Gold Cup day a racing and betting extravaganza to lift the spirits

Lots of top-class runners in stacks of graded races is spectacle enough to raise spirits drooping before disease and bankruptcy, but the added sparkle of big betting pools might even bring true joy.

Top of mind for punters will be a Pick 6 pool that is likely to top R8 million on the day, thanks to a R1-million carryover.

The Pick 6 takes in four Grade 1 contests, including the WSB Champions Cup which sees the umpteenth clash between warhorses Do It Again and Rainbow Bridge, and the Grade 3 Gold Cup. All the quality adds up to the prospect of a decent Pick 6 dividend – for below the fancied runners lurk many outsiders with bags of talent.

The Gold Cup itself boasts a Quartet Maxipool predicted to hit R4 million. Here the likelihood of a “roughie” running into a place is unusually high; find the right “shrewdy” and you’re rolling in cash.

With two horses – It’s My Turn and Marchingontogether – utterly dominating the Gold Cup odds, there’s plenty of value among the 14 adversaries. Horses like Eyes Wide Open at 16-1, Before Noon at 20-1, Sunshine Silk at 25-1 and Dharma at 33-1 are just some with the potential to shock if it’s their day.

Jackpot 1 – Races 5 to 8 – has R2.5 million on offer and, if that bombs out early, bettors can turn to Jackpot 2 and a target of R350,000.

The Place Accumulator pool is set to exceed R1 million and the BiPot R500,000.

Another R1 million temptation is in the form of a Trifecta Maxipool on Race 8, the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint. And, once again, with most of the country’s top speed merchants lining up, chances of a weighty return are bright for those who crack the right combo.

A lockdown innovation is a R2 minimum for Swinger bets – down from the R6 that’s been standard for decades. This gives punters with modest betting pots a chance to spread their money about a bit and snare wins throughout the day.

From Tuesday 25 August All To Come bets are available from local weekday meetings into the Gold Cup itself – with the final leg being a Win or Place choice in South Africa’s premier endurance race.

The great thing about sport is the capacity to lift us from a morbid focus on self and the everyday humdrum. It throws up different dimensions in time and space, with the thrill of the chase and, just maybe, the elation of victory.

Gold Cup day, a venerable event, hugely popular back in the day but gathering dust of late, looks a perfect jog to the memory of good things.

BETTING:
Champions Cup (Race 9)
13-10 Do It Again
19-10 Rainbow Bridge
11-1 Golden Ducat, Cirillo
18-1 Sovereign Spirit
28-1 Ikigai, Crown Towers
35-1 and upwards the others

Gold Cup (Race 7):
5-2 It’s My Turn
33-10 Marchingontogether
12-1 Factor Fifty, Imperial Ruby, Magnificent Seven
16-1 Eyes Wide Open, Dark Moon Rising
20-1 Before Noon
25-1 Out Of Your League, Shenanigans, Sunshine Silk
33-1 Dharma
35-1 and upwards the others

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