David Thiselton

Tawanda Taruvinga was named Racing Personality Of The Year at the recent KZN Racing awards.

This was most appropriate as this Digital Marketing Strategist’s youthful vibrancy appeals to the younger generation in a sport whose fan base had been tending to have an older and older average age and his go-getting style is a perfect fit for the new Hollywoodbets-owned Race Coast operator.

Tawanda does not view himself as a stand out personality and explained, “I just think it’s my confidence, my respect and my smile because I’m always trying to make people feel good. I just always try to be a good person and spread some positivity and optimism.”

His feel-good videos and directorship of the popular racing podcast In The Box Seat do just that, not to mention his input in marketing strategies.

Tawanda became familiar with racing as he actually lived within the boundaries of Hollywoodbets Greyville.

His father Edward is the Race Coast Buildings and Facilities Manager and has a house on the racecourse.

Tawanda was not particularly interested in racing in the beginning, but his creative mind attracted the attention of the Gold Circle media team.

He had taught himself how to make online videos by watching YouTube tutorials and was hired by a forex company to produce some video content, which he did by interviewing random people on nearby Florida Road.

Edward saw the videos and showed them to Warren Lenferna of Race Coast Publishing. Graeme Hawkins then offered Tawanda a position in Gold Circle to produce similar content for horseracing and provided him with some basic equipment.

The videos made an immediate impact and a podcast that began as an audio only entity slowly metamorphosed into the In The Box Seat podcast with Warren Lenferna and Andrew Harrison.

Tawanda said, “Podcasts are very, very good, it’s something I would advise for anybody trying to grow, whether it’s a business or a social media following, because if you invite industry leaders that sort of indirectly brands you as an expert as well. You’re adding educational and entertainment value and that’s why I knew In The Box Seat was going to grow.”

Tawanda went the extra mile by buying his own state of the art equipment, a laptop, camera and microphone.

He said, “It’s like I knew one day I was going to resign and start my own agency.”

His frustration at his videos not being published timeously led him to explore social media.

He then began posting his own videos.

He said, “That then made me want to learn about how to make my videos get more views, I started learning about how to grow views and engagements and that just led me down a rabbit hole of learning about social media, learning about copyrighting, learning about hooks and even learning about graphic design.”

A hook is something also used by musicians that “hooks” people into the content and makes them want to watch for longer.

Tawanda said, “Now, especially with all this short-form content, you need to hook a person in the first three seconds.”

He added, “What I realised is stuff that really goes viral are celebrations or content that the public don’t usually see. A flying dismount, that’s an interesting video, or a punter or trainer just going crazy shouting, and also jockeys being asked funny questions that are not really horseracing related. Following top trainers goes viral, so if you have a podcast with Justin Snaith that is going to go viral.”

A fascinating video produced by Tawanda and his team on Hollywoodbets Durban July day was of the favourite Eight On Eighteen’s connections following the race. The raw roller coaster of emotion on their faces was a reflection of exactly how the race unfolded.

Going back to his early Gold Circle days, Tawanda was drafted into the marketing department and ended up working for them by day and doing his social media work and research by night.

The 16 hour day did not phase him and he revealed, “I was inspired by Ken Twedell and Precious Mbatha when i was in marketing – I was in awe of Ken’s work on the Durban July and the Loerie award he received for it. “As somebody who had always wanted to be an entrepreneur it inspired in me a vision of having a starting point outside of the company and then expanding.”

Tawanda started Vinga Media during Covid in 2020 and is especially grateful to Gold Circle’s marketing manager Steve Marshall for providing him with an office that was being unused near the judge’s box on the West Wing. The rental costs were offset against work done for Gold Circle.

Tawanda has employed a number of people and even has a satellite office in Cape Town.

As Tawanda’s expertise has grown, he has been able to incorporate techniques used by the business world into horseracing as he believed horseracing had been behind in this sphere.

One of his role models is Gary Vaynerchuk, an American businessman and entrepreneur also known for his work in digital marketing and social media.

Today Vinga Media does social media, graphic design, videography and creative direction and strategy for Race Coast.

Their strategising experience led to them formulating and submitting this year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July theme, “Marvels Of Mzansi”, in opposition to other submissions from various sources. It was virtually an automatic choice, because as Tawanda said it must be one of the best July themes ever, not only due to how versatile it was and the special meaning it had to South Africans, but also due to the inspirational advertorial design that accompanied it. Tawanda is confident of winning a Loerie award for the theme, having entered it.

Of the future, Tawanda wants to get into animation and wants to create TV productions with horseracing themes.

Meanwhile he has never stopped learning about the sport of horseracing and views this as a vital continuous learning curve.

He concluded, “You can’t add value into an industry that you don’t know, especially with horse racing. There’s so much context that you have to have before you can create the content. Good context gives you good content.”

Warren Lenferna

There are some interesting horses lining up in the Western Cape today at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on their eight-race card.

Eisteddfod has run twice, finishing fourth both times, and will be making her course debut but from a tricky draw. She surely has plenty more to offer, and if she makes the necessary progression, she could be hard to beat despite the wide starting gate. There are others with chances who are loudly knocking on the door for a win, but she could have too much progression in her favor. She comes from the in-form Greg Ennion yard.

