More than R10-million is being offered as additional bonuses by
South Africa’s racing industry in the new eight-series South African
National Racing Championships which offer basic stakes totaling
R17,4-million.
The Championships are being staged jointly by Gold Circle and Phumelela
and have been designed to provide added incentives to owners to
campaign their better horses in South Africa for longer and to target
particular races within a carefully planned and properly structured
programme.
The industry has introduced the eight national championships to
cater for the country’s equine superstars, rewarding excellence
with bonuses in each series. Except for the two series for juveniles
where three races of Grade 2 status are included in the eight events,
all other races in the championships are at the highest Grade 1
level.
The success of South African horses overseas has resulted in a
dramatic increase in the demand for the country’s top horses. The
racing industry, acutely aware of the need to counter the bloodstock
drain, has introduced the championships to stem the flow and to
create even greater public interest in the many outstanding races
staged throughout the country each year.
The eight series cover all categories of racing and in each instance
a bonus of at least R1-million is on offer to the owners of any
horses that can win each leg of the series in which it competes.
This means, for example, that a horse that can win the three legs
of the SA Champion of Champions series comprising the Vodacom Durban
July, the Gomma Gomma Summer Cup and the J&B Met in succession,
using any one of the races as a starting point, will win the lion’s
share of the basic stake for each race plus a bonus of R2,5-million.
Following are the eight championships for the 2004/2005 season:
The Juvenile Championship (for all Two year olds)
1st Leg: 30 April 2005 - R500 000 SA Nursery (Gr 2) 1200m Turffontein
OR
29 May 2005 R500 000 Gold Medallion (Gr 1) 1200m Scottsville
2nd Leg: 02 July 2005 - R500 000 Golden Horseshoe (Gr 1) 1400m
Greyville
3rd Leg: 30 July 2005 - R500 000 Premier’s Champion Stakes (Gr
1) 1600m Clairwood
** R 1 MILLION BONUS to be paid to any horse winning all three
legs in the season. **
The Debutante Series (for all Two year old Fillies)
1st Leg: 30 April 2005 - R350 000 SA Fillies Nursery (Gr 2) 1200m
Turffontein OR 29 May 2005 - R350 000 Allan Robertson Fillies Championship
(Gr 1) 1200m Scottsville
2nd Leg: 02 July 2005 - R250 000 Golden Slipper (Gr 2) 1400m Greyville
3rd Leg: 30 July 2005 - R350 000 Thekwini Fillies Stakes (Gr 1)
1600m Clairwood
** R 1 MILLION BONUS to be paid to any horse winning all three
legs in the season. **
The SA Triple Crown (for all Three year olds)
1st Leg: 08 January 2005 - R750 000 Cape Argus Guineas (Gr 1) 1600m
Kenilworth
2nd Leg: 02 April 2005 - R1 000 000 SA Classic (Gr 1) 1800m Turffontein
3rd Leg: 05 June 2005 - R750 000 Daily News 2200 (Gr 1) 2200m Greyville
** R 1 MILLION BONUS to be paid to any horse winning all three
legs in the season. **
The SA Triple Tiara (for all Three year old Fillies)
1st Leg: 04 December 2004 - R500 000 Cape Times Fillies Guineas
(Gr 1) 1600m Kenilworth
2nd Leg: 02 April 2005 - R500 000 SA Fillies Classic (Gr 1) 1800m
Turffontein
3rd Leg: 05 June 2005 - R500 000 Woolavington 2200 (Gr 1) 2200m
Greyville
** R 1 MILLION BONUS to be paid to any horse winning all three
legs in the season. **
The SA Sprint Championship (All Horses 3yrs and up)
1st Leg: 22 January 2005 - R400 000 Graham Beck Wines Cape Flying
Championship (Gr 1) 1000m Kenilworth
2nd Leg: 19 March 2005 - R500 000 Computaform Sprint (Gr 1) 1000m
Turffontein
3rd Leg: 30 April 2005 - R500 000 Merchants (Gr 1) 1200m Turffontein
4th Leg: 29 May 2005 - R400 000 Golden Horse Sprint (Gr 1) 1200m
Scottsville
5th Leg: 17 July 2005 - R400 000 Mercury Sprint (Gr 1) 1200m Clairwood
** R 2 MILLION BONUS to be paid to any horse winning all five legs
in the season. **
The SA Golden Mile Series (All Horses 3yrs and older)
1st Leg: 01 January 2005 - R600 000 Queens Plate (Gr 1 ) 1600m
Kenilworth
2nd Leg: 09 April 2005 - R600 000 Horse Chestnut Stakes (Gr 1)
1600m Turffontein
3rd Leg: 11 June 2005 - R600 000 Gold Challenge (Gr 1) 1600m Clairwood
** R 1 MILLION BONUS to be paid to any horse winning all three
legs in the season. **
The SA Ladies Mile Series (Fillies and Mares 3yrs and older)
1st Leg: 29 January 2005 - R350 000 Fancourt Majorca Stakes (Gr
1) 1600m Kenilworth
2nd Leg: 15 March 2005 - R400 000 Empress Club Stakes (Gr 1) 1600m
Newmarket
3rd Leg: 02 July 2005 - R350 000 Garden Province Stakes (Gr 1)
1600m Greyville
** R 1 MILLION BONUS to be paid to any horse winning all three
legs in the season. **
The SA Champion of Champions (All Horses 3yrs and older)
1st Leg: 27 November 2004 - R2 000 000 - GommaGomma Summer Cup
(Gr 1) 2000m Turffontein
2nd Leg: 29 January 2005 - R1 500 000 - J&B Met (Gr 1) 2000m
Kenilworth
3rd Leg: 02 July 2005 - R1 500 000 - Vodacom Durban July (Gr 1)
2200m Greyville
** R 2 .5 MILLION BONUS to be paid to any horse which wins all
three in succession **
i.e. this series is always “alive” and not restricted to a racing
season.