South African racing operators 4Racing and Race Coast have announced a series of nationwide changes aimed at creating greater consistency across race programming and operational processes.

The changes, largely effective from 1 November 2026, will align key racing procedures across Gauteng, the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

Key changes

MR Handicap programming: A return to traditional MR Handicap race categories nationally.
Race conditions: Standardised race conditions, elimination procedures and race cancellation criteria.
Supplementary entries: To be introduced for minor races in Gauteng and the Eastern Cape, bringing them into line with the Western Cape and KZN.
Barrier draws: Minor race draws will be conducted at final-field stage nationally.
Saddle-cloth numbers: Numbers will correspond with barrier positions across all racing centres.
Race cards: Runners will be carded according to barrier position rather than weight or alphabetical order.
Reserve runners: Reserves will take the barrier position of the scratched horse they replace.

The changes are designed to provide a more consistent South African racing product and make races easier to follow for both domestic and international audiences.

“Each region has its own unique characteristics,” said 4Racing’s Colin Gordon, who welcomed the spirit of cooperation between the two operators.

Race Coast Chief Operations Officer Dean Sawarjith said the move towards more uniform racing and programming protocols had the backing of both operators and represented an important step forward for stakeholders.

“The benefits to the broader SA racing industry must always be our collective first consideration,” Sawarjith said.

Stakes investment increases

The changes come alongside increased stakes investment from both operators:

Race Coast: Combined stakes investment across the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal has increased to R270 million, up 20% on the previous year.
A new Race Coast stakes structure will take effect from 1 November, with funds from the Race Coast Incentive Scheme redirected into the stakes pool.
4Racing: An additional R22 million will be invested across the Eastern Cape and Highveld through to the end of February 2027.
The Eastern Cape increase takes effect from 1 October, followed by the Highveld from 1 November.

The alignment marks an important step towards a more consistent national racing framework and a more unified presentation of South African racing to international audiences.

Source: Joint media release from 4Racing and Race Coast.