MANGO Groove will perform the national anthem before the start of the 128th, R5-million Hollywoodbets Durban July, at the Greyville Race Course at 4pm on Saturday.
The “Ride The Wave” theme has fired up the imagination of professional fashionistas around the country, but there is also the opportunity for the public to win fabulous prizes. Pre-judging for the race day fashion awards will take place at 11.50am at the infield Sonic Stage. The exceptional race day hat/fascinator category will be decided at 1.25pm, and the winners in the classic racewear male category at 2.05pm.
The classic racewear female category will be awarded at 2.45pm and the coveted most striking couple adjudication will be at 3.10pm. On the grandstand side of the track on the Celebration Stage, the winner of the Young Designers Award will be announced at 1.15pm and the Durban Fashion Fair Rising Stars will strut their stuff at around 1.50pm. The Invited Designers Showcase will take place at 2.30pm.
The Hollywoodbets Durban July (Gr1) and the Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes (Gr1) have been designated as “World Pool” races.
As far as the betting is concerned, Green With Envy, unbeaten in four starts this calendar year, and last year’s runner-up, See It Again, are the favoured runners for this year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July, while Double Grand Slam, Silver Sanctuary and Rascova remain the popular candidates for the Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes.
The R500 000 POST Merchants (Gr 2)race over 1 200m has been carded as the ninth race on the programme, and is due to start at 5.40pm under the lights. The race has attracted a maximum field of 14 runners and has a wide open appearance. The early 5/1 favourite is the former Eastern Cape Champion, Cruise Control, who ran a massive race on his local debut when finishing less than half-a-length behind Lucky Lad in the Golden Horse Sprint five weeks ago.
At My Command and I Am Giant, also featured in that tight finish at Hollywoodbets Scottsville but now have awkward draws of 13 and 14 respectively to contend with, while Cruise Control will jump away from Gate 5. But the race does not end there, as many of the runners in this year’s renewal of the POST Merchants have winning claims.
Punters seeking that elusive exotic bet banker at this prestigious race meeting are likely to rely on Gimmie’s Countess in the fifth race, The Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper (Gr2) run over 1400m. The Dean Kannemeyer trained filly, with Craig Zackey in the saddle, was a desperately unlucky loser in the recent Allan Robertson Fillies Championship (Gr1) and is confidently expected to make amends.