“This is fantastic news for horseracing and I am very excited,” said Phumelela’s Sales Executive Clyde Basel.

“To get a sponsor of Sansui’s calibre is a huge win for horseracing and together with Prime Media Sport, we at Phumelela are looking forward to turning the Sansui Summer Cup into a mega social and horseracing event.”

JSE-listed Phumelela recently entered into a partnership with Primedia Sport to market and promote the sport of thoroughbred horseracing, in terms of which Primedia Sport is responsible for the marketing and promotion of the Summer Cup and the sale and provision of hospitality on the raceday.

The Summer Cup is nearly as old as Johannesburg itself and has a rich and fascinating history. It was first run in 1887, a year after the dusty mining camp that was to become Johannesburg sprang up on the farm Turffontein following the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand.

The list of past winners reads like a who's who of racing and includes Pamphlet (1917), Lenin (1940), Cuff Link (1963), Caradoc (1966), Home Guard (1970) and, of course, Java and Elevation who both pulled remarkable hat tricks in the famous race. Lenin won the event three years running from 1956 and Elevation repeated his feat from 1972-74.

In more recent years trainer Mike de Kock, whose exploits in Dubai, Hong Kong and the UK, have made him internationally famous, has made the race his own and his charge Rudra gave him a record seventh victory in the event last year.

De Kock nominated six runners at the first-entry stage for this year’s race including Grade 1 SA Classic winner Forest Path, who went on to finish third in the Durban July. A total of 37 nominations were received at the initial entry stage with second entries due at 11am on Monday 12 October and final entries at 11am on Monday 2 November. The draws and final field announcement will take place on Wednesday 18 November.

Entries for the Sansui Summer Cup are (trainers in brackets):
ALUMINIUM (G V Woodruff); AMBER FORT (M F De Kock); ASLAN (S G Tarry); AUTUMN FROST (M F De Kock); BIEN (G V Woodruff); BOUQUET-GARNI (M F De Kock); BUY AND SELL (S G Tarry); CAPE TOWN (G H Van Zyl); CAPTAIN SCOTT (A G Laird); CATMANDU (B D Botes); CROWN OF POWER (C Laird); DAN DE LAGO (C Laird); DEALSDUNN (G V Woodruff); E-FUEL (D Rahilly); EIGHT STREET (C Laird); FENERBAHCE (G M Alexander); FOREST PATH (M F De Kock); HORATIO (P F Matchett); IRON WOOD (A G Laird); KILLARIDGE (W H Marwing); LIKEITHOT (C Laird); LION'S BLOOD (H J Brown); LONDON GUEST (A J Rivalland); LONG DOLLAR (W H Marwing); MEET AT MALAMALA (M F De Kock); NIGHT RITUAL (S G Tarry); ORACY (C Laird); RAY SAUCE (S G Tarry); REGAL RANSOM (S G Tarry); RICH STRIKE (M F De Kock); ROYAL REZ (T Zackey); RUDI ROCKS (C Laird); SENOR JET (G M Alexander); SENOR VERSACE (C Laird); SMART BANKER (C Laird); SPORTING BOY (A G Laird); VERTICAL TAKEOFF (S G Tarry)