07 Apr 2026

The third edition of Masa Easter Cup held at Masa Racing Park, Samedupi on Saturday drew crowds from all walks of life for Easter of celebration and unity.

The event has proven to be a family affair as the excitement swept all, showing how deeply horse racing is woven into the fabric of everyday life. The thrilling event attracted diverse crowd from high profile celebrities to local fans cheering from their comfortable corners of the track.

Themed “Hoofprints Never Fade – Honouring the Brave Horses Who Ran Before Us,” the event saw Botswana and Namibia horses battling out in a highly classic, vibrant and competitive race with top horses in the likes of the locally prominent, Western Bypass, Sliver Sky, Prince and After Shock among others.

Amongst the multitudes, was the Minister of Sports and Arts, Jacob Kelebeng who acknowledged that horse racing occupies a unique and cherished place in the society as it connects generations, sustains livelihoods, and unites people across communities and borders.

The remarkable event, he said not only celebrates the thrilling sport of horse racing, but also showcases the strength of the communities, the richness of their culture and the growing economic opportunities within the nation.

He also appreciated the Namibian participation saying their presence strengthens regional cooperation and affirms the unifying power of sport within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) family. While appreciating efforts made so far in terms purchasing of starting gates, he said a lot needs to be done recognising the industry as a potential driver of economic growth and diversification as well as rural development.

“This is an investment project that can generate more revenue for locals even for government and private sector as there is betting. It also positively impacts on livelihoods of the locals,” he said.

Western Bypass horse from Motokwe did not disappoint its fans as it retained its title as the MASA Easter Cup champion in the 2400 meters grand race winning P20 000 followed by Pee Jay from Namibia and After Shock in position two and three, pocketing P15 000 and P10 000 respectively.

In the 2000 meters thoroughbred category, Action Time from Namibia scooped position one while Botswana’s Diamond Dust and Red Summit took position two and three respectively.

In the 1 600 meters thoroughbred, Whisper from Namibia clinched first price, cashing P10 000 while local horses After Shock and Silver continued their impressive form taking position two and three worth P8 000 and P6 000 in that order. ENDS