The Opening to the Summer of Champions

The Gr 2 Choice Carriers Championship will be run over 1400m on Saturday November 7 at Kenilworth Racecourse. This will give racegoers an idea of the strength of this season’s three-year-old fillies crop. If they are anywhere close to last season’s crop, which was possibly the strongest in South African history, they will be top class.

Among the eye-catching entries are the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship winner and runner up, the Mike de Kock-trained Entisaar and the Glen Kotzen-trained Princess Royal respectively.

There is more reason than one to be on course and one of the better ones for racehorse owners is that Choice Carriers will be giving away a travel voucher to the value of R10 000 for horse transportation nationwide. In order to encourage table bookings in the Somerset Room, which is a prerequisite for the voucher prize qualification. Only racehorse owners qualify for the voucher and another prerequisite is that they fill in an entry form.

However, other racing fans will surely also enjoy the Somerset Room package on the day. There will be a wine-tasting opportunity upon arrival and in keeping with the theme of the venue, “Colourful Cocktails”, cocktails will be served at the bar. A lavish buffet lunch will also be served.

The Somerset Room provides a spectacular view of the racing and it is that time of the year when Cape Town’s famous summer weather kicks in, so Kenilworth, with its spectacular Table Mountain backdrop, is a good place to be on Saturday.

Peter Choice, from Armidale, New South Wales, Australia, toured South Africa in 1993 when playing in the first International Polocrosse test series since isolation. He returned in 1994 after being invited to coach the SA Polocrosse team. In Australia he worked for a veterinary pathologist, in the parasitology dept and also trained to become a farrier during this time. He was involved in pony clubs and many other horse sporting activities, including training racehorses part time, and he sent out Doomben to win a Group 1 in 1986.

He also backed young horses and pre-trained for top trainers of the like of Brian Mayfield-Smith & Tommy Smith. He then began transporting horses on a small scale. Upon arriving in SA, he coached the SA Polocrosse team, but his main occupation was as a farrier. He began transporting horses in SA in 1996 with a 5-berth truck. In 2000, he traded in the 5-berth for a8-berth & purchased a Volvo truck & a 14-berth trailer.

From there he progressed and today operates with 8 Trucks, 11 Trailers and a couple of Raiders and Horseboxes. Most importantly he has an excellent name in the industry.

The Gates Open for the Choice Carriers Championship meeting on Saturday opens at 11h00 and for bookings contact: 021 797 6037