Durban ready for big party

INLSA

Miss South Africa, Melinda Bam, wearing a Haroun Hansrot design, meets another beauty, Vodacom Durban July runner Beach Beauty at Dennis Driers stables at Summerveld. Turn to page 3 to read Bams reaction to rumours about her pull-out from the Miss World competition in China.

The fashion will be fantastic, celebrities and their fans will rub shoulders, the country’s best horses are ready to compete and Greyville Racecourse is ready to throw one huge party at tomorrow’s Vodacom Durban July.

By late afternoon on Thursday, eager punters had already splurged more than R1 million on the tote in anticipation, with the Brett Crawford-trained Jackson a firm favourite.

By the time the race is run at 4.20pm, it is expected that more than R300m will have been wagered on the day, R100m of which will have been bet on all races on the national tote.

And as out-of-towners continue to jet in on Friday, the chairman of Gold Circle Robert Mauvis said this year’s was special because the international interest in the R3m race was huge.

“We’ve even got CNN here. The weather will be fantastic and with Jackson (the favourite) in the race, it makes it all the more exciting. He is going to be a difficult horse to beat,” he said.

City hotels are fully booked and people who left their bookings too late are having to travel to the north to get accommodation. Restaurants are busy and the clothing stores are cashing in as last-minute shoppers search for a suitable outfit.

The event is expected to generate more than R500m for the region.

A maximum of 55 000 racegoers are expected to stream through the turnstiles.

Thousands will have put their own interpretation to this year’s theme – A Material World – in classy, trendy, funky as well as weird and wonderful ways.

More than R20m is expected to be wagered on-course with the Pick 6 pool anticipated to top R6m after being boosted by a R500 000 carry-over. Tote turnover is expected to break R40m.

The opposition was thrown a bone last week when the draws were made for Africa’s greatest horse race.

Before the draw, Jackson, who had been at the top of bookmakers’ boards from the time betting opened two months back, was as short as 14-10.

However, when co-owner Ian Longmore drew 16, the price on Jackson drifted to touch 2-1 but the colt is now generally on offer at around 18-10.

Jackson is also the current tote favourite and was paying R2.90 for a win on Thursday, followed by Ilha Bela (R7.30) and English Garden (R9.90). The longest-priced runner was Royal Bencher, who on Thursday was paying R75 for a win.

The “money horses” so far have been the Mike de Kock-trained Gorongosa who has come into 9-1 from 15-1 and stable companion, Solo Traveller, who has shortened from 55-1 to 33-1.

Other long-shots to have found support are Eton Square, 40-1 in to 28-1, and Smanjemanje, 66-1 in to 40-1.

Gates open at 9.30am with the first race off at 11.35am. A park-and-ride service will be in operation with parking at the old Durban drive-in site. Shuttle buses will be in operation from 8am until midnight. Parking will cost R30 a car with space for 2 000 cars. SABC3 will be covering the event live from 2.30pm.