Three Gold Rush slots still up for grabs on Met day

Three of the 16 ‘prospector’ slots in the 2024 World Sports Betting Gold Rush II race were still available for purchase this week – at R400,000 a pop.

The second running of this sales race – which is partly modelled on the Everest in Australia, the world’s richest race on turf – has a total stake of R7.5-million and will be run over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on WSB Cape Town Met day, 27 January.

Like the Everest, wealthy prospectors buy places in the starting lineup ahead of the event and can then negotiate a private deal with owners of any horses that eventually qualify for the final field.

It is restricted to three-year-old graduates of the Cape Premier Yearling Sale of two years earlier – in the 2024 case, the 2022 sale. The first prize is a whopping R5-million, second R1-million, graduating down to R400,000 for fifth.

The groom of the winning horse gets R50,000 and all other starters’ grooms R10,000 each. Colts carry 60kg and fillies 57.5kg.

Top 25 Log

This is the 6 December Top 25 Log, based on official merit ratings, with graduates listed in descending order (position, name, age, gender, MR, wins):

1 BAVARIAN BEAUTY 3 F 112 3

2 READY TO CHARGE 3 G 109 2

3 TAIL OF THE COMET 3 C 106 3

4 ICY BLAST 3 G 101 1

5 LEAVING LAS VEGAS 3 F 100 2

6 GLOBAL THUNDER 3 F 98 2

6 CAPTAIN ARROW 3 G 98 2

8 JUST BE LEKKER 3 F 97 2

9 TEFLON MAN 3 C 96 2

10 WILLIAM IRON ARM 3 C 94 2

10 KUPHOLIWE 3 G 94 2

12 RAPIDASH 3 G 93 1

12 CHROME TOURMALINE 3 F 93 2

12 KING OF THE GAULS 3 G 93 2

15 PARATROOPER 3 G 92 1

15 YAMADORI 3 C 92 2

17 WINTER RAINFALL 3 F 90 1

17 SUNSHINE DAY 3 F 90 2

17 FLYING V 3 F 90 2

20 ELUSIVE WINTER 3 G 89 1

21 TAMIL TIGRESS 3 F 88 1

21 INFRARED 3 C 88 1

21 LONGSWORD 3 G 88 1

21 WILLIE JOHN 3 C 88 1

21 COMMON GROUNDS 3 G 88 1

Gold Rush prospectors

The 13 confirmed Gold Rush 11 prospectors to date are World Sports Betting, Ridgemont, Klawervlei Stud, Rikesh Sewgoolam, Jayson Murugasa, Capstone 335, David Abery, Suzette & Basie Viljoen, I L Racing, Mano Pandaram, Laurence Wernars and Hollywoodbets Syndicate.

For further information on qualifying criteria, specific race conditions, available slots and links to the upcoming CPYS auction on Thursday 25 January 2024, check out www.caperacingsales.co.za/gold-rush-ii/