Kenya Derby is main Jockey Club of Kenya event

Jockey Club of Kenya Chief Executive Officer, David Davies, spoke to Oscar Pilipili.

Question: What is Jockey Club of Kenya (JCK)?

Answer: The JCK is the governing body for thoroughbred racing in Kenya. It is a company limited by guarantee and comprised of members. Its main function is to conduct and govern the sport of horse racing. Racing events are held at Ngong Racecourse.

QUESTION: How did horse racing find its way in Kenya?

ANSWER: Records of racing in Kenya date back to 1904. The first race was run at Machakos. In the early days racing was conducted in Kariokor or more specifically at Racecourse Road. The then colonial government requested the Racecourse be

Jockey Club of Kenya Chief Executive Officer, David Davies

moved to its present premises on Ngong Road in the 1950’s so as to make room for the expansion of the city. At present Ngong is the only racecourse in the country. Racing used to take place in other towns like Nakuru, Eldoret, Limuru and Nanyuki.

QUESTION: Which is the biggest horse race in the calendar?

ANSWER: The biggest horse race in the year is the Kenya Derby. This year’s Derby, the 88th Kenya Derby that will be contested by 13 runners will be held tomorrow. The first Kenya Derby was held in 1914 and was won by a horse named Diamond.

QUESTION: What is the biggest prize for a race?

ANSWER: The biggest prize money for a race is normally on the Kenya Derby. This year the prize money for the Derby will exceed Sh400,000. The record prize money given out on the Derby is in excess of Sh700,000.

QUESTION: Who are trainers and how many are under JCK?

ANSWER: It is the trainers’ responsibility to train the horses to race. This includes the upkeep and care of the horses ‘in training’ as well as working with the horses on all the different aspects of racing. The JCK of Kenya has licensed 14 trainers in the country at present, of which eight are housed at the Ngong Racecourse.

QUESTION: Which other African countries have horse racing?

ANSWER: Horse racing is conducted in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mauritius.

QUESTION: How many types of betting are there in racing?

ANSWER: Betting can be categorised into two distinct forms: a) Fixed odds betting by bookmakers; and

b) Pool betting commonly referred to as totalisator betting or the tote. Both forms of betting are available to punters (persons who gamble on the result of a horse race) at Ngong. Within each category there are several different actual bets that are available to punters. The most common being win bets, where a punter must select the running horse for a race. Another common bet is the Place bet where the punter has to choose a horse that will finish in the top three places. Punters have a choice of several other bets at Ngong such as the Trifecta, Swinger and Exacta, all available on the tote run by the JCK.

QUESTION: Explain who book makers are?

ANSWER: Book makers ‘bookies’ are licensed by the Betting and Licensing Board of Kenya to conduct the business of taking bets from the public on a specific agreed result for which they give the punter fixed odds should the result bet occur. This is commonly referred to as Fixed offs betting.

QUESTION: What is the process of owning a horse and how much does one cost?

ANSWER: Horses are bred and sold as yearlings (one year-old) at an annual auction held at our racecourse grounds or by private treaty with the breeders.

Prices for a racehorse range from as little as Sh100,000 to as much as Sh1million depending on its breeding (genetic background) and its conformation (physical appearance).

QUESTION: What about breeding of horses?

ANSWER: Breeding racehorses is very specialised activity conducted by a ‘breeder’. A breeder’s job is to match the right stallion and mare, dependant on the attributes of their bloodline so as to get a foal that will have the necessary qualities for racing. Some thoroughbred bloodlines are known for speed/ sprinting attributes while others are famous for distance running. Proper records are kept by the JCK on all sires (fathers) and dames (mothers) breed in Kenya since the first thoroughbred stock was imported into Kenya in the early 1900’s. This information is recorded in the Kenya Stud book and the lineage of all racehorses can be traced back more than 100 years.

QUESTION: Is it possible to bet on international racing?

ANSWER: The JCK provides punters totalisator betting daily on international betting racing at our racecourse premises. Any interested member of the public can place bets on the tote (totalisator).