Turffontein racecourse pictured in the early days
If time machines existed, we’d be able to roll back the years to 1886 for a fascinating experience of Johannesburg as a sprawling, untamed mining camp with layers of dust on every tent, and dreams of gold painting the air thick with ambition. When the 135th Summer Cup is staged at Turffontein on Saturday, let’s take some time to remember the incredible historic foundations of the horse race to which headline sponsor, Betway, has assigned R6-million, the richest racing purse ever for an established Grade 1 race on the African continent.
