When the CTS group issued an invitation to a media briefing this week, I suspected that there might be something big on the cards. I was right. In the run up to the 2013 Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 2, the Cape Thoroughbred Sale Group has announced what they consider the ‘greatest racing challenge ever in South Africa.’
Already known for innovations such as paying vendors within 30 days of sale and allowing purchasers 60 days to settle, the CTS Group have now come up with yet another ground-breaking initiative. They are launching a 3 YO Challenge Series, to be the exclusive reserve of graduates of the Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 2. The Challenge will offer a one-off opportunity for Book 2 graduates to go head to head over a 1400m race in February of their 3YO year and compete for a stake of R2,5 million. The first place stake will be a cool R1,1 million, with stakes being paid all the way down to 10th place.
At this stage, the Challenge consists of a series of 3 races which will be run in February 2015 in Johannesburg, in February 2016 in Cape Town and February 2017 in Durban. All the races will be contested over 1400m. In lines with their Ready To Run initiative, CTS are building in a R5,000 race levy (which for this year will be paid by the buyer), in order to fund the bonus race.
But wait, there’s more ! In addition to the Challenge Series, CTS have put together a Trainer Challenge, which will award a R1 million bonus to the trainer in charge of the 2013 Book 2 graduate amassing the most total career earnings by the end of its 3 YO career. Interestingly, the trainer bonus is limited to earnings on South African tracks, making it a uniquely local incentive. When I asked Adrian Todd why a trainer bonus, he said “The R2.5 million bonus is an owner reward. The trainers are the guys who buy the horses and we wanted to give them something back too.”
Adrian Todd says that CTS are continuously looking for ways to improve the market place for buyers as well as vendors and that this race series is a way to give everyone across the board something to strive for. He hopes that their new initiatives will be enough to get everyone encouraged, incentivised and involved. The trainer challenge in particular, with the fact that it is tied into the earnings of each individual horse and that those earnings must be local, throws the door wide open to anyone who wants to have a go.
The Book 2 catalogue boasts a good mix of sires and studs and while they feel that they have upped the standards and increased the overall quality of the draft on offer, they assure me that there will still be value to be had and are confident that buyers and trainers alike can look forward to finding the horse of their dreams at the 2013 Book 2 sale.
While exciting incentives and flashy launches are all very impressive, we were reminded that there was a very serious message behind it all. Chris van Niekerk is no stranger to catchy sound bites and obligingly supplied us with another – “There’s no such thing as a free lunch – do the right thing – buy a racehorse!”
The 2013 CTS Book 2 sale will be held at Durbanville racecourse on 23rd and 24th of March 2013.
Campbell Gillies
A Song For Campbell
Somewhat further afield (which I am very grateful for after the weather reports I’ve been hearing!), this week is also Cheltenham week and since my encounters with Mark Boylan, the young Irish singing sensation from County Offaly in Ireland, for me the Cheltenham week is always synonymous with Mark’s cheeky smile and cheery lyrics.
In 2010 a host of British racing celebrities got together to record a charity single. Star contributors included Tony McCoy, Paul Nicholls, Mick Fitzgerald, Nicky Henderson, John McCririck and Bob Champion and they rearranged the words to Petula Clark’s 60s hit “Downtown” and turned it into “Cheltenham” with the proceeds going to a host of UK racing charities.
Mark has been a lifelong racing enthusiast and the Cheltenham song inspired him to record his own version which he posted on Youtube. It soon went viral and a UK record producer invited Mark and his family to attend Cheltenham 2010. Mark was so fired up by his visit that he then penned his own tribute song to Cheltenham, titled “The Festival”.
What started out in the racing media quickly caught on in the wider community and the story about the racing mad Irish lad and his guitar spilled over into several mainstream news publications including the Irish Independent, the NY Times and ESPN. The Racing Post took things a step further by flying Mark to their London headquarters to record his song and a promotional video. He appeared on several TV channels and performed his song in the Cheltenham parade ring in front of 60,000 people during the Festival centenary in March 2011.
He followed this up with a tribute song to the American Breeders Cup. Again, Mark’s infectious enthusiasm resulted in him and his family being invited to the US racing festival for Mark to perform his song “Stateside”.
Last year Mark penned a tribute to the mighty Kauto Star which he sang in front of adoring crowds at Gold Cup Friday at Cheltenham. Unbeknown to Mark, he also had a fan in the jockey room in up and coming young National Hunt jockey, Campbell Gilllies. Last March, on Gold Cup Friday, Campbell Gillies piloted Lucinda Russell’s Brindisi Breeze to victory in the Gr1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. Fellow jockey Brian Hughes later reported that Campbell had played the Kauto Star CD all the way home.
Unfortunately the joy was short-lived. Brindisi Breeze died in a freak accident in May and his popular young jockey drowned while celebrating his birthday in Greece last June.
Mark says he was inundated with requests to write a tribute song, but was hesitant at first as he had never met Campbell and was nervous of not doing him justice. However, after Campbell’s mother gave her blessing, Mark got to work.
He took his responsibilities seriously and spent a lot of time talking to Campbell’s friends and fellow jockeys. He says he had to be careful to get the tone just right – he wanted the song to be serious without being morbid and inserted some commentary of Campbell’s win on Brindisi Breeze to soften the mood a bit.
It seems Mark got it spot on and the song launched to massive appeal. It reached 65 in the overall UK charts and peaked at no 35 in the download charts above the likes of Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj (who I’m told are quite a big deal with the young).
I was excited to hear the song as I’ve kept in touch with Mark and followed his career for the past few years. I’ve seen the tiny boy with his enormous guitar and infectious enthusiasm blossom into an accomplished and confident young man whose music and lyrics mature with every effort. I downloaded my copy from iTunes (with a little help from the SO) and was not disappointed.
Mark’s voice has changed and matured and the song has been studio recorded. It is quite simply beautiful. And better than that, it is a celebration of a young life, lived to the full, doing what they loved best – racing. Mark will be at the festival again this year and performs his new song in the Best Mate enclosure this Friday.
As is his habit, Mark is donating all proceeds of the song to the Injured Jockeys Fund. When I ask why this particular charity, Mark responds “Racing is a massive part of my life, every day after school I’m straight on the computer to check the results or switch on the TV and I become a little bit obsessive about the whole thing.
I sit down to eat my dinner thinking about how a certain horse will do in a certain trial and my head is just full of racing racing racing. And without everyone that makes racing, you can’t have the sport. Over here the average riding fee is £175.
The jockeys go round at 30-40 mph and Mick Fitzgerald has compared coming off a horse to falling off a train. Many guys get injured and in some very sad cases even lose their lives doing what they love. In 2011 a guy called Peter Toole got injured at Aintree and will never ride again, but even so, he is still crazy about racing and now helps out at a trainer’s yard. Without the help of the IJF, people like that will never have the chance to be a part of the life they’ve chosen to devote their lives to.”
“Campbell’s mum told me that the IJF was instrumental in bringing his body back from Greece and immediately I said to myself the proceeds have to go to them. Being such a big racing fan, I feel it’s important to give something back.”
A copy of A Song For Campbell can be downloaded from the iTunes store for £0.79 (Approximately R10) and all proceeds go to the Injured Jockey Fund.
As a bit of fun, I have persuaded my talented young friend to pen an account of his Cheltenham experiences which I am thrilled to say will be run as a guest column in the next weekend edition of the Sporting Post – don’t forget to grab your copy!
