Long shots galore on offer for The Grand Heritage

The WSB Grand Heritage was conceived as a “betting race” – with a nod to the UK’s Grand National – with a large field, conditions to suit a wide variety of horses and an unusual distance (1,475m) – all factors to make picking a winner difficult and keeping odds high and tempting.

With the latest renewal of the R300,000 non-black-type race at the Vaal on Saturday, it’s a good time to have a look at the current betting – as displayed by sponsors World Sports Betting at 12 noon on Thursday:

8-1 Willow Express, Bold Jazz

9-1 Indlamu

10-1 Approach Control, Eskimo Pie, Fromheretoeternity

12-1 Back To Black

13-1 Miss Elegance

14 Paton’s Tears, Silver Tycoon

16-1 Mardi Gras

18-1 Rio’s Winter, Stone Cold, Suited Connector

20-1 Noble Striker, Cleveland

35-1 Kayla’s Champ, All Of Me, Power Ranger

80-1 Excellerator

Scratched: Leopold, Stormy Winter, Wonderwall, Rock The Globe, Bowie, I Dream Of Genie

The latest money moves have been for Willow Express, Mardi Gras, Suited Connector and All Of Me, with Indlamu, Approach Control and Eskimo Pie drifting slightly.

The maximum number of runners in races across the country is 20, but the Grand Heritage allows 27 – to create the spectacle of a “cavalry charge” down the Vaal straight.

Unfortunately, six carded runners for Saturday’s race have been scratched and only 20 currently go to post.

However, it still looks a very evenly matched affair, as signified by joint favourites at 8-1.