The next round of the highly
popular KwaZulu-Natal Chapter Challenge Series, offering total
stakes of R450 000, gets under way again on February 11 with a
slight change to the conditions and an incentive bonus for trainers.
The series runs from
February 11 to May 23 with the finals – over 1 200 metres, 1 600
metres and 2 000 metres – run at Clairwood Racecourse on Saturday,
June 12. Each final will carry a stake of R150 000.
For the first time, Gold
Circle is offering a total of R35 000 in incentive bonuses to the
trainers whose runners fill the top three places on the final points
log, R20 000 for the trainer of the horse earning the most points,
R10 000 for second place and R5 000 for third place.
Once again trainers can
"pre-nominate" for the series at a cost of R342 although
late nominations for the finals will be accepted at a cost of R1
500.
Rules for the series have
changed slightly and all handicap events, except feature races, will
act as qualifying events provided that the net merit rating of the
runner, after the weight-for-age deduction, does not exceed 90 in
the race in which the qualifiers participate. Points will be earned
relative to finishing positions.
The Chapter Challenge finals of the previous
series have all been close, exciting races and, as the points log
has been published every two weeks through the three months of the
competition, considerable public and owner interest has been
generated resulting in calls for additional series to be run.
The first qualifying race in the new series
will be run on February 11 at Clairwood Racecourse.