Mzanzitravel Magazine Issue 10

Leisure & Entertainment
Prior to that most South Africans only ever saw the inside of a casino in the movies,
like when James Bond in Never Say Never Again and in Golden Eye would outwit
his enemies and charm the ladies in that grand old dame of all casinos in Monte
Carlo. Ironically, a much later Bond movie, Casino Royale, was shot in one of
Kerzner’s much later hotels – the Ocean Club resort in the Bahamas.
A tale of 2 iconic horse races
Horse racing first came to South Africa together with British rule in 1795. But it really
started taking off after Lord Charles Somerset arrived at the Cape as governor in
1814. Within 11 years of his arrival there were at least 10 horse racing venues
around the country, with the hub of it then centred in Port Elizabeth, which formed
its own turf club in 1857, and where the Jockey Club of South Africa was formed
in 1882. With the advent of the diamond and gold rushes, the sport and betting
bloomed.
Today horse racing is a multi-faceted, multi-billion rand industry, with betting
on horse racing last year contributing over R5-billion to national GDP. In total,
gross revenue (GGR) from the gambling industry last year stood at R27-billion.
It is expected to grow to R35-billion in 2021. But over the years, horse racing has
also spawned a number of sub-industries that provide thousands of jobs and make
further contributions to the economy, such as thoroughbred breeding, training,
stabling services, bookmakers, horse racing news media, veterinary services, and
racing-related tourism.
While South Africa has many star-studded race meetings, with races taking place
every day of the year, topping the list must surely be those two iconic glamour
events known popularly as the ‘Durban July’ and the ‘Cape Met’. Not only are they
some of the biggest money-spinners producing legendary winners, but they are
also top events on the country’s social calendars.
Raced over a distance of 2,200 meters, among the many great winners of the past
were unforgettable champions like Bold Silvano, Ipi Tombe, Dancing Dual, Flaming
Rock, Bush Telegraph, Beau Art, Politician and 113 other great horses. And who
can forget the tragedy that befell Sea Cottage in 1966, when a bookmaker and two
Durban mobsters conspired and shot this legendary horse trained by the equally
legendary Syd Laird, to prevent it from winning. The shooter went to prison, and
Sea Cottage recovered, going on to win many races including the Durban July in
1967 – a year after being shot - in a dead heat with Jollify. The bullet remained
lodged in his hock for the rest of his racing career and was only removed upon his
death.
Of course, while in Durban for the July you can also enjoy this balmy coastal city’s
multiple other attractions, from retracing the steps of historic figures along the
Heritage Trail, to soaking up the sun on the many endless beaches, visiting uShaka
Marine World, surfing or scuba diving, visiting the biggest single concentration of
markets in Africa, exploring the North and South Coast, watching traditional Zulu
dancing in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, and much more.
The Sun Met
Typical of the age-old rivalry between Durbanites and Capetonians, vying with the
Durban July for recognition as the biggest event on the racing calendar is the Cape
Met, now officially known as the Sun Met, which is run every year in January. First
run in 1883 as the Metropolitan Mile, the race is 14 years senior to the July. Staged
over 2,000 meters at the Kenilworth Race Course in Cape Town, it later became
known as The Metropolitan Handicap, then as the J&B Met and now as the Sun
Met. Billed as ‘Africa’s Richest Race Day’, it adopts a theme each year, this year’s
one being ‘Style ahead of the Field’ – enough to send the fashion junkies into a
frenzy. Like its Durban counterpart, the event also offers entertainment, dining and
wining and other activities on a grand scale.
On race days top fashion designers showcase their designs with fashionistas
strutting their stuff in front of the cameras. The who’s who and the lesser mortals
among us meet over champagne and caviar in the many colourful private and
branded marquees, while those gleaming, immaculately groomed thoroughbreds
are presented in the parade ring with their silk-clad jockeys atop. And as the early
races are run in the build-up to the main race, the tension and excitement palpably
increases in the perfumed air, mixed with the smell of fresh horse manure. When
it’s all over and the grounds are littered with thousands of losing tickets, you’ll
nonetheless still hear the partying continuing till late in the night in the many big
tents. Some will be celebrating their big wins, while others are trying to forget their
bad luck. But all will be having a great time.
The Durban July
Annual ‘July fever’ and the Durban July date back to the first race held on Saturday,
July 17, 1897 with a crowd of 3,000 people and a winner named Campanajo. Since
then the race has been held every year without fail. Today it is officially called the
Vodacom Durban July. Always run on the first Saturday of July, this year the R4.25-
million event takes place on 7 July at Greyville Racecourse, billed as “the greatest
racing, fashion and entertainment extravaganza on the African continent”. But
you’ll have to move fast as Durban’s luxurious high-rise waterfront hotels – many of
them built by the very same Kerzner - are booked out well in advance as more than
55,000 racing spectators pack into the city.
Imagine yourself in the wildly cheering crowd as the race commentator whips up the
excitement over the loudspeakers; watch the horses come thundering around the
last corner in a neck and neck pack at breakneck speed with no clear winner in sight
until the very last moment; hear the sound of champagne corks popping and jazz
bands striking up; go collect your winnings or tear up your losing ticket; and then
join in the fun as the fashion kings and queens, the who’s who and the ordinary folk
party into the warm summer’s night.
Among the many magnificent winners of the Cape Met were the marvellous threetime
winner Pocket Power, and others like Igugu, Politician (who also won the
Durban July), Zebra Crossing, London News (another Durban July winner), Mark
Anthony, Charles Fortune, Gold Flame, Sledgehammer and Wolf Power. As is
the case in Durban, Cape Town also offers horse racing visitors a fine menu of
additional world-renowned attractions and things to do, from Table Mountain to
Cape Point, Robben Island, the Cape Wine Routes, the West Coast and so much
more.
Both the Durban July and the Sun Met races have earned their places right up there
among the other great horse racing classics of the world, such as the Kentucky
Derby in the US, the Melbourne Cup in Australia, the Belmont Stakes in New York,
the Royal Ascot and the Grand National in England, the Singapore Gold Cup and
newcomer to the scene, the Dubai World Cup. So pack your bags, hop on a plane
and head for Cape Town or Durban for a day of unparalleled fun and racing in the
sun, rubbing shoulders with outrageously dressed people, the rich and the famous
26 |ISSUE 10|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL