Sheik M Bonesy suggests the big trifecta for the July at the gallops on Thursday
With rain only forecast for Durban on Saturday evening, the Durban July fathers will be holding thumbs that the weatherman gets his predictions more accurate than sangoma Makhosonke Msomi and his KZN elders’ big race predictions over the years.
Nicknamed Sheik M Bonesy by the colourful Tellytrack presenter, Paul Lafferty, Msomi was on course at last Thursday’s public gallops and selected Captain America to beat Whiteline Fever and Futura.
That won’t be of great encouragement to the connections of the three horses as the sangoma hasn’t called a winner in thirty years!
But of more compelling concern to the race organisers will be the niggle that the weather turns against them and forces the July to be run on Greyville’s synthetic track.
The new course is configured to accommodate a maximum 12 runners, but it was agreed to limit field sizes to 11 runners for distances beyond 1600m, initially.
The Eastern Cape’s own ‘July’, the Gr3 Algoa Cup incurred the wrath of the rain gods last year and in a dramatic move Phumelela saved the meeting by switching to the then new polytrack on 27 October 2013.
This Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July meeting is a mixed turf-poly affair for the first time in its history and the feature has been carded to host sixteen runners. Any thought of switching the big one to the polytrack this early in its existence must send shivers up the spines of all concerned.
More than R115 million is expected to be bet with tote betting operator TAB and TABGOLD, the tote betting operator in KwaZulu-Natal, on Vodacom Durban July Day.
Greyville’s new look Betting Assistants made an appearance at the gallops. Inspired by Hollywood or the Big Screen theme…?
Africa’s greatest horseracing event traditionally ignites the biggest betting day on the continent and there’s even more excitement than usual this year because of a likely record Pick 6 pool of some R11 million. The Pick 6 on the Greyville meeting kicks off with a R3-million carryover.
As usual the tote betting pools will be huge. The Win and Quartet pools on the Durban July alone should both soar past the R9-million mark, while the Place pool is expected to be about R7.5 million.
TAB will pay Place dividends on the first five runners to cross the line in the July, instead of applying its normal rules of four Place payouts if 16 or more run.
“Enhancing our customers’ chances of winning a Place bet has become standard TAB policy on major races,” said Phumelela Betting Executive Vee Moodley. “We want as many of our customers to win as possible, so we will pay five places on this year’s race, regardless of how many run.”
Cheek Of It. The thirteenth race always produces a close finish.
TAB has an exciting betting line-up for the day and there will be numerous opportunities for customers to win big.
TAB betting is already open and a TAB All To Come can be taken into the huge Win pool on the July.
The quartet pool on the first race is expected to rocket to R1 million, while the official final race pool should reach R1,4 million.
The thirteenth race will also attract a large field again, with plenty of runners expected to give cheek.
The traditional unofficial lucky last sees mostly inebriated revellers stripping down to little to hopefully impress loved ones and connections, and of course maybe even the 2015 Durban July selection panel!
