Huge purse for Cape race in million

The Cape Thoroughbred Sales (CTS) Million Dollar is restricted to graduates of two CTS yearling sales held in Cape Town in 2014. But it’s the talk of South African horseracing because it offers prize money on a scale not seen before in this country.

The connections of the winner will walk away with more than R8 million, which is more than double the gross stake of the R4-million President’s Champions Challenge, presently the second-richest race on the national calendar.

Two other major races that were formerly part of the J&B Met Day programme will be run at this afternoon’s Kenilworth meeting – the R1-million Investec Cape Derby and the R1-million Klawervlei Majorca Stakes. Joburg raider Brazuca and home-town runner Black Arthur are dominating the betting of the Derby and are at 13-10 and 5-2 respectively with bookmaking chain Betting World.

Top four-year-old filly Same Jurisdiction is attracting steady support in the Majorca Stakes and her odds have been trimmed to 9-10. She was a bit disappointing in the Paddock Stakes last time out, but was badly drawn and reverts to her best distance this afternoon.

Champion three-year-old filly Silver Mountain is hot favourite for the Million Dollar and with good cause, because she is exceptionally well treated under the weight conditions. Silver Mountain is trained in the Cape by Mike Bass, whose daughter and assistant Candice Robinson said this week the filly was in good shape.

“It will probably be a rough race but I can only hope we are in the right place and she stays out of trouble. She’s run against a lot of these colts and beaten them.” Silver Mountain was heavily backed yesterday afternoon and her odds have been cut to 9-10, while there is also support for Exit Here, now at 6-1 from 7s.

Exit Here is trained in Durban by Charles Laird and comes into the contest off five consecutive victories.