WHENEVER Cape Town’s premier horse race, the J&B Met, is
mentioned, the first thought that pops into mind is fashion.
The Met has become so popular that in recent years the gates of
Kenilworth Racecourse have had to be closed halfway through the afternoon and
the “house full” signs put up as more than 50 000 people cram into the
picturesque venue.
This gathering of people in often garish or revealing outfits is a
sight to behold. With additional events like best-dressed couple, it’s no
wonder fashion has come to overtake the horses in terms of popularity.
YFM DJ and television presenter Bridget Masinga-Khati, who with her
husband Thabiso Khati was second runner-up for the 2007 best-dressed couple
event, says the Met is “always a whirlwind weekend for me and the girls.
“It’s the one event I have not missed in seven years because it is
way fun. The fashion, all-day eating and skinnering. Heaven! I’ll be dressed by
Gavin Rajah this year,” she says.
Another local celeb and fashionista who is looking forward to
“outrageous, out-of-the-box fashion trends” is YFM DJ and TV presenter Bonang
Matheba. She says, “for me this annual horseracing event is synonymous with
glamour, gloss and lots of celebs. It might be different for guys but I know we
ladies are looking forward to the fashion.”
For singer Loyiso Bala the actual race is all the rage. “I’m not
big on gambling and placing bets but every year at the Met I place a small bet
on a horse and try to meet the jockey and trainers.”
Masinga-Khati says she also places bets on the horses and once won
R25 000, which she donated to charity.
But how does one place a bet at the race?
“Betting seems so complex unless you have someone to hold your hand
through it. And most people at the race don’t like to share their knowledge or
tips,” complains the DJ.
J&B Met organisers Gold Circle offer tips on how to place bets.
Becoming a punter (a person who places a bet with a licensed
totalisator) is not as complicated as it sounds.
Punter-extraordinaire Richard Mthembu says people have a higher
chance of winning on horses than on the lotto.
“Just yesterday I made R200 after betting with R10. That’s money
for petrol I tell you,” he says.
The best place to start is with single race bets. Simply look at
your race card (you will get that at the event) or check the horses in the
parade ring and decide which ones you like. Then go to a tote (short for
totalisator: a computer-driven, machine-operated betting system which
eliminates the bookie in the betting industry) window which you’ll find on the
premises and place your bet, starting at R6.
Following are different types of bets you can place on the
races:
The Win Bet
You win if your horse wins. So if a winning Win bet was taken six
times, you get six times the declared win dividend. All the tote operator needs
is the racecourse, race number, horse number and the amount you wish to spend.
So, you call the bet like this: “Kenilworth, Race Three – R10 Win on number
nine.”
The Place Bet (only available on races with eight or
more runners)
If you’re the cautious type, then perhaps a Place bet is for you.
You win if your horse finishes first, second or third if there are eight or more
runners or first, second, third and fourth if there are 16 or more
runners.
The Swinger Bet
Choose your two favourites to fill any two of the first three
positions in any order – like first and second, first and third, or second and
third. Then you will call the bet like this: “Kenilworth, Race Seven?– R6
Swinger numbers two and nine.”
The Exacta Bet
This one is more difficult to win but that’s because there’s more
moolah involved. In the Exacta, your two horses have to finish in the exact
order of your bet. So if you take numbers nine and two then nine must win and
two must run second.
Once you have mastered these easy bet types, you can move on to a
Trifecta (choosing the horses to be placed first, second and third in the
correct order in a race).
You can dabble in a Double by selecting the horses finishing first
in each of the two consecutive races designated in the race card as a Double.
Then there’s the Jackpot: play a Pick3, perhaps a Pick6 or Place Accumulator or
take a quick Quartet. It might sound a little too much but if you are with
someone in the know, they’ll be able to explain.
Punters like Mthembu say knowing the trainer and the horses helps a
lot in predicting which one will win.
Some of Mthembu’s tips include: betting on horses running in middle
spots, lightweights who are likely to run faster, checking the horse’s winning
history (found on the racing card) and the distances it ran and the positions it
achieved.
Mthembu warns that players must be careful about how they spend
their winnings and “play with your head and not with your heart”.
After all, as they say, horse racing is “the sport of kings” so go
forth and make those royal bets and multiply those fashionable
purses.