership journey. Many of you will already have received our recent communication introducing Equora, and over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing further information about what you can expect and how you can become part of this exciting new chapter. While the brand is new, the commitment, passion and people dedicated to supporting owners remain the same, and we look forward to welcoming you on this journey.

August also brings the BSA National Two-Year-Old Sale on 20 and 21 August, and the ROA team will once again be in attendance throughout the sale. Whether you’re an existing owner or exploring ownership for the first time, we’d love to welcome you, answer your questions and chat about the exciting future of racehorse ownership in South Africa.

Looking a little further ahead, we are also pleased to announce that the Eastern Cape Racing Awards will take place on 5 September, where we will once again recognise the outstanding achievements of our Eastern Cape participants.

As always, thank you for your continued support of the ROA and South African racing. Whether you are an owner, breeder, trainer, racing professional or passionate supporter, your enthusiasm and commitment continue to strengthen our industry.

I look forward to seeing many of you over the coming weeks as we celebrate excellence, welcome new opportunities, and continue building an exciting future for South African racing together.