The turf is dangerous place to venture

A man dashed onto the Greyville turf and tried to match strides with galloping horses this week.

Sporting Post reported that the runner tired in the closing stages of the race and finished "out of the money along with the race favourite San Geran, as Bart Rice's Mojav came away to win well".

Cops cuffed the culprit and everyone is calling for harsh punishment.

Damn right. The prank could have had bad consequences if horses and riders had been tripped up by the dimwit. At half a ton each, travelling at 60km/h, horses can do damage.

This was a pathetic attention-getting ploy and I wouldn't have bothered to mention it if I didn't need to grab attention myself for the rest of what I have to say.

A more important happening this week was the Competition Commission blocking a bid by Phumelela to take over racing in Cape Town.

See, this sounds like a business story, not the all-action blood and glory you'd expect on these rip-roaring sports pages. I'll try to keep it simple.

JSE-listed Phumelela operates racing in Gauteng, Eastern and Northern Cape and the Free State, while Gold Circle has done the job in KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape.

Western Cape, for all its excellent trainers, jockeys, horses and notably rich owners, is something of a problem child due to "underperformance" of its punters. Low-betting turnover means the game isn't profitable in the province.

This has led to tensions in the Gold Circle camp, with KZN effectively subsidising the Cape for years. Pride and personality clashes have also played a part and the two regions got "divorced" a few months ago.

The Thoroughbred Horse Racing Trust, custodian of racing's soul, was part of the proposed deal, as buyer of Cape racing assets such as racecourses. The plan was for Phumelela to manage things for the trust.

But the Competition Commission said no, arguing that Phumelela would gain too much hold on the industry. It said introducing a third player to the game would be a better solution.

Parties currently outside racing are indeed keen to take over in Cape Town, but it is unclear what business model they have to refloat a sinking ship.

The matter is now likely to go on appeal to the Competition Tribunal.

Racing purists are worried that - under whatever new management scenario - centuries-old traditions of breeding, training and racing horses in the Western Cape will be sacrificed on an altar of commercialism.

There are other important factors in this affair, among them the iconic status of events like the J&B Met, the high employment capacity of racing, tax revenues, party politics and the ambitions of several high-profile racing personalities.

What mad fool will try to match strides with the big beasts in that cavalry charge?

Declaration of interest: I work part time for Phumelela.

TURFFONTEIN, TOMORROW: PA - 4 x 1,13 x 1,3 x 2,3,8 x 5 x 7,13 x 4,10,12 (R72)