Important changes have been made to the Cape Summer of Champions season schedule. The new calendar will see racing fanatics converge at Kenilworth Racecourse for a third racing day which is being introduced in January 2016.

Investec is partnering with Cape Thoroughbred Sales to bring the Investec Day of Dreams to life. 2016 will be the inaugural year of the three year partnership between Investec and Cape Thoroughbred Sales. The global specialist bank and asset manager Investec, sponsors of the world renowned Derby Festival at Epsom Downs, will treat their valued clients and guests from around the globe to high class South African racing.

Cape Thoroughbred Sales’ COO Adrian Todd, “It is a first for racing on the African continent to see a partnership like this. Not only will this day see the excitement of three great races, it will welcome and house Africa’s richest horse race, the Investec Cape Dream. For the first time in South African thoroughbred history, owners can race for the very handsome stake of one million US dollars.”

“The day will be a sophisticated and vibrant event,” confirmed Investec’s Janet Larsen, “from the world's greatest flat race, the Investec Epsom Derby, to the Investec Day of Dreams, we have the opportunity to set our own bold pace with our partners to create one of South Africa’s most prestigious events.”

No ordinary meeting

Both the grade 1 R1 million Klawervlei Majorca Stakes and the grade 1 R1 million Investec Cape Derby are being moved a week forward from their usual berths on J&B Met day. They will now be held on Saturday 23 January, on the same card as the Cape Thoroughbred Sales’ Investec Cape Dream (previously known as the CTS Million Dollar race) – Africa’s richest thoroughbred race.

The latest news from pioneering bloodstock company, CTS, is that the event will remain in the Western Cape. Adrian Todd confirmed that decision, “An ongoing event of this magnitude needs a permanent home. So, from next year, graduates that qualify for the 1200m race for sprinters and the 1600m contest for milers, will compete in races staged in Cape Town at the Investec Day of Dreams.”

The grade 1 Investec Cape Derby is a traditional three-year-old classic of real importance to the breed, while the grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes also possesses exalted status among the country’s weight for age fillies and mares events.

Significantly, the Investec Day of Dreams coincides with the CTS Cape Premier Yearling Sale, on 21 and 22 January, where discerning buyers from around the world gather to purchase future champions at a unique inner-city sale staged with panache at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.