Pink Drive R300 000 raised for a good cause

On Friday night, 23 October 2015, Greyville was transformed in pink. The PinkDrive Polytrack Racemeeting in support of Breast Cancer Awareness raised R300 000 for a great cause, with most folk warming to the occasion and donning a colour that may not be everybody’s cup of tea.



Leading the charge were the on-course presenters Warren Lenferna and former top jockey Kevin Shea, relishing the opportunity of getting into the spirit of things and showing off their party colours.



The meeting was well supported by sponsors Klawervlei Stud, Sean Tarry Racing, Investec, Drakenstein Stud, Jonsson Workwear, Varsfontein Stud, Cape Thoroughbred Sales and Gold Circle. Additional money was raised through an auction and donations.



The main race, the Listed Jonsson Workwear Michaelmas Handicap was a triumph for the leading sire Dynasty as his son, the Mike de Kock-trained colt Alghadeer, beat home his daughter, the four-year-old Frank Robinson-trained Olma with the Weiho Marwing-trained The Royal Rhumba filling third position.



Earlier in a possible world first, all the jockeys in the fifth race wore pink silks with only the caps to distinguish the runners on the track and commentator Craig “Eagle Eye” Peters never missed a beat.



“It was challenging under lights,” said the veteran race-caller. “The red looked pink and the orange looked red,” he laughed. But like all professionals he did his homework. “I asked trainers Jeff Freeman and Kom Naidoo to change the blinkers on their horses, they were both going to race in white, and Mgokity was a grey. For the rest I had to make do.”



His call was appreciated by the sizeable crowd, who mostly came to the party by wearing at least something in pink.

Great stuff

And where outside of ABC and HORSE RACING MEDIA is this distributed too?