One Million Dollars!
On Wednesday, 30 October 2013, the Cape Thoroughbred Sales company treated members of the press and selected guests to what was billed as “The Biggest Announcement in South African Horseracing History”.
CTS may be small in years, but that’s about the only thing small about them as they certainly tackle everything else they do in a big way, from big sales venues to big race incentive announcements.
Popular Joburg hot spot Taboo certainly fit the profile and with classy cocktails, a glitzy intro video and our “host with the most”, Chris van Niekerk on the mic, a frisson of excitement ran through the crowd as the announcement was made. Even the weather gods conspired with some sound effects of their own to really drive the point home!
That’s right folks, Cape Thoroughbred Sales are putting up a staggering $1 000 000 in prize money for what will be the first million dollar race in Africa as well as the richest race on the South African racing calendar. Stakes will be paid down to 5 places with $500 000 to the winner, $200 000 to whoever graces the no 2 box, $150 000 for third, $100 000 for fourth and $40 000 for fifth place.
There are also 10 000 US dollar congratulations on offer to the breeder of the winning horse. The race, exclusively restricted to graduates of the 2014 Book 1 Cape Premier Yearling Sale and the 2014 Book 2 CTS March Yearling Sale, is earmarked for January 2016 to coincide with the dates for the 2016 Book 1 Sale and the Cape Flying Championship.
This premier race will be held at Kenilworth, the country’s premier track, over a distance of 1400m and there will be a sex allowance for the fillies. COO Adrian Todd explained that 1400m was the ideal trip to suit the biggest range of potential candidates.
It should be within the scope of a talented sprinter, but also come early enough on the programme to prove an attractive choice for horses likely to improve over further.
Of course there is some small print attached and it goes as follows:- For the 2014 Book 1 Cape Premier Yearling Sale, the buy in is R5,000 for the purchaser (no cost to the vendor), and for the 2014 Book 2 CTS March Yearling Sale the buy-in is R5 000 for the purchaser and R5 000 for the vendor.
From 2015 onwards, the buy-in for both purchaser and vendor at the Book 1 Cape Premier Yearling Sale will be R15 000 each per horse with the buy-in at the Book 2 CTS March Yearling Sale R10 000 per horse to each party.
The organisers hope to tempt foreign buyers into not only purchasing ‘proudly South African’, but hopefully also to stay and race here, which is good news for the training community.
The operators have deemed it a welcome boost for the local stakes pot and it will also be interesting to see whether throwing down the gauntlet so dramatically might challenge some of our other big race sponsors to re-think their budgets.
Respected bloodstock agent John Freeman has already hinted that the forthcoming catalogues are something special, but one only needs the 3 magic words that are “Soft Falling Rain” to know that a CTS Yearling is good value at any price.
