One Stripe surges home in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate (Picture: Wayne Marks).
The Big Cap is the highlight of the final meeting of the Cape Summer Festival Of Racing and the Sporting Post wrote an article which provides an insight into what the R5 million race is all about (read below).
The inaugural running of the R5 million CRS Big Cap at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on 16 March, the final day of the inaugural Cape Racing Sales Festival, is set to host what could be the final local appearance of internationally-bound dual Gr1-winning 3yo star One Stripe.
The Vaughan Marshall – trained One Stripe put in a nice gallop at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Wednesday morning, with Gavin Lerena jetting in to partner him.
The 1400m Big Cap is open to all CRS sales graduates.
With massive stakes paid down to sixth finisher, and the race conditions dictating that no merit rating penalties will be incurred for the placed and unplaced runners, there is every incentive for owners and trainers to take their chances.
There are still slots available at R325 000 per gate.
Current slot-holders:
Hollywood Racing
Snaith Racing (The Grey King)
Snaith Racing (Makazole)
Snaith Racing (Great Plains)
Rikesh Sewgoolam
Dayalan Chinsammy Racing
Triple 8 Clothing
MF de Kock Racing Stables
Kaiboy and Aldo Domeyer team up again today (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Kaiboy is at 11 on the big race log (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The Big Cap headlines the Cape Racing Festival Sales Day, a high value racemeeting that will offer bumper stakes racing from R6,5 million this year, increasing to R10 million over the initial three years.
The Big Cap was modelled on the Everest concept introduced in Australia, and has been featured successfully previously in South Africa when run as the ‘Gold Rush’.
Here are the Big Cap weights conditions:
Open to Graduates of all Cape Racing Sales
Benchmark at 53,0 kg = 96
Maximum Weight to be 62,0 kg
Penalties for 3-year-olds:
In addition, further penalties to accrue as follows for races won in the period 13 months prior to the date of issuing of weights –
Winner of a Grade 1 . . . . . . . . . 2,5 kg
Winner of a Grade 2 . . . . . . . . . 1,0 kg
Maximum Weights:
3-year old C and G . . . . . . 60,0 kg
3-year old Fillies . . . . . . . . 57,5 kg
4yo & over C and G . . . . . . 62,0 kg
4yo & over F and Mares. . . 60,0 kg
Penalties not cumulative
There will be no rating increase for placed & unplaced horses.
Sex Allowance of 2,0 kg for Fillies and Mares
Cape Racing Executive: Racing & Bloodstock Justin Vermaak explained that the CRS Big Cap will be run as a handicap, with conditions, but that importantly, there will be no merit rating penalties for placed horses.
“With the massive drawcard of champion 3yo One Stripe (132) in the mix, it’s clearly a consideration for lower-rated runners to take their chances. As we found with a race like the recent SplashOut Gr1 Cape Derby, that attracted only six opponents to take on the standout 127-rated Eight On Eighteen, connections are wary of accruing big penalties,” said Vermaak, who added that the large spread at the weights will ensure that a vast group of graduates come into the race with a chance.
“You will appreciate that as the Big Cap offers a more extended spread, it creates a more level playing field, as handicap racing is intended to do. At only R325 000 a slot, we still have slots open, and it opens up a broader list of potential slot owners. In keeping with our philosophy of acknowledging a very important sector of the horseracing eco-system, the groom of each runner will receive a payment of R12 500.”
Here is the latest log:
Age Sex Horse MR WEIGHTS
1 3 C ONE STRIPE 132 60,0
2 4 F FRANCES ETHEL 117 60,0
3 3 C ALL OUT FOR SIX 112 58,0
4 3 G GREAT PLAINS 112 58,0
5 4 G COASTAL COMMANDER 106 58,0
6 3 F VJ’S ANGEL 119 57,5
7 3 G BJORN IRONSIDE 110 57,0
8 3 G BOUNDLESS ENERGY 109 56,5
9 3 F ALMOND SEA 112 56,0
10 4 G INFRARED 101 55,5
11 3 G KAIBOY 106 55,0
12 3 G MAKAZOLE 106 55,0
13 4 F PASSCHENDAELE 104 55,0
14 3 G TALK TO THE MASTER 105 54,5
15 3 C TAXI TO THE MOON 105 54,5
16 4 F JUST BE LEKKER 103 54,5
17 3 G MUSICAL SCORE 104 54,0
18 4 G THE GREY KING 98 54,0
19 4 G THE SHEPHERD 98 54,0
20 3 F LITTLE BALLERINA 104 53,0
21 3 G MASTER CASPER 98 53,0
22 3 G CAPTAIN WEST 97 53,0
23 3 G GOLDEN RULE 97 53,0
24 4 G CONNERY 96 53,0
25 3 C EMPIRE STATE 96 53,0
26 4 G THE ABDICATOR (IRE 96 53,0
27 3 G MISTER SPEAKER 95 53,0
28 4 F MISS HANNIGAN 97 51,5
29 3 F SORCERESS SUPREME 101 51,0
30 3 F I’M SO PRITTI 100 51,0
Entries for the Big Cap are due by 11h00 on Friday 7 March, on which date weights will be published.
Declarations are due by 11h00 on Monday 10 March.
The final field of a maximum 16 runners with up to 6 reserve runners, will be determined by the CRS Big Cap Committee at their sole discretion at final acceptances.
The field will be embargoed and announced on Monday 10 March 2025 at an event to be announced and where the barrier draws will be done.
