In this case, however, horses will earn points for winning or being placed second or third in all graded races staged by Gold Circle in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. The owner of the horse earning the highest number of points in the season will be handed a cheque for the tidy sum of R450 000 on Canon Gold Cup Raceday next year. The Trainer of the winning horse will earn R50 000.

The original idea for the Champions League was for a national competition based on all graded races run throughout the country. However, the Racing Association in Gauteng, while supporting the idea declined the offer to participate and the competition has become solely Gold Circle operated and funded.

It operates only on graded races run under the Gold Circle banner and participants earn 10 points for winning a Grade 1 race, six points for running second and four points for finishing third.

For Grade 2 races the points allocation will be six, four and two and for Grade 3 races it will be four, two and one.

Betting World will be betting on the Champions League and offering odds as from November 2003.

Michel Nairac said there were no exclusions from the competition, which was open to all horses competing in the Gold Circle graded races. The simple rules were that horses competing in the races earn points as stated above and at the end of the season the horse that has earned the highest number of points wins the R500 000.

"It does not matter whether it is a two-year-old, a three-year-old or an older horse or whether it is a sprinter or a stayer. If it runs in the races and finishes in the first three it will earn points and the horse with the most points wins the prize.

"Together with the increase in stakes, we believe it will attract more horses into our two regions enhancing the standard of racing and making it more attractive to racegoers and punters. The Champions League will certainly boost support for the graded feature races during our season, once again heightening public awareness and support."

So it is all happening in "Gold Circle Country" and, although the main feature race programme will be centred in Gauteng until the end of the year, the recently increased general stakes on offer in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape could prove extremely attractive to owners with horses based in other regions.

Issued by:  Gill Simpkins

Communications Officer 

Gold Circle (Pty) Ltd