Western Cape winter season

Cape owners, trainers and racegoers can look forward to the popular R1 million Western Cape Winter Series for three-year-old colts and geldings and the R600 000 Winter Series for fillies, which are both fast approaching.
The male series consists of three Grade 3 races, all to take place at Kenilworth Racecourse. They are the R250 000 Tekkie Town Winter Guineas over 1600m on Sunday 3 May, the R250 000 Winter Classic over 1800m on Sunday 31 May and the R250,000 Winter Derby over 2400m on Saturday 27 June.
A bonus of R250 000 will be paid to any horse who can win all three legs of this series.
The Winter Series for fillies will consist of three Listed races at Kenilworth, the R150 000 Sweet Chestnut Stakes over 1400m on 3 May, the R150 000 Stormsvlei Mile over 1600m on 31 May and the R150 000 Winter Oaks over 2200m on 27 June.
A bonus of R150 000 will be won by any filly who can win all three legs of this series.
The Winter Series was made famous by the great Mike Bass-trained Pocket Power, who won all three legs in 2006 before going on to win nine Gr 1 races, including the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate four times, the J&B Met three times and the Vodacom Durban July once. The Stormsvlei Mile is named after Pocket Power's mother, who was a champion broodmare.
Last year the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Power King made a bold bid to win all three legs of the male Winter Series, winning the first two legs before finishing just 1,25 lengths back in second in the final leg. He now looks to be a leading candidate for the Vodacom Durban July.
The Justin Snaith-trained Acrostar also went close to landing the Winter Series for fillies, winning the first leg and finishing runner up in both of the remaining two legs. She will also be campaigning in the Champions Season in KZN this winter.

Kenilworth Racing Press Release
Western Cape Winter Series Off to a Cracking Start
05 May 2015

The first leg of the Winter Series provided some thrilling racing at
Kenilworth Racecourse last Saturday.

The second leg of the series promises to be just as exciting and enjoying
it out from the Pocket Power Room comes highly recommended. The enticing
Winter Warmer A La Carte Menu will be on offer in this plush venue with its
smashing view of the course. No bookings are necessary and tables are
available on a first come first served basis.

On Saturday patrons were treated to another sterling performance by the
country’s highest rated three-year-old colt, Act Of War. The Joey
Ramsden-trained star stayed on resolutely to win the Grade 3 Tekkie Town
Winter Guineas under Anton Marcus and appeared to win more easily than the
1,25 length victory margin suggests. It was a commendable performance
especially when considering that it was his first outing since his shock
defeat in the Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby at the end of January and that he
had to do it the hard way from the front. Ramsden said, “It was a pretty
good effort and I wasn’t expecting any more.” Act Of War is entered in the
Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m at Greyville in KZN on June 6,
but owner Markus Jooste’s racing manager Derek Brugman suggested that in
the event of him landing a bad draw in that race he might well avoid it and
instead line up for the second leg of the Winter Series, the Gr 3 Winter
Classic over 1800m on May 31.

Mike Bass’ two rank outsiders Sail For Gold and Royal Dreamer finished
second and third respectively in Saturday’s race.

Earlier, the Justin Snaith-trained Sunset Tripp pulled off a miracle to win
the first leg of the fillies Winter Series, the Listed RTT Sweet Chestnut
Stakes over 1400m, under Richard Fourie. She joined the leader Fear Not
early in the straight but after a tussle at close quarters dropped about a
length back on the inside rail and her chances appeared over. However, her
supporters could hardly believe their eyes when she suddenly rallied back
to get up by a head in a rousing finish from the Bass-trained Seven Grand.
The Greg Ennion-trained Moonsong Magic was only a short-head further back
in third. Sunset Tripp’s delighted owner Greg Bortz was on course to
collect the trophy.