• Vijay Varma, the chief veterinary officer at the races, believes “racing is a spectator sport and it’s very prestigious to have racing in Kenya and so we need the crowds, and now they’re here.”
• Sercombe’s main challenger is James Muhindi, who feels that “the crowds are hugely motivating and make me want to do better. The championship is close and will get closer. It’s not over till it’s over.”
Image: KABIR DHANJI
The return of big crowds to racing in Kenya across the 2022/23 season has been the hallmark of a revival of the prestige that the sport had lost, and Sunday’s action was proof in the pudding that racing is, once again, well and truly alive and thriving.
“The turnaround has been fantastic. For the last five years, we haven’t seen crowds and now we do, and as a trainer, I feel great to see people cheering my horse on. It’s what I want,” said trainer Joe Karari, once fondly known as the ‘horse whisperer’.
Karari believes that crowds are fundamental to racing since “they create an ambiance, and this is what trainers, owners, and jockeys want, the party. It’s also how we get new owners. This is what they want. They want to be a part of it.”
Vijay Varma, the chief veterinary officer at the races, believes “racing is a spectator sport and it’s very prestigious to have racing in Kenya and so we need the crowds, and now they’re here.”
A significant tranche of the newfound spectators, continuing in the well-established tradition of racing, have been from the world of fashion, drawing the vogue and the chic of a see-and-be-seen crowd, both local and international, adorned in the latest couture that has come to be an expression of culture, that now defines an essential aspect of what has always drawn people to racing.
The euphoria of the cheering faithful has reached the two top jockeys contesting for the championship prize.
Current leader, Lesley Sercombe, said: “It’s great to ride to the start or at the finish and see the biggest crowds I’ve seen in forever. As a jockey, it’s encouraging. Energy begets energy and the whole place is now buzzing. It’s hugely validating to have everyone cheering.”
Sercombe’s main challenger is James Muhindi, who feels that “the crowds are hugely motivating and make me want to do better. The championship is close and will get closer. It’s not over till it’s over.”
Muhindi had a good Sunday of racing and managed to close the gap on Sercombe, who leads with 24 wins, three better of Muhindi.
With the masses gathered and in a mood for festivities, the day’s racing made for exciting viewing starting with an undemanding win for Russian Wonder in Bosphorus Handicap, followed by a finishing-line thriller in the Nakuru Championship Stakes where Arlington upset The Gambler.
The Mineiro Handicap saw the South African import, Assured, phlegmatically take honours, warming the masses for the much-anticipated Abbra Maiden, where Carlisle could not be foiled.
The Thomas Dewar Trophy was taken by Westwind, setting the tone for the classy Scott to triumph effortlessly in the long-running Gooch Cup. The final race was the Paddy Migdoll Tea Urn, where Ripon did, as expected, careened to victory.
A patron watching the races and enjoying the festivities said: “Racing on Sundays is perfect. It’s an amazing day. The races, the food, the party, the fashion, the music, it’s fantastic. It’s exactly what people want.”
Maurizio Fregoni, restauranteur extraordinaire and longtime supporter of the races, who has a gourmet Italian food pop-up said: “The current marketing team, Kivuli Creative, are fantastic. It’s because of them that this place is amazing. It has a beautiful vibe, and as a business owner, because of them, this is the place to invest.
The next race is the Stewards Cup which will play host to the inaugural Craft Beer and Cocktails festival on July 9.