Cape Town is basking in glorious sunshine and it feels like we haven’t enjoyed a local weekend racemeeting since pa fell off the bus.
In fact, when last did we have a whole weekend sans any South African racemeeting, outside of the covid lockdown period of 2020?
Kenilworth Racecourse
Not in recent decades, according to seasoned racing folk, who point out that the introduction of the new era ‘one local racemeeting per day’ policy has clearly contributed to the ‘day zero’ situation we find ourselves in this weekend.
The one-local meeting- a-day approach was introduced to achieve a reduction of fixtures in the optimum way for betting turnovers.
Ironically, the decision to postpone the Royal Raceday from Turffontein today to Saturday 23 April, has impacted on the poor cousin, Cape Racing.
The postponement presented an issue with insufficient jockeys for the Kenilworth meeting scheduled for Saturday 23 April 2022. That is a key meeting – it is the first leg of the Cape Winter Series Triple Crown.
So the Kenilworth meeting was moved to Sunday 24 April. There will be a few Capetonians who will have something to say about that.
As 4Racing readied to take over the assets and business of horseracing from Phumelela prior to 1 December 2021, a new strategy for fixtures and stakes was implemented, and included a seasonal approach to stakes, whereby the minor races in each region will carry an enhanced stakes level in-season as compared to out-of-season.
The racing seasons in the three regions were identified by 4Racing as follows:
– Highveld – 1 November to 30 April
– Western Cape – 1 November to 28 February
– Eastern Cape – 1 August to 31 October.
The next local racemeeting is scheduled for Hollywoodbets Greyville on Monday 18 April.
The first of nine races is carded for 12h10 and there should be plenty of interest with the popular free-to-enter Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge progressive jackpot standing at R1 825 000. There is again R10 000 that must be won by the top 20 on the daily leaderboard – read more here.
In the meantime, be thankful we have no loadshedding to deal with, take the wife shopping, do some gardening or wash the car.
Or try GallopTv, who a few meetings left today still:
- 17h25. Lingfield (UK) Races 1 – 7
- 18h07. Nottingham (UK) Races 1 – 6
- 19h05. Gulfstream Park (USA) Races 1 – 9
- 19h10. Woodbine (CA) Races 1 – 8
- 19h20. Aqueduct (USA) Races 1 – 9
Please click below and register for FREE:
