Port Elizabeth player John Bekker came within a heartbeat of scooping the R1,8 million Hollywoodbets Punters Challenge progressive jackpot after finding the first seven winners on the Hollywoodbets Greyville card on Sunday.
A racing fan for four years, the 31 year old went into the final event on the Sunday card with Princess Sabrina shouldering his hopes and dreams of a massive windfall.
Racing fan John Bekker – oh so close as he showed his skills in the popular competition on Sunday!
The free-to-enter competition requires players to select one horse in each race at the KZN racemeetings.
Besides the daily must-be-won prize of R10 000, which is shared by the top twenty players on the leaderboard after the meeting, a massive progressive jackpot offers those players finding all the winners on the card an opportunity to win big.
A father of three, John is a manager at a national company in Uitenhage, and balances a hectic family and working life with his passion for horseracing.
He says that he finds the horses stimulating and loves the unpredictability of the sport of kings – saying that he regards the four-legged athletes much more fun and rewarding than sports betting.
He wasn’t watching the racing on Sunday as he was relaxing with his family. A friend phoned him after about the fourth race to catch up on the Hollywoodbets Punters Challenge. That’s when John realised he was four from four and going strong for the big prize.
His punting mate called back after the sixth to tell him he was six from six.
“I am used to ranking in the 3000’s so that’s when I started getting a bit edgy. My wife said let’s just hope and pray that I go all the way. After all, who could not do with that kind of windfall? I told my wife I can’t watch the last race. I went for a snooze. Then you phoned me after the race to share the news that Princess Sabrina had run a gallant fourth, but that I had finished top of the log and was a winner of a very welcome R4000!”
In typically philosophical fashion, John said he is naturally extremely disappointed that he had not won the R1,8 million, but wouldn’t be losing too much sleep as he had fancied the consistent filly at the weights in the cliffhanger last race.
“I don’t like hard-luck stories. I made my selection of all eight of my horses with consideration and with purpose. Cowboys don’t cry. And consider that I finished top of 10 044 odd players – that doesn’t pay the bills, but it’s bragging rights!” he laughed.
When explaining how the excitement had unfolded, he told the Sporting Post that he usually gyms at 4am every day, but takes a break on Sundays.
“I don’t usually punt on a Sunday and was up at 04h00 as usual. I sat studying the Hollywoodbets Greyville card and played with various combinations. In the second race, for example, I went against the favourite. I found the sixth race quite tricky – a fillies and mares MR 78 handicap. But the talented Rachel Venniker and Lady Catherine delivered for me.”
Rachel Venniker gets Lady Catherine up to keep John’s dreams alive (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
John said that in hindsight he probably should have taken a Pick 6 and a Place Accumulator on the afternoon.
“I suppose I would have had a really good day. Maiden’s Prayer who won the last race was fancied. But would have should have could have. We move on and look forward to the next racemeeting.”
How the final race unfolded…
A dedicated Hollywoodbets customer, John plays at Walmer and Greenacres branches. He particularly enjoys the Greenacres experience and finds the service professional and friendly.
The next leg of the Hollywoodbets Punters Challenge is at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Wednesday 6 October. R1 825 000 will be up for grabs and John says he will be out to make good by going one better than his memorable Sunday near miss.
“Thanks to Hollywoodbets. It’s a great competition, it doesn’t cost a cent and it’s good for racing,” he said.
The Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge has proven to be South Africa’s most successful horseracing competition ever.
The challenge is straightforward! Players receive points depending on where their selection finishes in a race, and how many actual runners there are in a race.
Points are awarded in accordance with the horses’ finishing positions i.e. – in a 10-horse field, the winner will be awarded ten (10) points, 2nd place is nine (9) points and so on with the last horse being awarded one (1) point.
Points are also awarded according to the price of the winner only. The winning selection receives a bonus of the Hollywoodbets starting price.
