Cape Winter 3yo Series Name Changes

I see that the Cape Winter Series, formerly the Winter Guineas, Winter Classic and Winter Derby has it name changed to the following,

Winter Guineas to Variety Club Mile
Winter Classic to Legal Eagle Stakes
Winter Derby to Pocket Power Stakes

These races are still Grade 3 races. How does Legal Eagle gets a leg named after it but never contested or won any leg. I understand Pocket Power as he won the "The Triple Crown" and Variety Club the fist leg (Winter Guineas) and became a superstar.

African Night Sky (won all three legs) has been ignored so does Winter Solstice (Multiple Grade 1 winner). Even Sweet Virginia could have been thrown in, won the Winter Classic and Winter Derby. She is the dam of Do It Again and the well performed Horse Of Fortune.

Fair comment Naresh.

naresh wrote: I see that the Cape Winter Series, formerly the Winter Guineas, Winter Classic and Winter Derby has it name changed to the following,

Winter Guineas to Variety Club Mile
Winter Classic to Legal Eagle Stakes
Winter Derby to Pocket Power Stakes

These races are still Grade 3 races. How does Legal Eagle gets a leg named after it but never contested or won any leg. I understand Pocket Power as he won the "The Triple Crown" and Variety Club the fist leg (Winter Guineas) and became a superstar.

African Night Sky (won all three legs) has been ignored so does Winter Solstice (Multiple Grade 1 winner). Even Sweet Virginia could have been thrown in, won the Winter Classic and Winter Derby. She is the dam of Do It Again and the well performed Horse Of Fortune.

I hear the Comrades Marathon might name change to Caster Semenya Marathon - Things like this and the INSANE horse numbering in KZN show why Racing lost so many players - The incumbents are so out of touch with the betting public - They are loath to bestow honors on living human achievers of the sport (Mr Ferraris comes to mind - I know they' finally' gave him a race) but they name a race after a horse that is STILL RUNNING(albeit in PE)

Marinaresco only missed out on the Derby because he went on to run 2nd in the July. Would have been a good choice as well.

Honouring anything associated with Jooste shows how out of touch racing is with reality.

Is there any sort of update on the Jooste saga?

Can anyone confirm that the Cape Town Winter Series for 3yos in future will be open to all ages. Will this also apply to the fillies races has well as there are already listed and Graded races for filles and mares in the Cape during winter like the Final Fling and Champagne Stakes.

It will be a travesty has all of Variety Club, Pocket Power, Winter Solstice, Katak, Marinaresco, African Night Sky and many others have used the series to launch their future career.

As per sportingpost excerpt,

"With the news breaking in a chat with Cape Racing Head Of Racing Operations Justin Vermaak on Saturday that the World Sports Betting Winter Series, which was made up of races restricted to three-year olds, has been opened in 2023 to horses of all ages, Piet Botha and Galactic Path could get another bite at the tasty cherry!"

Very strange, enjoyed this series

Are they going to increase the prize money and take on the KZN season?

I know they struggled to get sufficient fields for these races, especially for the filly races. I also see that the Pocket Power Stakes has changed from a 2400m to 2000m.

Bob Brogan wrote:

Very strange, enjoyed this series

Are they going to increase the prize money and take on the KZN season?

They can increase the stakes but the races will not have Grade One status. Black type is important for stud book purposes and whenever it happens future export of horses. Winter is their rainy season and meetings get cancelled in the Cape. I think two KZN meetings are part of the World Pools during their season now. I doubt the Cape want to put another operator down. You can put all the money down but how do they cover recover their investment in the long term.