Whenever there's money, there's fire.

The inaugural running of the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup was a huge success, not only for the half million in cash, but for the vibe it generated.

Now, in its aftermath there’s plenty of friendly debate about the future. Firstly, there’s the reality that the cash for next year’s event will be well in excess of R1 million. The proposal (from several trainers and a couple of owners) is to split the race; colts and fillies.

Problem is, its Listed or Black type status. Splitting the race might have the impact of diluting the quality, and might question its entitlement. Secondly, if its worth R1,5 million next year, it will stand alongside the Summer Cup as the 4^th richest race in the country, with only the July, the Met and the Gomma Gomma, ahead of it. That would be a significant milestone.

One solution is to allocate R1 million to the Listed race, and run a consolation for the balance. If the consolation is big enough, (say R500k), it might still attract some of the lesser lights away from the big prize, and still dilute the class.

So we’ve got some thinking to do, and some consulting with our partners, Bob Yearham, at Emperor’s Palace, and the guys at Phumelela and Bloodstock South Africa.

If you have any views, we’d welcome them.