KENILWORTH FRUSTRATIONS

Cuckoo, I can only hope that common sense will prevail and we'll revert to the normal twice-a-week schedule once the rains have passed. In fairness, I can understand the reluctance to schedule Tuesday racing for Cape Town every week during the wettest months, because of the obvious risk of not being able to race.

However, I agree that it is extremely difficult to come right having horses trained in Cape Town. We have two there at the moment (one was supposed to make her debut today, but is in again for Saturday), with the possibility of sending at least one of out unallocated 2yos to be trained there. That, at the moment, feels like more than enough, given the paucity of suitable races and the terrific strength in depth of the opposition when you do manage to race. It is much harder to win races with bread-and-butter horses in Cape Town than anywhere else, IMHO, and yet the stakes are inferior to Gauteng's and KZN's.

Mind you, those 20-somethong meetings lost in Jhb last season didn't exactly make Gauteng a bowl of cherries, especially with the Bloem option also long gone. With night racing virtually dead in the water it remains to be seen whether this season will be any better in terms of the number of opportunities in what is rapidly ceasing to be the country's most attractive racing province. The option of racing on an alternative surface like sand is one remaining plus for keeping horses in Jhb, but the place has just about had the guts ripped out of it.

Which leaves KZN and PE. In the case of PE, there seem to be more and more meetings scheduled every year. The stakes may not be great, but at least the earning opportunities are numerous and for moderate horses especially the Eastern Cape may be the way to go.

Mr Lips

You write that 'with night racing virtually dead in the water'; do you know something that the RA is not telling us?

Also do you perhaps have an update on the Racing City being developed (or not?) on the West Coast?

Ramsden opens a satelite yard in KZN. That is the story in todays Cape Times.Bass Kotzen,Puller are racing there thru the off season.
There were available Tuesdays on which no meeting was programmed.The Cape should program for every week as one knows there will be lost meetings.On some days meetings are posponed in other centres but in the Cape they are immediately CANCELLED.
Magiclips has hit the nail on the head regarding first timers having to race around a very tight bend and also the difficulty in getting a top horse ready of the big races especially the 3yo's.Most of these unless they went to KZN as 2yo have not raced around the turn at Kenilworth and can't even gallop there..
At least 3 CT trainers will be racing in PE over the next month.
The fact that is necessary to vaccinate for AHS is a problem as the horse cannot race until it receives the 2nd shot a can't return to CT for 60 days therafter

I can't say too much, Frodo, because it's all speculation. However, at the moment the signs for night racing at Turffontein any time soon are no better than the prospects of Durban hosting a winter Olympics.

I would like to be wrong about this, but it falls strictly into the "I'll believe it when I see it" category. The develepment on the West Coast has also hit a brick wall, from what I hear. It appears that local residents who paid a living fortune for the privelege of owning a West Coast property are none too keen about the prospect of having swarms of grooms moving in almost next door.

I can't say I blame them, quite frankly. I must stress, though, that none of this is exactly official, but rather what I am getting through the grapevine, both as regards Jhb night racing and the Cape scenario.

Magiclips ,the West Coast centre will not happen in your lifetime and you not that old.It will not happen in any body who contributes to this forums life time

That sounds like a "no" Geri, but i'm looking forward to the Winter Olympics in Durban, have they planned where to build the slopes? I have only been away for 3 weeks and out of touch.

Thanks for the feedback, good to hear from someone who has his ear close to the ground, although it's not good news; got to ask myself the question; where is racing going in SA?

As I said the other day - what first 'All-Weather' OR 'Lights' @Tuffies?

And as I said before, imo changing one of the turf tracks at Turffontein to an all-weather would be a mistake; we don't have enough turf tracks as it is.

got to ask the question why wasnt all the loopholes covered on the west coast centre and turf lights before ,i am sure osgood will have all the answers whoever this knight in shining armour might be...i keep getting told by all and sundry that the industry is in a healthy state..would hate to see it when it ever becomes unhealthy.thank the lord i am down to one horse,good luck to the rest of you owners

I agree with evelyone...we want lacing...we want lacing...lacing!!

I have a friend who nearly sold a very big business to an international company but backed out at the 11th hour.Five years later the business is 10 times bigger and he says "it's the best deal I never did"
This West Coast deal was a deal that somebody had to do,still can't find out who earned the commission!!!!