Get your tickets early

A large crowd of punters and eager socialites enjoyed a balmy warm midwinter’s morning at Greyville Racecourse for the traditional Vodacom Durban July Gallops yesterday where the thoroughbreds in the final field are put through their paces while the crowd looks for clues to racing form while enjoying complimentary coffee and sticky buns.

The focus was clearly on race favourite Jackson who did enough to entrench himself as the punter’s fancy for the R3million Vodacom Durban July at Greyville racecourse next Saturday.

With tickets sales exceeding expectations ten days prior to the event, Gold Circle is urging punters and socialites to purchase tickets and parking tickets well in advance to avoid the risk of a ticket sell-out prior to the big day. The course can cater for 55 000 racing fans and has been a sell-out affair for the last few years.

The Gallops were followed by another annual tradition involving popular local sangoma Thembisani Mdlolo throwing the bones to predict the first three horses past the post.

His forecasting skills drew a gasp of surprise from the gathered crowd as he foresaw favourite Jackson finishing second behind Smanjemanje, with Ihla Bela third.

Also basking in the limelight were the twenty bean plants, each tagged with a Vodacom Durban July runner, which are intended to provide another quirky hint at form. The flourishing beans of Pierre Jourdan and Whiteline Fever were duly noted whilst race favourite Jackson was slightly off the pace, with ten days to go to the big race.

- www.vodacomdurbanjuly.co.za