Cape Town - Given that I have an unbroken record of falling asleep every time, I’ll never invite you to a night at the opera – but I will definitely advocate a day at the races.
As it happens, I had a childhood which involved horses for leisure and racing, but that was a very long time ago. A lot has changed at Kenilworth race course since then, but the enjoyment of an afternoon at the track has remained the same. Divine Lady D and I went last Sunday and we had a blast.
The first recommendation for this outing is that entrance is free. I won’t bore you with endless comparisons to what it was like when I was a teenager, but nowadays it can be a family outing.
There are plenty of food and beverage outlets, and space for children to run around on the grass without bothering the grownups. If you prefer to avoid the masses on the ground or in the grandstands there is the fabulous Pocket Power Room – named for one of the greatest horses of the past decade, an incredible champion who has his own website (http://pocketpower.co.za). You should read his story.
The room, which wraps around the main grandstand, is strictly smart-casual. There are tables set with linen cloths and napkins where you can have a meal or just drinks, big glass windows with a clear view of the track and finish line, a balcony which overlooks the parade ring, a bar, and a tote, as well as lots of television screens showing not only the races at Kenilworth but from around the world.
You can bet on these international races as well, and those at other tracks in South Africa.
Ah. The betting. When you do this, the whole affair suddenly becomes infinitely more interesting and exciting. If you’ve got a few rands at stake, you too can yell and cheer as the horses thunder down the straight.
There are so many different bets to place and it can be a little confusing and intimidating when it’s your first time. That’s why the course employs the services of Betting Buddies who will help you by explaining how it all works.
There is also a useful booklet available. We went one better and were coached by the wonderful and charming Lusanda Mahlubi, whose background includes a degree in finance and four years of working at the tote while he was at varsity.
Wins and places are easy to understand, but he patiently went over the trifecta, swinger, quartet, pick 6, and other permutations, again and again.
We decided to try a place accumulator, which is taken over seven of the eight races of the day. It’s a long-term commitment, and we carefully studied the form (each horse’s detailed recent racing activity) in the race cards, and the advice from the resident tipster printed above each race.
We took all that information then mixed it up with names we liked, and were beyond happy when we realised we’d chosen the winner and the second placed horse on our first attempt.
Sadly we only made it to the fourth leg of the place accumulator, after which we started flinging money at things like boxed trifectas and it went rapidly downhill as horses which looked excellent on paper came in stone last.
As the day drew to a close, I hedged my bets on a small field of seven, betting on all of them.
I simply could not lose. And I didn’t. I cashed in a whole R100 on an outlay of R60.
Hardly the last of the big punters, but at least it was something.
While you can watch the races from the stands, on the screens, or the Pocket Power Room, there are also specially arranged tours which will allow you to be taken down to the starting gates.
There you get to watch the horses being loaded and leap out, which is an entirely different and thrilling perspective.
Because I have friends in high places, we were even permitted to go into the stipendiary stewards’ (or “stipes”) room, where the race officials watch every second of every race on a wall of screens.
The sport is strictly governed and the well-being of the horses is paramount. Vets are present in this room, and at the start of every race there is a vet, a farrier and paramedics in attendance.
“Racing. It’s a Rush”, a campaign to market the sport of kings and promote its core values, was officially launched last year, with the aim of bringing horseracing back to the forefront of the lifestyle entertainment industry.
l For more information follow RACINGitsarush on Facebook and @racing_itsarush on Twitter. The Instagram handle is racingitsarush. For more information on racing at Kenilworth, call 021 700 1600 or follow the Facebook page. A racing calendar is available at www.phumelela.com, and www.itsarush.co.za will go live by the end of this month.
Weekend Argus