Stage is set for a July blockbuster
MEGA ACTION: EPIC CLASH AT GREYVILLE IS ON THE CARDS AS SOUTH AFRICA GOES BETTING MAD
Champion three-year-olds ready for battle as TAB guarantees R13-million pool for picking the first four in Africa's greatest race.
What a race! What a day! What a chance to win big with TAB with a small bet! The Vodacom Durban July at Greyville tomorrow is set to be a blockbuster with champion threeyear-olds Edict Of Nantes and Al Sahem pitted against an array of top older rivals. The July is Africa’s greatest race and traditionally triggers the continent’s biggest betting feast. This year’s banquet has started early and torrents of cash for Al Sahem and Black Arthur have seen long-time favourite Edict Of Nantes suddenly relegated to third choice on bookmakers’ boards. The betting frenzy will gather momentum as the race draws closer and by the time the runners break from the starting gate at about 16:20 tomorrow, hundreds of millions of rand will have been wagered with bookmakers and tote betting operator TAB. A TAB-guaranteed R13-million Quartet pool on the big race and a guaranteed R10-million Greyville Pick 6 pool are adding to the amazing excitement of this famous race, which was first run in 1897.
About 50,000 people will be at Greyville, which will be an enchanting kaleidoscope of fashion, gleaming thoroughbreds and celebrities. The real audience though will be away from the track with millions of people watching the drama unfold on television (SABC3 and Tellytrack channel 239 DStv).
This year’s field is one of the best in recent years as evidenced by accomplished runners like dual Sansui Summer Cup hero Master Sabina and Brazuca being at long odds in the betting. Plus it’s a handicap and runners carry weights (rider, equipment plus lead weights in the saddle if necessary) based on the ability they have shown and intended to give every horse a theoretically equal chance of winning. That’s why three of the last four winners started at odds of 16-1 and better.
What’s different this year is that the handicappers appear to have underestimated the three-year-olds, so the best of that generation - Edict Of Nantes and Al Sahem appear to have been allotted less weight than should be the case.
That gives them a clear advantage and they could well repeat their duel in the recent Daily News 2000, in which Edict Of Nantes beat his rival by just 0.50 lengths.
Al Sahem has more physical scope for improvement than his rival, but this will be his second trip from Joburg to Durban in a month whereas Cape-based Edict Of Nantes is based in Durban for winter.
Before rushing off and putting your salary on one of them, be warned that there are three four-year-olds in the field who ran well in last year’s race - Ten Gun Salute and trainer Justin Snaith’s stablemates It’s My Turn and Black Arthur.
All three are much stronger now, but for one reason or another they carry the same or less weight than 12 months ago. That makes them dangerous customers and so is one-time reserve runner Horizon, who only came into the field when Elusive Silva was scratched.
Horizon was third behind Edict Of Nantes in the Daily News and is held on the bare result, but he may just improve more than the two ahead of him that day.