There’s a R500 000 pot of gold waiting for the connections of one
horse when the KwaZulu-Natal Winter Season comes to an end on July
31 - the horse that will be named the Gold Circle Turfstar of the
season.
The owner of the horse earning the most points in Graded races run
under the Gold Circle banner in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape
will be handed a cheque for R450 000 at the Canon Gold Cup meeting
at Greyville Racecourse on August 7 with one for R50 000 being presented
to the trainer of the horse.
With a host of graded races still to be run in KwaZulu-Natal’s three-month
festival of racing, as well as a number in the Western Cape, the
battle to win the prize will become intense over the coming weeks
and a surprise winner could eventually emerge.
As things stood at the end April, however, it was Geoff Woodruff’s
superstar, Yard-Arm, that led the race with 20 points from Grade
1 victories in the Sun International Queen’s Plate and the J&B
Met. His programme for the season in Durban is sure to earn him
more points but his outings are likely to be limited and he could
be toppled by another contender.
Mike Bass’s top three-year-old, Tobe Or Nottobe, was lying second
with 14 points having won the Grade 3 Cape Classic and the Grade
1 Cape Flying Championship and Justin Snaith’s filly, Zolaroyale
was in third spot on 11 points with a win in the Grade 3 Champagne
Stakes and a second in the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship at Kenilworth
followed by a third in the Poinsettia Stakes at Clairwood.
Competition is close and there are six contenders on 10 points.
They are Angelina, Dynasty, Emerald Beauty, Highland Night, Perfect
Promise and Sarabande.
The competition was introduced by Gold Circle as a first step towards
a South African equivalent to the American Breeder’s Cup where horses
qualify for participation according to points earned in graded races
throughout the season.
The Turfstar competition, however, operates only on Gold Circle
staged races in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. Points are earned
by the first three horses past the post irrespective of their age
or where they are based.
The points spread for Grade 1 races is 10, six and four, for Grade
2 races it is six, four and two and for Grade 3 races the points
earned are four, two and one.
