SUMMER OF CHAMPIONS - A RACING EXTRAVAGANZA

Racing. It's a Rush: PRESS RELEASE
Subject: SUMMER OF CHAMPIONS - A RACING EXTRAVAGANZA
Date: 7 NOVEMBER 2015

The Summer of Champions cocktail function was held at Kenilworth racecourse on the evening of Saturday 7 November, where important changes have been made to the Cape Summer of Champions Season schedule and an insight to potential upside with Kenilworth Racing's properties.

The Property committee has recommended some super ideas to the Kenilworth Board, one of them being the installation of a synthetic surface at Durbanville. Discussions with the contractors who supply synthetic surfaces have reached an advanced stage but have not been finalised. As soon as the negotiations have been agreed to an announcement will be made.

The presentation by Hassen Adams included a potential transformation to the Milnerton training establishment, Durbanville racecourse and Kenilworth racecourse, all of which if realised will materially contribute to the turnaround of the financial position of Western Cape Racing.

More exciting and breaking news announced on the night were changes to the racing program which looks likely to transform January in Cape Town into a racing extravaganza as spectacular as any month of racing anywhere in the world.

Both the Gr 1 R1 million Investec Cape Derby and Gr 1 R1 million Klawervlei Majorca Stakes will be moved a week forward from their usual berths on J&B Met day to January 23, and will therefore be on the same card as the CTS Million Dollar sales race.

In turn the Gr 1 R1 million Betting World Cape Flying Championship will be moved from January 23 to J&B Met day on January 30.


The R1 million L'Ormarins Queen's Plate card will remain as is on January 9 and will also feature the Gr 1 R1 million Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes, the Gr 2 R400,000 Peninsula Handicap and the Gr 3 R250,000 Politician Stakes.
The change to the program will have the effect of creating a third massive racing day in January to partner J&B Met day and L'Ormarins Queen’s Plate day.


The J&B Met is Cape Town's most popular social event and witnessing the land's best sprinters in action will almost certainly be both an eye opening and thrilling experience for partygoers who are not attuned to the Sport Of Kings. Racing purists will likely enjoy the change too as they will now have the opportunity to watch both the best middle distance horses and best sprinters competing on the same day. The Gr 1 R2,5 million J&B Met is regarded as one of the biggest races in South Africa, while the Gr 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championships is one of the most prestigious weight for age sprints in the country.


The Queen's Plate is widely regarded as the most prestigious weight for age race in the country, while the L'Ormarins sponsored meeting has become known as South Africa's equivalent of Royal Ascot as it attracts an elegantly dressed crowd and is loved by celebrities.


Now, to match these two great days will be a third extravagant meeting which is sure to attract a crowd buzzing with excitement. The Million Dollar is the dream come true race in the country and the tension in the air before its inaugural running is likely to be of unique proportions in South African racing history. The Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby is one of the country’s most prestigious three-year-old classics, while the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes has that same status among the countries weight for age fillies and mares events, so these two races will keep the atmosphere rolling throughout the day.


The new date to diarise on January 23 will likely not only attract big and festive local crowds, but might also persuade travelling racing purists and socialites to consider an extended racing holiday in which they can enjoy more than one big meeting.
The Million Dollar co-incides with the CTS Cape Premier Yearling Sale on January 21 and 22, so buyers from around the world will also perhaps start tuning into Cape Town’s incredible month of racing action and thereby extend their stay.


The changes were made in consultation with some of the sport's leading professionals, and as a result of agreeing the way forward, January 2016 will be the most powerful racing month in the country.

It is exciting times in South African horseracing and The Summer of Champions is certainly going to be awaited with more than just keen anticipation.

This is great news for Cape Racing

Agreed, this is great news for Cape racing. It is a great step in the right direction. Hopefully going forward, this will improve (not only the class of the fields), but more importantly the number of entrants in fields of racing in the cape. Competition is good, and hopefully this is the 1st step in improving the numbers.

This is all brilliant news and a poly on Durbanville will be great if they fit floodlights and we can have more evening racing

This is good news for SA racing
Bob is lighter at night in the Cape than up in Joburg

Dave Scott wrote: This is good news for SA racing
Bob is lighter at night in the Cape than up in Joburg

Only really in summer Dave,but a Polytrack at night would see me and a few friends there regularly

They should redesign Durbanville to make the draws negligible when they do the Poly

Dave Scott wrote: This is good news for SA racing
Bob is lighter at night in the Cape than up in Joburg

South Africa needs a venue that can keep the interest going in an evening,like Dundalk in Ireland ( dont think they race during the day).

won't midges be a problem for night racing+lights early evening etc?

All in all is exciting news

mr hawaii wrote: They should redesign Durbanville to make the draws negligible when they do the Poly

If they don't at least make a major effort in this area then they really wasting money.

If they stick the polytrack inside of the grass track at Durbanville then the 5 furlong races will be race mostly around a bend, so expect any horse drawn 5 and upwards to be scratched