Mega betting pools for Met day as Hong Kong joins the party

The Cape Town Met race meeting at Kenilworth on Saturday has been classified as a World Pool event by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, adding an extra tote-betting dimension to Cape Town’s greatest race.

TAB Win, Place, Swinger and Quinella pools on Races 4 to 11 at Kenilworth will be commingled into the Hong Kong Jockey Club tote, which operates the biggest tote pools in the world.

A Quinella is the selection of first and second finishers, in either order – the same as the old South African Dupla bet.

World Pool status offers a rare opportunity for TAB customers to bet big amounts without significantly diminishing pay outs. The commingled pools on each of the four bet types are set to average more than R6 million and, in most instances, it will take a really huge wager to depress a pay out.

All other tote pools at the meeting will be hosted by TAB as usual and these include the Pick 6, which is set to total more than R10 million as a result of a R3-million carryover.

TAB is offering two other carryover pools. The Quartet on the Met, in which players must select the first four to finish in the correct order, gets a R500,000 carryover boost that should generate a total pool of over R2 million. And, to end what will be a glorious race day, with a flourish, there’s a R100,000 Quartet carryover to the last of the 12 races. The 1400m race has attracted a maximum field of 16 runners, offering the potential for a mega Quartet dividend.

Three TAB Jackpot pools will be in operation for the first time at a South African race meeting. Jackpot 1 will be on Races 1 to 4 with Jackpot 2 on Races 5 to 8 and Jackpot 3 on the last four races. TAB and TABgold retail customers must mark the Leg 1 race number on betting forms to ensure their bets go into the correct Jackpot pool.

The racing action will be top drawer from start to finish. The Met has attracted the country’s best middle-distance runners and there are five other feature races on the programme, including two Grade 1 clashes.

TAB betting on the meeting will only be available from the day before (Friday) the meeting because pools must open simultaneously with Hong Kong tote pools.

TAB customers must note that Hong Kong tote rules will apply in all World Pool bets on races 4 to 11. – 4Racing