R260 million cash injection from Durban July
Hundreds of horse-racing fans turned out at Greyville Racecourse to watch one of the favourites in the Vodacom Durban July, Edict of Nantes, at the pre-race Gallops last week. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng Hundreds of horse-racing fans turned out at Greyville Racecourse to watch one of the favourites in the Vodacom Durban July, Edict of Nantes, at the pre-race Gallops last week. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng
NOVICE "punters" are better off going with their lucky number or a name of the horse they fancy when making their foray into the world of horse betting at this year's Vodacom Durban July Race, said Neil Pretorius, the National Retail manager of Betting World.
“The more experienced people will know their horse and the trainer and would have followed them very closely, but those just starting will find it more difficult to pick their horses,” he said on Thursday.
Tens of thousands of racing fans and socialites are expected in Durban for the 121st running of the Vodacom Durban July. The regional economy is set to enjoy a R260 million injection directly from the race day.
Pretorius, also, a former presenter of the horse racing channel Tellytrack, said, “The betting has picked up significantly since Wednesday. We are expecting to continue till the weekend. We are expecting there will be 40 000 people on the day on the track that will be betting.
“There are people from other provinces that will be betting and there are international people that will be betting just on this race,” he said.
He said there were several horses that were fancied to win the big race, among them Al Sahem who was 4.5 -1. He is trained by champion trainer Sean Terry and ridden by Smanga Khumalo.
“Another favourite is Edict of Nantes - he has been in impressive form lately," said Pretorius.
“Last year’s winner Conglomerate has been returning to form and there is a chance he might make it a double. There are also two fillies (female hoses) that will be running against the boys. There is Nightingale and Safe harbour,” he said.
Other horses proving popular with punters thus far were Its My turn and Black Arthur.
For the lucky punters there is big money - a guaranteed pool of R10 million for the winners in the pick six and R15 million to be shared by winners in the quartet pool.
Vincent Govender, one of those coming to place their bets yesterday said, "I have been a punter for 40 years. This is just a hobby to me now."
He said his favourite horses were Safe Harbour and Horizon. “I follow them and their jockey closely, this is a hobby but one win here and you could become a millionaire."
An employee at a tab in the Newcastle area said the betting had started on Monday and people were coming, although not in very big numbers.
Another worker at the tab in Pietermaritzburg, who did not give her name, said there had also been traffic in their business. “People have been coming since we started taking bets for the weekend on Monday, some come in groups.
"Some do not know how to place bets and they are asking us. Then there are those who know and they just play what they know,” she said.
Andrew Harrison, Publishing Manager for Gold Circle, said novices should keep it simple. "Win and place bets are the easiest."
He said The Durban July traditionally triggered the biggest betting day of the year in Africa. Hundreds of millions of rand are bet with TAB and bookmakers on the day and TAB alone will pay out more than R120 million in winning bets.