Two million is an awful lot of money, no matter what you’re worth. That’s the value of this year’s Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup, making it the third richest race in the land after the July and the Met. When you think of the odds of getting a shot at it, restricted as the race is to graduates of the Ready To Run Sale, it’s the best deal in the business. entries of the race are part of the folklore of our sport, the shining example being the “one-two” finish to this year’s Vodacom Durban July, Igugu and Pierre Jourdan. The latter was South Africa’s biggest earner (R3.8million) in 2010, while Igugu took home R4.1million (including her Triple Tiara bonus) in the season just completed, and they remind us of the old adage “There’s a horse for everyone in the Ready To Run”. The Ready to Run Sale’s ascent to the top of the nation’s popularity stakes lies in the fact that it is open to the rich and the not-so-rich, where relatively unwanted urchins of the sales ring, like Imbongi, Hear the Drums and Pierre Jourdan, can all be bought for R60 000 or less, while Igugu and her vanquisher in last year’s Ready to Run Cup, Hollywoodboulevard, command the other end of the price spectrum.
It’s worth remembering that 2010 was another milestone for big-earning graduates of the sale, as Imbongi became the leading money-maker at the Dubai Racing Carnival and Hear the Drums assumed the mantle of the winning most racehorse in South African history.
Race entries are often over-subscribed at this time of year, and the organisers of the Ready To Run Cup are keenly aware of this. They’ve managed to solicit the co-operation of the various racing centres in the staging of five trials, in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, for would-be candidates of the Cup, all of which are guaranteed a run in these events. The promoters have added R20 000 to the prize money on offer, and while the trials are still open to other runners, the condition is that RTR entries get preference. This way, aspirants get a clear run on their way to the R2million pot of gold.
Here are the trial dates:
Johannesburg
Tuesday, 4th October 1200m Vaal Turf Track
Tuesday, 18th October 1400m Turffontein (Night race)
Durban
Friday, 7th October 1300m Greyville (Night race)
Sunday, 16th October 1400m Greyville
Cape Town
Wednesday, 5th October 1200m Durbanville
Like last year, a panel representing the NHA, Phumelela and Gold Circle has been entrusted with the responsibility of selecting the final field, and they will begin compiling their log for the event along much the same lines as the Durban July log, in next week’s edition of the Sporting Post. It will also appear on Tellytrack, and whilst the log is not necessarily definitive as far as final invitations are concerned, it does provide connections with a basis for strategic planning.
Dates to remember :
Gallops -Summerhill Stud: Friday, 14th October
Gallops – Turfontein: Wednesday, 12th October
R2million Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup Turffontein: Saturday, 5th November
Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale TBA Sales Complex, Germiston: Sunday, 6th November
