What is going on with Cape Town racing, with just one meeting per week with small fields? Even PE has two meetings a week, although I must compliment their management on their professionalism and friendliness, writes a Cape owner and punter.
Surely with stake monies well below what they should be and one meeting per week, owners will start to send their horses up country?
Jay Harrielall, General Manager: Racing Division of Phumelela Gaming & Leisure Limited, replied as follows to this enquiry:
The National Fixtures Committee, comprising representatives from the three Racing Operators are entrusted with the task of compiling a national calendar of fixtures for the year.
A total of 461 race meetings were scheduled for 2016, with the Eastern Cape on 72 meetings, Highveld 150, KwaZulu-Natal 119, Northern Cape 36 and Western Cape 84.
The Western Cape breakdown of race meetings per month is as follows:
| Jan | 8 |
| Feb | 8 |
| Mar | 5 |
| Apr | 6 |
| May | 6 |
| Jun | 6 |
| Jul | 6 |
| Aug | 6 |
| Sep | 6 |
| Oct | 9 |
| Nov | 9 |
| Dec | 9 |
| TOT | 84 |
During the Winter season in the Western Cape there is an even spread of six race meetings per month with the exception of March having five race meetings, and with regular Saturdays which is a key betting day.
In the Summer season this figure averages 8 to 9 meetings a month.
March has traditionally had fewer race meetings and smaller field sizes due to the number of horses leaving to contest the KZN feature season.
However, there is a trend of less than average field sizes countrywide, with the Western Cape averages being significantly lower than in the other centres for a variety of reasons.
Phumelela have in an effort to address this issue, reminded Trainers in the Western Cape of the consequences of falling foul of the “runs per stabling box policy requirements” and there has been a resultant increase in the field sizes for the last four race meetings.
