KZN racing season in full swing

Back to two meetings for KZN racing this weekend, first up tonight - Greyville featuring the Post Merchants over 1200m, then to Scottsville Sunday for a meeting of the mundane and marginal.

Things are about to get a lot better though because next week Thursday we have the July gallops with traditional sticky buns, boiling water and freeze dried chicory laid on by Gold Circle free for the working class and unemployed.. or book a table behind glass upstairs in the Durban View restaurant incl. continental breakfast for 45 bucks. With the prep runs all under girth straps and the final field weights and draws official, the gallops represent the final piece of the Vodacom Durban July puzzle still remaining.

Please note that 'anti-post' betting has now closed and is replaced by the 'final field' market where the refund and deductions rule for scratchings applies. R226k was traded 'anti-post' on Interbet and you can view a breakdown of the wagers by following the 'anti-post' link under 'Durban July'. Bets taken in this (anti-post) market are exempt from the scratchings rule i.e. there are no refunds on scratched horses nor deductions to winning bets. For current betting, select the 'final field' link which will take us through to race time 2 weeks from now.

Just out of interest, a few years back the 'anti-post' rule was amended; originally the market changeover to final field betting rules would occur only on raceday, and not at the announcement of final field (a week or two before) as with the present day ruling.

Interbet final field betting for the Vodacom Durban July - 18th June-09

Final field odds were disseminated yesterday and currently show a 28% Bookies' profit margin all in. Compare this to what's available on Interbet - a margin of only 14% ('back' column), half the markup of current market retail! Eg. On Interbet for Pocket Power there is R22679.00 liquidity available at 22/10 (market price is 18/10) which means you could wager the amount of R22679.00 to win R50k profit. Bear in mind that this screen is updated in realtime and is constantly changing as bets are taken and odds refreshed, so key a watchful eye on your fancy. It's the stock market of horse racing and you can play like a pro. with the built-in calculators that provide all the info that was until now, reserved only for the Bookies as their dirty secrets.

With the Interbet ROI competition up and running it's the 'profit'

column you'll be needing to  monitor in order to keep tabs on your return on investment per event. This column becomes particularly useful for keeping track of your profit/loss scenario when you're betting on more than one horse in a race, and is the ultimate cover bet tool to assist with protecting your primary wager/s.

So can we make any money this week-end? Pick 6 looks tough for both meetings but that's when it pays so it's a must-have for both events. On Sunday Summer Samba returns, this time over 1600m and not the sprint trip I had hoped for. There's not much in the field so she should win it but I'm still undecided on whether a wager will be worthwhile - so that's a pause on the bet button for me until the race day canter past decider.

Another one of interest is No Doubt Deja who returns to the track tonight after more than a year's break. As usual with eye-wateringly expensive purchases, the grandstand & dish jockeys have been quick to rub-in each and every performance not befitting a super(priced)star and No Doubt Deja is no exception. He cost tens of millions and although I don't recall the amount, I certainly haven't forgotten the sight of this beast when he cantered past on debut at Clairwood. He finished 2nd that day behind Lubricator, also an expensive purchase at R2mil who has probably drawn even more cyber-jeers and negative retort since then. No doubt Deja is a jaw dropping hulk of a machine with obvious ability and after a year's break he should've come to terms with racing life by now and got his act together. It's unlikely Laird has put him in here without a certain measure of fitness and against this sort of field he must come home lonely.

All the best with your punter endeavours - Leon Setaro for Interbet