Serving up bourbon-based cocktails, craft beer and gourmet burgers, the festival is sure to delight Jo'burg's foodie crowd. The prime location, right next to the parade ring, will allow race-goers to admire the horses up close, and to chat to owners and trainers. The festival will also look after first time punters with private tote facilities and betting-for-beginners' guidelines, so you'll be able to figure out your Eachway from your Exacta.
There is also a wide range of other entertainment on the day. There will be live music, pop-up food stalls, designated family-friendly areas and the main event, the Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile, in which each horse earns a prize for the charity it represents.
The R600,000 Grade 2 event over 1600m is a normal race in terms of the stake distribution for the horses' owners, trainers and jockeys - however, each of the 16 horses in the field will also run for a charity. The charity tied to the winner will receive R100,000 down to R20,000 for the charities represented by the last five horses past the post.
Michael Varney, Marketing Manager of Phumelela, and a key person behind horse racing's rebranding, says, "We are targeting a new market for racing and giving them a chance to enjoy the sport which we are all so passionate about. The Bourbon, Beer and Burger festival is an exciting new addition to one of the most established and iconic races on the calendar in Johannesburg."
