It is not in its regular slot of the first Saturday in July and you can’t go and watch the race this year, but there is no doubt about it that Durban July fever is building.

For me the Durban July normally means a massive gathering at my house with family and friends and with copious amounts of food, drink and of course betting. On occasions we have even had a dad’s race on the road much to the neighbours amusement.

This year though we will all be watching from our own homes, but that won’t stop us having our annual Durban July draw where we all put money in and draw horses and as many of my friends will tell you the final result is usually my gran winning the pool.

This year’s draw will be done over Zoom rather than in person and I am also considering live streaming the race to those who would usually join us so that we can all share in the excitement. I am not going to let COVID-19 get in the way of a great day’s racing.

Looking at the field itself this July certainly looks wide open. Justin Snaith trained Belgarion is the favourite at 4/1 with the consistent Rainbow Bridge priced in at 9/2, the odds then go out to 8/1 for Vardy and Got The Greenlight. Bunker Hunt, the first of the horses in double figures is at 10/1, Do It Again, last year’s winner is 12/1 and my fancy this year the Mike de Kock trained Soqrat is on offer at 13/1 and I will be shouting this one home loudly as I got some 55/1 a few weeks back.

The beauty of the July is the interest in Tote Bets like Swingers, Trifectas, Pick Sixes and Jackpots and I will be doing a couple of YouTube shows this week, with guys who know a lot more about the game than me and can hopefully steer us in the direction of some winning bets.

So if you are looking to spice up your weekend a bit, this is an event that appeals to everyone even those that only watch one Horse Race a year so why not put a draw together with family and friends or even work colleagues? Speaking from experience I can guarantee you a great afternoon.

Twitter: @BrentGraham.

This article was written for the CitiGaming supplement of the Citizen Newspaper and was published on the 23 July 2020.

Brent Graham is a blogger on www.goodforthegame.co.za and sends a free weekly e-mail list just CLICK HERE to register