Team Concept Tonight | Sporting Post

Global Team Horseracing starts!

• The Cape Stingers tower above Gauteng Gijimaz on the second night of SA’s new Global Team Horse Racing (GTH) series.
• The KwaZulu Royals take on the Cape Stingers at Hollywoodbets Greyville tonight
• Three teams compete for the new series’ prize money of R3.5 million
• Just one more meeting before the spectacular series finale on September 2nd

Crowds of Durban locals and families lined the track at Hollywoodbets Greyville tonight to cheer on the Gauteng Gijimaz and Cape Stingers in a thrilling second night of South Africa’s new Global Team Horse Racing (GTH) series.

Team KwaZulu Royals remain at the top of the series standings after Friday’s race meeting.

Live racing takes place tonight at Hollywoodbets Greyville racetrack and then for a final meet up.

Tonight, August 19, the KwaZulu Royals take on the Cape Stingers. The gates open from 5 p.m. The races start at 18:00 and end at 20:30.

Points

GTH is a brand new style of thoroughbred horse racing in South Africa.

Points are awarded on a sliding scale with eight races per week. Teams receive 23 points for a win. Second place is worth 18 points. The third and fourth runners in each race receive 15 and 12 team points, respectively. Those running from 5th to last place will each get between 10 and 5 points.

Points are halved for races 1 and 2, one race per meeting earns double points, and points are doubled in race 8. At the end of each evening, a team win counts for 2 points; a draw is worth 1 point and a loss is worth 0 points.

The two teams with the most points at the end of the series will battle it out for the 2022 GTH Series title. A dramatic series finale is scheduled for Friday 2nd September 2022.

Highlights of the second night

After the second night of the series last Friday, Bella Siccome, Neil Tovey’s horse, took first place with jockey Sean Veale in Race 8, securing the Cape Stingers the previous top spot in the competition. Sean Veale was also credited as a Night Rider for the night.

Friday’s winning team won a total of 30 points, beating the 415 points of the Gauteng Gijimaz. The leaderboard, entering its third week this Friday night, is as follows:

KwaZulu Royals – 2 points

Cape Stingers – 2 points

Gauteng Gijimaz – 0 points

GTH Marketing Director, Angus Campbell, said the racing events were full of excitement. “It was exciting to watch. Racegoers love the format and many have said this is the most fun they’ve had at the track in years! We’ve attracted some of the best local jockeys and trainers to the field and the horses have put in some exhilarating performances,” he said.

GTH hopes to grow horse racing in South Africa by offering a more action-packed, compressed racing experience to a new generation of fans.

“It’s not just about your horse crossing the finish line first in just one race. It’s a buildup,” Campbell added.

Jockeys also need to work together to get their teams into pick position, unlike individually contest one race after the other.

Gabrielle Pieterse, who rode for the Cape Stingers, was enthusiastic about the new format and had confidence in his team and team captain. “GTH is a great idea, this team horse racing format is a good initiative to raise public awareness of the sport!” He then set the fastest time with Passage of Power at a whopping 73 km/h.

Excited and confident for her team’s first event, Cape Stinger’s manager Michelle Rix added, “It’s a different atmosphere on the court, the discussions of tactics with the owners in the parade ring are different, it’s not the usual ‘Don’t let yourself go catch”. “Come off the fence” or “Get an early gate speed” that’s a different format! Our horses are going to the race and we already have to discuss the next race. GTH is great for racing and for people who don’t understand racing.”

For a summary of the GTH grading system, watch this easy-to-follow video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tM9imeZG9A

Tickets are available online from TIXSA and at the gate. General access costs R100. Children under 14 ride for free.

GTH racing events are also broadcast live on DSTV’s action channel (209) and on YouTube.

GTH has teamed up with the Riverside Hotel where they have appropriate competitions for a VIP experience for the 2nd class^nd September. Follow the GTHRacingZA and Riverside Hotel social media pages for more information.

For more information about the series, visit https://www.gthracing.co.za.