Fairview · Eastern Cape
The heart of coastal racing.
Year-round turf and Polytrack action in the heart of Gqeberha — the Eastern Cape's premier Thoroughbred stage.
The venue.
Coastal racing, at the edge of the country.
Situated in the heart of Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), Fairview Racecourse is the Eastern Cape’s premier destination for Thoroughbred racing. Its turf and Polytrack surfaces deliver a unique, all-weather experience that keeps the action going year-round. From the excitement of the parade ring to the cheers at the finish, Fairview delivers more than races: it is a vibrant social scene, coastal charm and rich racing heritage, with premium hospitality in the Bold Silvano Room at its heart.
Heritage
Racing on the coast — a regional tradition.
Eastern Cape racing predates Johannesburg by more than seventy years. The Port Elizabeth Turf Club was revived in 1857; the Jockey Club of South Africa itself was formed in PE in 1882. The current Fairview opened at Greenbushes in 1977 and has been the city's only thoroughbred racecourse ever since. The Algoa Cup remains the region's signature day; the PE Gold Cup keeps the tradition of stayer's racing alive on the coast.
Read the full Fairview historyA race day at Fairview.
Three ways to experience the course.
Close to the horses
Watch the field saddle and see the trainers and jockeys up close — a Fairview race day begins and ends in the parade ring.
Eyes on the finish
Tiered seating with coastal views, betting facilities and a clear line of sight down the Fairview straight.
The Bold Silvano Room
Fairview's signature suite — named for the Eastern Cape-bred 2010 Vodacom Durban July winner. Premium dining and a deck overlooking the track.
Inside Bold Silvano →
Signature suite
The Bold Silvano Room.
The Bold Silvano Room is Fairview's third-floor signature hospitality venue — named after the Ascot Stud-bred 2010 Vodacom Durban July winner. The spacious room seats up to 300 guests, with additional space on the smoking deck overlooking the track. Food is à la carte and the suite has dedicated tote and bar facilities — a race day stage with the standards of the finest private venues on the coast.
Inside Bold Silvano
Three histories, layered
Read the full Fairview history.
From Cradock Place in 1817, through the 1857 revival of the Port Elizabeth Turf Club at Dreyer's Hotel, through the Jockey Club's 1882 birth in PE, through the move to Greenbushes in 1977, through the country's first Polytrack on flooded marshland, and into the 4Racing era. The complete story of how Eastern Cape racing kept reinventing itself.
Inside the history
Beyond the race day
A coastal venue for unique occasions.
Conferences, corporate retreats, private functions and destination events find a home at Fairview — an ocean-adjacent location, distinctive indoor spaces and an atmosphere that sets an event apart from its Johannesburg or Cape Town alternatives.
Enquire about venue hireUpcoming at Fairview
Signature meetings on the Fairview calendar.
Algoa Cup
The Eastern Cape's signature race day, with the Fairview turf at its spring best. Three days of racing, hospitality, the grooms' soccer final, fashion and music.
East Cape Derby
The classic three-year-old test at Fairview, and the closing leg of the East Cape Sophomore Challenge — the Eastern Cape Triple Crown.
Port Elizabeth Gold Cup
A Fairview tradition for stayers, patient trainers and horses who can keep grinding. One of the few remaining tests of true distance on the calendar.
Fairview Twilight
Fairview's twilight programme keeps the Eastern Cape racing pulse going year-round — Friday racing, free entry, and the country's only regular twilight schedule.
Plan your visit
Everything you need to know before arriving at Fairview.
Your next race day
Come to Fairview.
See what's on next, plan your day, or enquire about a private event on the Eastern Cape coast.
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