Western Cape Long term Sustainability Mid season 2022 2023

I do read so yes lotsa positive vibes around Cape Race/ Mr Braun and Co are definitely getting the job done, however is it sustainable with so few viable Trainers ( actually running business for profit). Jocks can fly in.
Owners flexible

Here are the stats

WC Races

Total 3040 runners 285 race winners 41.9 million excluding Restricted races

41 trainers(19 visiting trainers)

Visitors raced 212 runners (7% of runners). Won 19 races and 3.45 million in stakes.

22 Local Trainers (Humby and Wrensch included as WC trainers)
2828 runners 266 winners 38.4 million stakes.

all good so far, but here is the challenge

Top 3 trainers 1238 of 2828 local runners 44% of all runners
Top 3 trainers 156 of 266 local winners 59% of all winners
Top 3 trainers 22.1 of 38.4 million of local stakes . 58% of all stakes.

Question:
How long will the 19 remaining trainers persevere?
Why would small owners think they have chance if not in with the top 3 yards?

Excellence should be striven for but monopolies are also no desirable.

When it is the off season, the size of the fields will determine if it is sustainable.

You cannot keep pumping in money and not recoup your investment in the long term.

It's all about the passion for the game...these passionate people have enough money to sustain the game and its their reserves that are currently keeping things afloat and saving so many industry related jobs.

Off course at some stage the bubble will burst and economics will come into the limelight.Until this occurs may the racing continue.

Hi Sylvester

I have read your comment, as well as the subsequent comments. Thank you for the post.

In response:

1. Just to clarify, I think you meant to Mr Bortz and not Mr Braun :

2. I know your comment / this thread was started a few days ago. I want to make sure you saw the press release we just put out regarding the boosted stakes and incentive in the winter months. This is a huge boost to our "off season" racing, and our entire trainer's ranks.

3. These boosted stakes and saddling / appearance fees make a MASSIVE difference to all trainers, but in particular the smaller yards. The quantum of these funds, together with the fact that even the owner's portion is paid to the trainer (to credit the owner's account) has been a sometimes life altering cash flow enhancer.

4. As to someone's comment to this thread (forgive me - I do not recall their handle) as to how long can I continue funding this, the answer really is as long as I choose to. That said, I have quickly come to realise that despite racing in the Cape dying, and my efforts to save it, it is impossible to please everyone. I must confess I have found some of the negative comments in the face of nothing but good faith efforts to save racing somewhat bewildering and frustrating. The point being, there is a far greater likelihood that my will and desire to keep doing this runs out a long time before my capital! I have bumped up stakes dramatically, and tried to correct some of the obvious deficiencies in Cape racing, only to be told by someone that the chicken they ate at the Met was tough and the potatoes cold. I am trying to save racing, not the chicken! That is just one example - I could literally point to hundreds.

5. Your point about the "monopoly" of the biggest trainers in Cape Town is absolutely valid. Those stats you quoted are stats reviewed by myself and Justin Vermaak a few days ago. This issue is a massive issue, and is one of our greatest challenges. It is one of the primary reasons why we launched RaceCape, and why we are paying these appearance fees. We have materially moved the needle for the smaller trainers. Ask them. That said, that is simply a short term band aid, not a fix. We must do more. And I can promise you we are evaluating multiple options.

These include, for example, me (Cape Racing) buying horses and leasing them to the smaller trainers for a nominal sum as well as a host of others. There is no magic bullet here, but rest assured we are not blind to the issue. Finding the solution is another matter entirely.

But at this point, the following should be clear:

- the level of my funding of racing in the Cape is significant, and not decreasing
- we are trying new things all the time
- we are killing ourselves to fix racing, with zero payout at the end, for the SOLE PURPOSE OF ALLOWING THE SPORT TO CONTINUE SO WE CAN ALL INDULGE OUR PASSIONS

All I ask for is everyone's continued support and input! I need to hear everyone's good ideas!

Thanks again

Greg

Wow. Amazing transparency and no bullshit reply. Appreciated.
Admire your passion. I wish my bank balance through all this lasts long enough to enjoy the fruits of your patience.
The challenges are great… I admire your courage.
Thank you.
If for nothing else, Mr Bortz, let the history books acknowledge your effort..

Mr. Bortz. You come across as a cool, calm and collected person on TV and in your responses here.
Further than that, and more importantly, you are incredibly knowledgeable, and Western Cape racing is extremely lucky to have you choose to try to keep their once sinking ship afloat. It is clear that with the resources at your disposal, you could be doing anything you wanted to, and not listening to complaints about the food on course.

Well done to you, and I hope we get to hear more of you on TV during the Gauteng season. My feedback on the smaller trainers not winning as much is to stop trying to play with horses merit ratings and race readiness to have the punt, and actually prepare the horse to run its best always, and maybe then your strike rate will improve. Not saying this is applicable to all smaller trainers, and perhaps not all trainers are created equally talent wise as well, but this will definitely be a good starting point.

@Greg we stopped receiving press releases about 5 or 6 months ago

Bob Brogan wrote:

@Greg we stopped receiving press releases about 5 or 6 months ago

There is an article in Sportingpost on their plan for the Cape Winter Season.

I have noticed that the Champagne Stakes which is run in July will now be in April and the Olympic Duel Stakes has also moved to a different month. The Olympic Duel Stakes was always first. The Final Fling Stakes distance is now 2000m, it was 1800m.

It will be nice if the new management, can go back to the original names of the Winter Classic series for the 3yo's of both sexes.

The previous winter triple is now for 3yo's and above so not a 3yo series anymore. Previously there were no WC pattern features for older (>3yo) males from March through August and that is now corrected by opening up this series to all-comers, except that the new conditions exclude horses that have won two or more open Grade 1 WFA races. That effectively excludes only Al Muthana of in-training horses. You can find the new conditions for the Variety Club Mile here - www.sahorseracing.co.za/Programs/WC/202304.pdf (page 10 of 14).

@Greg_Bortz

Under your leadership, your executive and management team can be proud of the incredile achievments realised in the short-term, considering that 4Q not only dropped the ball but shamelessly delivered a spectacular hospital pass to you guys after mismanaging Kenilworth Racing into technical insolvency.

Die hard racing fans like me (who may sometimes come across like somewhat tilt critics) appreciate your selfless financial and personal contribution which to date is unrivalled in the industry.

You guys deserve the accolades for the all the successes achieved to date.

PS. About the tough chicken - take it on the chin bro - surely by now you have been in the Cape long enough to know that many of the locals are born with no front teeth, they never grow any during their lifetime and to top it all, they have never been visited by the tooth fairy. Surely the conduct of your head-chef's and catering manager was foul on the day call on Colonol Sanders on Derby Day.

......@ Sly.... when I 1st saw your post I had a little giggle.....and dont know if you were purposefully trying to bait the bigger fish or all names sound very the same....but oddly not unique as the average racing man dont know the difference between Braun... Bortz or even Oscar.....as I recently was chatting to an ex-jock who I thought had offed himself in a tragic gun related accident.....talk about the broken telephone but he had all these okes confused too....
and I had to explain who's who in the simplest possible way......:S

.....but kudos to Greg and co for all that they have done thus far and hope it lasts to make racing better for all.....:whistle:

@naresh not read the Sporting Post in years