Racing in Cape Town

Some points -

1) I agree with Oscar - love or hate PGL, the point remains that without the overseas strategies, soccer six etc and those developments, we would all be racing for Rosettes and meagre little stakes cheques. FACT !

2) We all (myself included) love to sling off, from time to time, along the lines of PGL having lost focus on our Racing, whilst they focus rather on the abovementioned, instead of developing our own Racing exclusively. When we do this, we forget three very vital points -

a) Local Turnover cannot sustain local Racing on its own, in its current form.
b) PGL are showing a profit.
c) Gold Circle, who are PGL's " partners" in these overseas and alternate betting ventures, have done sweet fanny all about developing these markets, yet they benefit from them, a free ride, as such.

3) What we also seem to overlook, then, are 2 other points -

a) Where would Gold Circle be, without their share of PGL's "other" ventures ? They would be in huge trouble !
b) Gold Circle who concentrate ONLY on local Racing, should be making millions more than PGL, who have " lost focus"....??

As for Cape Racing -

1) The current fixtures (as well as the fixtures for next year) have been agreed upon by themselves, long before PGL's involvement. Just as we have a substantial reduction in meetings up here on Turf in Winter, so too does Cape Racing have a weaker part of their Season, in Winter.
2) In about March of this year, CT lost a meeting due to there being only about 30 acceptors for an entire 8 race meeting. To run that meeting would have resulted in huge losses in turnover. The demand was evidently not there.
3) During CT's upcoming season, there are months where they have 10 meetings for those months. It's all there, in the fixtures.
4)Cape Racing is excellent. The passion down there is unrivalled. The Region is set for huge growth in the next few years.
5)The CT Trainers cleaned up in KZN during Winter. No more need be said, about their quality.

To me , Racing is about a Season, about a period of time. Once we start looking at horses on a weekly basis, in terms of whether they are running or earning this week or not, we will be very pressured.

My thoughts on Kimberley are divided. Is Kimberley really self sustaining or is it profitable because of it being a "Monday" raceday ? Would, for example, Durbanville on Mondays, not do the same ? (or better ?) I dont know the answer.

Louis,I have to take you to task on 2 issues:
"Local Turnover cannot sustain Local racing on its own,in its current form"
This is not a natural phenomena or a quirk of nature............it has been managed into that situation.............the clue:"in it's current form"!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND

"Cape Racing is excellent"............pleasant it may be..... but excellent????why can't it survive without susidy then..............the promise of growth and thriving has been promised for ages...............lets see the evidence!

@ Rob

Please supply facts and actual figures.

And also , pray tell who and how it has been managed into that situation. Details, facts. (and please include Gold Circle)

As for Cape Town.....

1) If cleaning up in the KZN Season isnt excellence, then I dont know what is.
2) Are the supposed dwindling turnovers in CT also going to be blamed on PGL, very much like anything bad that happens in SA today, is still blamed on Apartheid ?
3)If the off Season in any province becomes the yardstick, then we might have missed the point.

Well said...lets see how many GC members will be at the meeting at Kenilworth on 16th......open forum!

Louis,you made the statement,so what must I prove?
I agree with what you said...........,just not it's inevitability.
My point is,if you are right, and local racing can ONLY survive if subsidised by soccer and overseas racing,You surely need a new career fast....................subsidy will never continue forever in a corporate environment(I don't know how many shareholder or board meetings you have attended but subsidy seldom forms part of the strategy!)
Cape Town racing's financial straits were evident long before PGL(in and out of season) so that "apartheid" comment is just out of place.
Similarly,cleaning up is great,but if survival depends on subsidy,the same rules apply.

Don't believe the cliche.............it always ends up being about the money!

Anyway ,I don't depend on SA racing,I don't have horses,so I don't have to hope I'm right...........I,and and the other punters will just adjust,and move on!

Without going into detail there are many owners who are worried as regards the racing situation in the Cape..thats a fact. JD I have never said that I agree with how Phum run racing nor my support for dividends BUT I do say that at the end of the day without intervention racing in Jhb would have been in the same position Cape racing is today. I agree fully with Louis G.

