Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

New date for VDJ 2010

A tradition of over 100 years will be broken in 2010 when Africa’s greatest horseracing event, the Vodacom Durban July, moves from its traditional slot of the first Saturday in July to the last Saturday of the month. To avoid a clash with the World Cup as it builds to a climax and also to comply with FIFA regulations governing World Cup host cities, Gold Circle, the company that runs horse racing in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, decided to move next year’s Vodacom Durban July to the last Saturday of the month, July 31.

Gold Circle’s Event Marketing Manager, Ken Tweddell said, “While acknowledging the importance of the Soccer World Cup we must realize that the Vodacom Durban July is the African continent’s pre-eminent horseracing event and is worthy of its own place in the sun, away from the extreme hype of the World Cup. Its new date will allow sufficient separation between the two events to afford the ‘July’ the prominence it deserves.”

This change of dates will necessitate a shuffling of the racing programme for Champions Season and new dates for the Gold Cup and the Champions Cup will be announced shortly. Other feature races that form part of Champions Season will also be repositioned to make for a smooth racing programme through to the end of the racing season.

“The Soccer World Cup is billed as the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ and forced us into a rethink about the Champions Season and the Vodacom Durban July in particular,” said Gold Circle’s Chief Operating Officer, Graeme Hawkins.

“While we need to maximise the opportunities afforded us by the expected influx of a large number of foreign visitors, it makes no sense for the Vodacom Durban July to clash with World Cup fixtures and indeed the city’s administrators who are bound by FIFA World Cup contracts.”

Enzo Scarcella, Vodacom’s Managing Executive for Marketing commented,
“The change in dates will enable Vodacom to effectively pay homage to its status as the Greatest Supporter of South African supporters; to celebrate with soccer fans across the country, the company’s sponsorship of SAFA and Bafana Bafana as well as ensure that supporters of this horseracing spectacular, receive their fair share of indulgence”.

A final decision on the Champions Season and national racing fixtures programme will be made after the draws for the Group stages of the World Cup have been made on Friday, December 4.

ENDS

Issued by:

Graeme Hawkins
Chief Operating Officer
Gold Circle Horseracing and Betting
Tel: 031 314 1500
Email: graemeh@goldcircle.co.za

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