Cape Flats-born Durban July winner dedicates his victory to the “uncles at the tote”

Its the biggest, most glamorous event on the racing calendar and the Greyville Racecourse in Durban is usually swarming with the who’s who of South Africa, dressed to the nines and quaffing bubbly in the balmy KwaZulu-Natal winter sunshine.

But of course, things must be done very differently these days.

Last year the Durban July was held behind closed doors and this year it was a significantly watered-down affair. There were no cheering crowds, no booze and precious little fanfare. The only people allowed onto the grounds were trainers, jockeys, core racing personnel and a handful of media representatives.