Bean magic?

THE Hollywoodbets Durban July’s annual bean pot race is back.

Every year, a bean representing each horse participating in the main race is planted. Each potted plant is then labelled with the name of a horse in the race, and the tallest plant wins.

The roots of the tradition can be traced back 40 years.

Ken Tweddell, marketing consultant for Gold Circle, said: “The story goes that there was a lady who used to go to the finish line at Greyville to take some soil there. She would mix that up with other soil and put it in 20 pots and plant the beans, giving each one a name. People have always been enthralled by this bean story.”

This year, 18 horses will compete in the main race (race number 7).

According to Tweddell, this year's beans were planted four weeks ago, with inclement weather hampering their growth.

“We have been growing them in the nursery and they have managed to turn out quite nice, despite the recent cold spell.”

He said sometimes punters bet based on the bean pot race, even though it was not an exact science.

“The bean plants are a light-hearted, fun way to get people excited about the Durban July. I don’t think they actually work for predictions.” Currently, the bean pot race is a tight one.

Last year’s Durban July winner, Kommetdieding (which means “bring it on” in Afrikaans), is inching closer to the finish line, followed by Belgarion, who won the Durban July in 2020, and Do it Again in 2019.

Will you bet on a dark horse or put your faith in the magic of the beans?

Get your tickets to the 2022 Hollywoodbets Durban July for R230 at Computicket.

Tickets will also be sold on race day and parking is R170.