The situation in the Cape is an old issue. To quote one of the writers in 1988:

STAKES

The only shadow on the sunny months ahead is stakes, the substantial increases made in Natal and then the TVL once again leaving the Cape at a tremendous disadvantage.We have the horses, we have the climate,we have the setting but we simply donot have the money or the gambling population to provide it.And there is about as much chance of changing the situation as there is of replacing Table Mountain with a row of mine dumps.

It would be unwise to interfere with the autonomy of race clubs; if they have the money and see fit to increase stakes, then they must; but at the same time one should not close one's eyes to the consequences.

The way things are going points to more and more local trainers eventually being forced to use the Cape simply as a resting base between the Natal winter season and the occasional forays into the TVL.No one can blame them.But if only the poorer class horses are left to race here then the interest of the Cape racing public will wane.They will turn to other pastimes of which there are many here and the whole standard of racing will deteriorate steadily.When this happens it will not only be Cape racing that will suffer but racing everywhere. UNQUOTE.

Looking at the last paragraph poorer class of horses? KZN has had this problem ongoing yet the racing public continue to support bravely.
Other pastimes? No Grand west and Lotto etc in 1988.

Good post mikesack..unfortunately as some on this forum would seem to prefer that they just close ones eyes to the consequences..well the consequences are right here right now!

oscar Wrote:

---

> I fear that if nothing is done within the next
> year, Cape racing could disappear. Unless a large
> organization willing to make significant losses
> takes over then it will be no more.

I am a racing fanatic. It has been 34 years since my first bet. If you include breeding, at one point I owned about 50 horses. In one way or another I have earned money from racing for 35 years.

My approach to racing was from the bottom. I never knew anyone who owned a horse, but I worked at a tote in an industrial area while I was at high school. While I was there, the manual system was replaced by a computerised system which forced the local clubs to work together. Totes which closed before the first race began to stay open and TVs made the off course bigger than the race course ten fold.

It was years later that I first went to a race course. I knew about tote betting, but nothing about racing horses or proper betting with bookmakers. I remember dumbly asking questions like "what's a graduation plate" and "umm, how did that horse drop his bit?".

For a long time I never missed a meeting, and there was hardly anyone I hadn't met. In CT things got very good. New stands were built and anybody could own a horse. Suddenly ordinary cars started pulling up to smaller stables next to the Rolls Royces at the big yards, and more importantly, comfortably off people where buying horses that could win big races. I can't remember what was happening in the other provinces but in Cape Town small trainers were winning Grade 1 races and raced horses started to become available for sale at a price. Up till then, the Rolls Royces didn't sell horses if they came good.

Ok, what's he point of this long tale? Well, this thread was started on the suggestion that Cape Racing could dissappear within the next year. No one I have ever met has owned a horse and expected to even break even. There is something about owning a racehorse that must be similar to being the parent of an Olympic athlete. Words like hope, fast, win, bet, time, shit-in, lunch, champagne etc etc are used a lot..but not income, balances sheat etc. I don't think they are going to dissappear.

As grim as the thread may imply, stables are full, the quality of horses isn't just high...it's been top for decades. Cape Town may end up with a main season and a poor off season, and it could end up being a nursery to find talent. But it is the main source of thoroughbred horses for this country, and if we manage to crash it completely one thing is certain, SA Racing is going to be a two legged potjie, and they just fall over.

Very interesting thread with many valid points but would guess when Lord Derby had the match race in 19 canteen that he never dreamt that Frankel and Black Caviar would be filling race tracks and we will have our ups and downs but the game will continue long after we have all gone to the racetrack in the sky.

Enjoy!

Louis, some of the points you make are very open for debate. Could it be that the alternate revenues were required to give a dividend return to investors following the listing of Phum.?
In one breath the CPT trainers nominate 30 horses for an 8 race card & the next you say they are passionate & things are happening....... confusing.
Things are happening but for a few trainers connected to Stud farms or big patrons for the rest its business as usual.
I agree the Cape Trainers did well this winter season but I wouldn't blow so much hot air up their butts or we will be looking for them on Mars. I respect the efforts of Greg Enion but on closer inspection what do the results reveal?
All is Secret - Jooste & Miller R800k yearling
Jackson - Longmore & Mitchell R1 million yearling
Pricess Vic - Jaffee's
Master Plan - Crabbia
In Writing - Field Spring Racing

All small owners and cheap horses and none of the owners are breeders........

I am surprised you are still in Gauteng with the predicted sunny future in Cape Town.......