It is said that one shouldn’t scratch where it doesn’t itch. The rescheduling of one of our greatest races to a week later time-slot is a brave move that hasn’t exactly been trumped about by anybody.
I believe it was author Robert C Gallagher who suggested that change is inevitable – except from a vending machine. And it is indeed strange that the racing operator would have allowed the sponsor to tinker with the veritable ATM machine that is the J&B Met.
Or who does the wagging?
Besides badly inconveniencing the enthusiastic Robin Bruss and his Cape Premier Yearling Sale team, who had already secured this week’s booking on a seemingly capacity Cape Town International Convention Centre schedule, everybody else appears to have taken the tweak in their stride.
Tote Life
And while probably nobody has briefed tote staff on how to deal with the once-a-year flutterers, who will have no clue that the race has moved forward in time, and will descend (we hope) on the totes for their annual R10 splurge this week, I must admit to being very impressed by an experience on Monday, while watching the first race from Kimberley (or Bingo Park as some wag on ABC calls it) in my local tote.
Totes have a unique life of their own and strangers stand out like Andrew Fortune in a Virgin Active Gym. I was in earshot of three ‘buitelanders’ who turned up to buy their Met racecards within ten minutes of each other on Monday.
Non punters,as already suggested, stand out like Martians on Clifton fourth beach. They are different to the usual inhabitants.
They are stress free, generally happier folk, who smile and appear excited at the prospect of buying their annual glossy racecard.Hopefully one will be printed as we don’t have them anymore either.
The flutterers history is not shattered dreams, broken marriages and hardluck stories. It is about remembering the thrill of last year- win or lose.
The manner in which the vastly experienced teller dealt with their surprise and obvious disappointment at the non-availability of the race card ,and the fact that January’s jawl had become February’s festival was impressive, to say the least.
No posters. No circulars. No betting opening dates. No invites to the free sticky buns and Ricoffy at the official gallops. Just a stalwart staffmember who works nights and weekends and gets paid not a helluva lot.
And dare I say it, she is white too. Which means that she probably won’t be around for too long either after thirty odd years at the grindstone.
But I digress.
Request
The Met date change was apparently made following a formal request from the sponsors and now finds itself on the fifth Saturday of the year. Brandhouse felt that optimum exposure would be achieved for all interested stakeholders.
I have never quite understood the mechanics or politics.
Does the Met need J&B or does J&B need the Met? Whatever the answer to that riddle, the two have been synonomous with a fabulous day of racing for 36 years.
The shuffle, announced in June 2012, which obviously also resulted in a knock on effect for other major races, included moving the R2 million Gr1 Sansui Summer Cup to the first Saturday of December from the last Saturday of November.
The Summer Cup is nearly as old as Johannesburg itself and was first run in 1887. Co- sponsor, the Gauteng Government, had a few reasons that they wanted to move the meeting on by a week but one in particular, and rather bizarrely, was that the race clashed with the Metro FM awards, which normally attracts major players in Government and also a lot of celebrities.
Sponsor
The sponsor made the request to move the schedule on to accommodate all role players and to optimise attendance. This was also intended to level the playing fields so that the Sansui Summer Cup could compete with the balance of the big three, the Vodacom Durban July and the J&B Met. That will never happen in my personal opinion!
The Met, four years older than the Summer Cup, has carried the J&B branding since 1978 when it was run for a stake of R50 000 and won by the great Politician, who would achieve a historic double by winning it the following year too.
One of South Africa’s truly great races and social events, it has except for two nasty bouts of equine flu and a couple of World Wars, been run like clockwork on the last Saturday of January
The first recorded winner of the Metropolitan Mile, as it was originally known in 1883, was Sir Hercules and, while the race seemingly had a chequered existence for many years in the early 1900’s, by the 1960’s it was firmly established as one of the ‘big three’ races in the country.
50 000 people are expected to descend on Kenilworth on 2 February to pander to the ‘Made To Fly’ theme, which conjures up visions of nature or aviation. Maybe try dressing up like a beggar to portray SAA, or even a bright orange tropical fruit if your budget is limited.
Entrance
The entrance options range from a General Entrance ticket which cost R185 each to the acquisition of a single or double suite. It amazes that the latter facilities are still available at this late stage.
According to Gold Circle, the General Entrance ticket gives one access to Kenilworth Racecourse only and not to any of the reserved areas in the buildings and the marquee village.
Then the R450 Lifestyle Lounge ticket is a bargain in my book.
According to Mark Coupar of JWT, J&B’s lead creative agency, this new facility, a la L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (I said that not Mr Coupar), is a move to accommodate the luxury seekers who are unable to get into the J&B Marquee.
This value ticket gets you parking, access to the racecourse, access to the Met and the Lifestyle Village as well as the after-party!
The Lifestyle Village will house six premium marquees facing each other. There will be a stage with live entertainment, a 20m bar, a shaded area and large screens.
There are other possibilities too. These include the Infield Classic Pavilion – for Corporates with 50+ guests.
The Infield Paddock Pavilion – Multi-User (minimum table of 10 guests). The Infield Fire, Steam & Ice – Multi-User/single tickets available. (Private enclosed areas available for 50+ guests).
The Picnic Village which includes the Trackside Picnic Corporate Bedouin – for Corporates or Groups with 50+ guests and Traditional Picnic Sites – for Corporates or Groups with 20 – 25 guests.
The Members Picnic Sites. The Trackside Lounges.
The J&B Jet Lounge powered by 5FM – Multi-User/single tickets available.
Something for every taste.
As Bob Dylan sang in that great song….Then you better start swimmin’, Or you’ll sink like a stone, For the times they are a-changin’…….
