The quirky, creative to rule at J&B Met

Liesl Van Der Schyff

PUNTERS, racing enthusiasts and fashionistas can expect a cracker of day when the country’s premier horse race, the J&B Met, is run in Kenilworth tomorrow.

Organisers said they have pulled out all the stops and promised the biggest event in the race’s 38-year history.

Horse-racing expert and former correspondent Derek Wilsnagh has given some useful tips for those thousands of people who will experience the occasion for the first time.

Betting starts by choosing a horse – the advantage of being on the racecourse on race day is that you get a chance to getting close with the horse you might think is going to win, he said.

If you are not in a position to access information about the horses, find your way to the Parade ring, where the horses in the main race are put on parade for about 10 minutes before the race gets under way.

Betting does not mean one has to bet in every one of the day’s races – a temptation for the betting rookies. Wilsnagh said every racecourse had tote counters for bet-placing.

“Set a budget and bring cash in that amount, if you think you will get carried away with your betting, bring a set amount of cash.

Once it is done, you’re done, he said. The person at the counter will ask which race you want to bet on and one has to be specific because once a bet is placed, it cannot be changed.

Make sure you know the number of the horse and the number of the race. These details are important.

Once you have made your selection, place an amount. The minimum amount for a bet is R7 and it can rise to thousands of rand. Have fun while placing your bet!

While there is a chance of rain, with the maximum temperature reaching 24ºC, tomorrow’s occasion has all the ingredients of fun, fashion and horse racing.

City authorities will keep a close eye on traffic. Parking has been arranged at the Chukker Road sports ground and at Young Road, as huge traffic volumes are expected. Parking costs R60 and a free shuttle service will operate.

Tomorrow’s event will host a public village on the winning straight of the racecourse – a first of its kind for the event.

Racegoers can expect a host of food trucks, shade and public bar facilities.

This year’s J&B Met will see the country’s finest horses run 2 200m. The line-up includes top race horses such as Louis The King, Gold Onyx and Futura.

Themed “Made for the Mix”, to inspire quirky and creative fashion, the event will have

local and international visitors streaming into the Mother City.

While the race offers enthusiasts the opportunity to see some of the country’s finest thoroughbreds battle it out on a well-manicured track,

Thami Silwana, marketing manager for J&B South Africa, advised there were 1 001 ways to interpret this year’s theme. “It speaks to this stance of whisky… loosened,” he quipped.

On the fashion front, designers were hard at work. Wayne Govender, of CSquared, mixed checks with polka dots as an example for the look for a modern man.

He said a single-pattern outfit for Made For the Mix could be an unexpected trendy look for the Met. Errol Arendz said the day’s fashion has become free-spirited and was no longer about the big hats, rather about koi, fun and being sexy, mixed with chic.