Oisin Murphy a man in demand as revitalised Summer Cup card gives South African racing a platform to build on

Oisin Murphy was a man in demand at Turffontein. Dressed in the Team Valor silks, Britain's four-time champion Flat jockey was kept busy autographing caps, football shirts (mostly Liverpool ones) and posing for photographs. He had certainly excited the crowd around the track's Doncaster-esque paddock.

Murphy caps were visible everywhere on a day that attracted 16,500 and has assumed an elevated level of importance for South African racing and the track’s operator, 4Racing, who pulled out all the stops to showcase how far the sport has come since the troubles precipitated by the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think it’s a time to be very positive about South African racing,” said Brett Crawford, who, along with his son, James, trains Frances Ethel, the mount of Murphy in Saturday's feature race, the Betway Summer Cup.