According to reports from Johannesburg, leading bookmaker Mike O' Connor, the head of Top Bet, has been murdered at this Northcliff branch in Johannesburg last night. The tragic news to hit the racing industry in South Africa is a big blow to his staff and supporters of his business.

O' Connor walked into a robbery in progress from his private office located at this branch and the gunmen opened fire on him thinking he was trying to escape.

His family and friends were devastated by the news of this tragedy. SAHorseracing.COM will post details of his funeral when they come to hand.

We convey our deepest condolences to this family

The following is more information about O' Connor and his company.

The director of Top Bet SA (Pty) Ltd , Michael O’Connor, has been involved in the betting industry for more than 20 years. He has held the position of Chairman of Gauteng Off-Course Bookmakers’ Association (GOBA) since 2005. He has worked closely with the Gauteng Gaming Board as well as the other provincial boards to develop the betting industry. The developmental aims are twofold : firstly to provide a secure platform for the betting public and secondly to progress from mere bookmakers’ shops into entertainment venues. Together with his wealth of experience and his commitment to the industry he has succeeded in making Top Bet SA (Pty) Ltd, one of the market leaders and is at the forefront in providing top class service to the customers. The betting shops offer the public daily entertainment and the best the market has to offer with the choice of fixed odds betting or the Phumelela TAB services, this is all achieved by a very dynamic staff complement of 200.

TopBet has nine shops,

1. Northcliff

2. Midrand

3. Boksburg

4. Johannesburg CBD,

5. Pretoria

6. Kempton (Affiliate)

7. Soweto

8. Wynberg

9. Monte Casino

10. Germiston (Opening Soon)

11. Roodeport (Opening Soon)