July: Pinnacle of SA racing
Tens of thousands of jobs have been created. Billions of rands have changed hands, driving the economy. Tax has been collected. All this good stuff comes courtesy of two minutes of nonsense on a wintry patch of grass in downtown Durbs on the first Saturday in July.
The Vodacom Durban July is the pinnacle of horseracing in South Africa, so victory in this one goddamn race is the primary impulse behind an entire industry; indeed, several aligned industries.
Millions of hours of thoroughbred bloodline research, frenetic humping in mating sheds, umpteen bags of oats eaten, acres of grass grazed, countless barrowloads of dung carted away, early mornings, broken bones, jockeys, trainers, farmers, grooms, vets, stipes, farriers, punters, bookmakers, writers, despondency, elation, hard-luck stories, tales of redemption.the end-point of this astonishing fandango is the finishing line at Greyville racecourse. It used to be a wooden post stuck in the turf, now it's a hairline bisecting the lens of a photo-finish camera, but it's that marker in time and space that keeps the whole shebang rolling.
The July is a powerful thing.
We approach it once more - the 120th running tomorrow - with eagerness and a little trepidation. What if we back the wrong horse? Bollocks to that; take a prudent plunge and have some fun.
Here's what I make of the line-up: (Number, name, draw, jockey, odds):
1 Marinaresco 9 (Bernard Fayd'Herbe) 16-1Good horse, second place last year and loves Greyville. But he hasn't quite recaptured his spark and carries a big weight for a diminutive fellow.
2 French Navy 16 (Lyle Hewitson) 33-1Once a speedboat, but seems to be leaking below the waterline these days.
3 Master Sabina 4 (MJ Byleveld) 50-1Grand old man with two Summer Cups to his name. Remember, age and guile usually beat youth and bad haircuts.
4 Brazuca 20 (Gavin Lerena) 40-1Jockey flies out from the UK to try to overcome a starting pozzie in a North Beach deck chair, on a horse with stamina doubts. Hope floats.
5 Krambambuli 19 (Aldo Domeyer) 50-1You'll win a fortune. And Zumas can fly.
6 Saratoga Dancer 7 (Craig Zackey) 30-1Did well last year at long odds, but has struggled to win lately.
7 The Conglomerate 3 (Callan Murray) 17-2Defending July champ. History shows it's tough to double up but, despite his name, he's mercurial. Chance with good draw and top young jockey.
8 It's My Turn 17 (Piere Strydom) 17-2It might be his turn, especially with "Striker" in the saddle bidding for a record fifth July victory. Lack of recent action a negative.
9 Ten Gun Salute 5 (Muzi Yeni) 17-2Sauciest name in the game. Upstanding chap has found stiff support in the betting market. Hard not to jump on board.
10 Nightingale 6 (Anthony Delpech) 16-1One of two fillies in the field. Girls occasionally win the July and she has attracted punters' money, but will have to be extraordinary to succeed with her handicap here.
11 Black Arthur 8 (Grant van Niekerk) 5-1Scraped onto the invitation list, yet there are dogs barking about him having regained his mojo. Backed into second favourite, but a stamina question mark hovers.
12 Edict Of Nantes 13 (Anton Marcus) 11-2Hear ye: brilliant three-year-old, brilliant jockey aiming for the five-July record, trainer Brett Crawford in hot form. Mystifyingly, he's drifted in the betting. He will go close. That's an edict.
13 Al Sahem 1 (S'Manga Khumalo) 9-2The race favourite's name is "The Arrow" in Arabic. The bow propelling it is crack trainer Sean Tarry and at the pointy end is a very sharp rider. Take cover.
14 Mr Winsome (Warren Kennedy) 16-1Lose some. Seriously, though, this tall, bay and handsome fella is a charmer. A must for exotic bets.
15 SCRATCHED
16 Pagoda 14 (Chase Maujean) 28-1Don't bump your head.
17 Tilbury Fort 11 (Greg Cheyne) 33-1 Just don't.
18 Safe Harbour 12 (Nooresh Juglall) 22-1Another filly, this one carrying a handier weight.
19 Horizon 18 (Richard Fourie) 20-1Reserve off the bench after a scratching. Recouping his R5.2-million purchase price is way over the horizon and might remain so for a while, thanks to a starting gate outside a nice hotel on the Marine Parade.