Glitz and glamour all around as reborn Turffontein puts on a show on its big day

Johannesburg was founded as a mining shanty town during the gold rush in 1886 and one year later the first Summer Cup was staged.

For the majority of its history, one of South Africa's most important races has been run at Turffontein, which was established in 1892. It also owes its existence to the discovery of gold and sits in the shadow of enormous grass-covered mine dumps to the north and west. In fact, mining actually took place under the track in 1897.

Perhaps owing to its industrial history, the racecourse is situated in a deprived urban area with rows of tired buildings and pot-holed roads, and it almost feels as though it was picked up from a wealthier area and dropped there. The turnstile is a threshold between the difficult realities of life in the city and the relative riches of a big meeting, and it is easy to forget what exists outside the walls upon entering.