Master Of My Fate goes for his seventh victory in succession in the R2.5-million J&B Met at Kenilworth in Cape Town this afternoon. He is pictured above with Sean Cormack in the saddle. Picture: Liesl King.
The prospect of a record Pick 6 pool and Tote place payouts on the first five to finish in the Met, instead of the usual four, has created extraordinary interest in the race meeting.
The Pick 6 pool starts with a R2.5 million carryover and the total pool could soar as high as R10 million.
Master Of My Fate faces the toughest challenge of his short racing career.
A small fortune has already been wagered on the four-year-old, who goes for his seventh victory in a row after finishing se-cond in his debut.
This potential champion, who Dennis Drier ranks among the best he has trained, only began racing nine months ago, following a hoof injury that threatened to end his career before it started.
“The really big money is for Master Of My Fate, whereas se-cond favourite Jackson has gone a bit cold in the betting,” said Michael Weare of corporate bookmaking chain Betting World.
Jackson, the beaten favourite in the 2012 Vodacom Durban July and last year’s Met, is a top runner, but has been plagued by ulcers. Several other runners were attracting support, notably King Of Pain.
Betting World’s latest betting on the Met, which will be screened live on SS8 DStv from 3.30pm:
2-1 Master Of My Fate
7-2 Jackson
6-1 Capetown Noir
12-1 Jet Explorer
13-1 King Of Pain
15-1 Whiteline Fever
20-1 Hill Fifty Four, Yorker
22-1 No Worries, Wylie Hall
25-1 Ice Machine, Royal Zulu Warrior
66-1 and upwards others