 This race is over 1250m, and here Eternal Diamond catches the eye and is the first choice. He has made steady inroads each time he has come to the racecourse and could be cherry ripe for the victory. Sean Veale would have gotten to know his every stride and will be looking for a winning run today. The fourth, Morfeliha, is the suggestion as the winner. She is by One World and is coming along with racing experience. She does take a drop in distance, which is a small concern, but nevertheless, from a good gate in what looks like the right field, she is still the first choice. Xtines Princess is an entriguing runner, being by Kingman out of a Rip Van Winkel mare. She could be anything. Watch the betting trends as race time looms.

The suggested banker on the card races in the fifth race over 1400m. United Front caught the eye when making a magical debut but followed up with a way below-par effort when sent off at restrictive odds. He gets gate 1 and his regular rider, Sean Veale, and if he returns to and builds off his debut effort, he will be hard to oppose. He’s banker material.

Rockanrollin rises in distance from 1200m to 1400m, which should be to his liking. He is by none other than Wootton Bassett out of a Fastnet Rock mare. How’s that for a pedigree! His two runs have been encouraging, and today, from a good gate, he looks to be the one they all have to fear the most.

The last race will run at 5:05 p.m., and the rapidly improving Naretoi seems to have progressed with the headgear. He is from the yard of James Crawford and will be ridden by Chad Little. You have to like the manner in which this son of Danon Platina has gone about his business thus far. The win seems near, and its predicted to be today.

Ends

1

1 GOT THE LOOK      6 VIXENS WAR      9 REET PETITE      3 GIN PALACE

Preview: GOT THE LOOK (1) gets the best starting gate and is showing some potential and is selected to win. VIXENS WAR (6) improved at the second time of asking and can serve up plenty more. Serious chance. REET PETITE (9) could go well on debit despite the draw and GIN PALACE (3) can improve to finish in the first four. (Warren Lenferna 1-6-9-3)

2

8 EISTEDDFOD      6 SOUTH OF FRANCE      2 KISSES      5 QUEEN REGENT

Preview: EISTEDDFOD (8) has finished fourth in both starts thus far and looks ready for a winning run. SOUTH OF FRANCE (6) has placed in all three races to date and has strong each way claims. KISSES (2) has been knocking loudly at the door and is another that can win and QUEEN REGENT (5) can never be ignored – she is a huge chance too. (Warren Lenferna 8-6-2-5)

3

9 ETERNAL DIAMOND      10 DAY IN DAY OUT      4 MAN OF CONSEQUENCE      5 PRINCE OF EGYPT

Preview: ETERNAL DIAMOND (9) is improving with racing and is the firm first choice. DAY IN DAY OUT (10) ran a much better race last time and has to be respected and included in everything. MAN OF CONSEQUENCE (4) could be the lurker and if winning would be no shock at all. PRINCE OF EGYPT (5) has a quartet chance. (Warren Lenferna 9-10-4-5)

4

4 MORFELIHA      7 XTINES PRINCESS      5 ALESSIA ASHEVILLE      9 NANNIE GOLD

Preview: MORPHELIA (4) is catching the eye run by run and from a cozy gate is selected to win the maiden. XTINES PRINCESS (7) is impeccably bred and could be anything – watch the betting trends as race time looms. ALESSIA ASHEVILLE (5) has a huge place chance and NANNIE GOLD (9) can improve on the debut to get way closer now. (Warren Lenferna 4-7-5-9)

5

1 UNITED FRONT      5 GOLD GIBOSKI      4 DANCE TO THE SUN      9 BUGLE BOY

Preview: UNITED FRONT (1) made a sparkling debut and was clearly below best last time – from gate 1 he should be a very hard horse to beat. His debut run shouts talent! GOLD GIBOSKI (5) should get it all right one of these days and is a must for everything. DANCE TO THE SUN (4) has huge scope to build of the debut performance and can be the place value here. BUGLE BOY (9) is a trifecta and quartet inclusion. (Warren Lenferna 1-5-4-9)

6

3 ROCKANROLLIN      9 SUNSHINE SUPERMAN       1 JOUEUR DE FLUTE       5 GALLIC FORGE

Preview: ROCKANROLLIN (3) has run two attractive races thus far and is extremely well bred. He is the confident winning suggestion. SUNSHINE SUPERMAN (9) has surely any amount of scope to improve and rates a huge chance. JOUEUR DE FLUTE (1) went close last time but is well tried – big place claims and GALLIC FORGE (5) should again be right there. (Warren Lenferna 3-9-1-5)

7

2 MAJOR MASTER      8 INDUSTRIALSTRENGTH       7 DEVIL A SAINT      3 NEVADA KING

Preview: MAJOR MASTER (2) boasts solid form and a solid winning chance. INDUSTRIALSTRENGTH (8) was good when winning last time and can follow up – respect and include. DEVIL A SAINT (7) should be in the first three and VEVADA KING (3) is never far off the action and could represent some value in placing. (Warren Lenferna 2-8-7-3)

8

5 NARETOI      11 SIGNOR DANTE      2 RARE EARTH      1 MARINE MERCHANT

Preview: NARETOI (5) is improving with each wand every run and looks cherry ripe for the win. SIGNOR DANTE (11) does have a deep draw to deal with but clearly has some ability and can go close. RARE EARTH (2) and MARINE MERCHANT (1) are musts for the quartet perms. (Warren Lenferna 5-11-2-1)

Ends

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