adminSikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
PLANS are afoot to revive the now defunct Ascot Racecourse in Bulawayo, more than 10 years after professional racing was suspended at the facility.A Bulawayo-born horseracing enthusiast, Innocent Moyo,who is based in the United Kingdom, is behind the Ascot Racecourse revival plans and has already held discussions with the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Andrew Langa over the issue.
Owned by Matabeleland Turf Club, Ascot race course was suspended in July 2001 following a decline in the number of competitors bringing in their own horses for races.
At its peak, there were around 100 horses, a figure that dropped to just over 30 horses in 2003 which further dropped to about 15 horses in subsequent years. The horses, however, no longer compete on the course anymore but are mainly used for other competitions like horse riding and Pollocrosse. When it shut its doors, more than 50 workers were left jobless.
Ascot is the country’s second largest and most established racetrack after the Borrowdale Racecourse in Harare.
Bulawayo competitions attracted gambling from around the globe. Many families survived from betting at Ascot and the informal sector also thrived. The facility is now used as a drinking place with at least three spots, a gym and a casino based there.
There are other businesses based there while a compound still exists with horses.
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