Grade one Racing Calendar

so we have 30 races that make the grade.

AUG gets none
SEPT gets none
OCT get none
NOV gets the SUMMER CUP
DEC gets TWO. Fillies restricted and 3 year old Restricted
JAN gets SIX 2restricted fillies 1 >> 3 year old Restricted
FEB gets none
MAR gets none
APR gets FOUR 2 restricted fillies 1 >> 3 year old Restricted
MAY gets EIGHT 5 restricted
JUN gets THREE 2 restricted
JUL gets SIX 3 restricted

so 13 of 30 are open to older horses

4 are sprint events
4 are the big ones SUMMER CUP , MET , PRESIDENT CUP , JULY
3 are 1 mile races
2 others

21 of the 30 Take place in the last 4 months
5 months get none.

CPT gets 8
JHB gets 9
KZN gets 13

In my opinion More should go Cape season (all the top horses are there), Less to gauteng, PE deserve one
not enough unrestricted Grade ones.

and the GOLD CUP Grade 3?? GOLD VASE GRADE 3?? GOLD BOWL grade 3 ??? not sure if the RA event over 3200 on summer CUP had a diff name previously. Not good enough

Cant believe the Gold Cup is a Grade 3 now Remember growing up in my childhood watching, Aquanaut, Castle Walk, Tropicante and Illustrador winning the Gold Cup.

Posted this before...

There is only a single Grade 1 event from 2400m to 3600m left on our calendar and that is the SA Derby. They are correct by taking the average merit rating of the runners in a Graded event to determine the Grade status but with so many of our top runners leaving our shores for greener pastures, we are having a problem. Also breeders are breeding for speed instead of stamina throughout the world.

My take is that our premier races should keep their Grade 1 Status like the Gold Cup because there is no way our horses are on par with International runners with the same merit rating. Its like the SA Championships 100m being compared to the Jamaican Championships 100m, because the times are not fast, we cant call it the SA Championships!!!!

Proportionate to the total number of races we had too many Gr1's and told to cut, according to overseas big wigs. I can remember the SA Sprint being Gr1. Durban Guineas Gr1 too.

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So our powers that be listen to the overseas bigwigs!!!. Pity they don't take advice from them on a number of other just as important matters pertaining to running racing. But dream on . There are a number of great models out there to aspire to if they so wished.

We don't have decent stayers...there is no attempt to encourage runners beyond 2000m...our GC is probably one of 5 staying events in a season...

Cant have stayers if less than 10 races programmed in a 6 month period over 2400m and further. Later maturing horses go to P.E as there are many more races there than KZN.

Only a trainer would be up at this time on a Sunday

Morning James

Yes Dave, working on Interbet podcast then Winning ways for tomorrow and then racing.
In Between reading latest posts on ABC and commenting if worth the input. Racing at greyville with some nice runners later. Then relax watching Arsenal, actually most frustrating!!
Hows that for a sunday?

the good wrote: Cant have stayers if less than 10 races programmed in a 6 month period over 2400m and further. Later maturing horses go to P.E as there are many more races there than KZN.

Many of our horses are just plain slow... they don't have natural speed.... I honestly believe that way more races in the lower MR range should be programmed 1800m to 3200m. These slower types often are actually stayers but trainers have to try to get them into 1600m races as there are too few distance races for stayers and these guys just cant match natural speed and end up looking dismal. I believe that natural speed can be improved to a point but every horse has a certain amount of stamina which can be improved radically if there are correct races for them.

My point exactly Mr H. Try and find lower rated 2400 to 3200 in Kzn.Its impossible to develop stayers who normally only start maturing at 4.