OVER R200 million will be wagered at totes around the country on the Vodacom Durban July, and punters are looking for guidance on where to place their money. Once they have studied the form of each horse, many also turn to predictions from unconventional or supernatural avenues to help them pick a winner.

The bad news for punters this year is that there seems to be very little consensus from the mystic forecasters, as five separate predictions pointed in five different directions.

Sport followers the world over swore by the predictions of German Octopus Paul, and local punters have not been shy to turn to iconic local animal figures for advice. Perhaps the most substantial source of wisdom in town is Brian Boswells Circus’ elephant Tembi, who was happy to share her thoughts on who will be first across the line on Saturday afternoon.

After confidently striding over to the voting station, twenty juicy oranges in twenty numbered bowls, Tembi stepped back for a few seconds, seemingly to take in the seriousness of the matter at hand, before she cast her decisive final vote.

Tembi backed 2011 third place finisher Pierre Jordaan as the one who will walk away with this year’s spoils, before she happily gulped down the rest of the runners’ chances as well.

The local four-legged circus star however wasn’t the only creature on Durban’s beachfront to have suffered a bout of Vodacom Durban July fever.

Not to be outdone by her somewhat larger, land-based counterpart Ushaka Marine World’s Hlabathi the seal also to the time to carefully peruse this year’s race card before she put flipper to paper and confirmed that all the fuss surrounding odds-on favourite Jackson is indeed justified whilst Vettel could well finish a close second.

The usually camera shy entertainer braved the public eye to cast her vote however, despite what she may have heard from the know all’s of the park, she didn’t have even a hint of support for the popular young filly, Ilha Bela nor the highly rated English Garden.

Hillcrest’s Brenda Lindon, a mystic and teach of transformation, had a relatively similar take on the matter to Hlabathi and as the cards fell in front of her they too pointed towards a likely Jackson victory.

“Card fifteen was first so either number fifteen or number six (one plus five) looks set to have a really good race. Card fifteen is also the ‘temptation’ card which could possibly be warning punters to go with their gut feel when betting rather than following the herd like sheep,” said Lindon.

Second out was number thirteen pointing favourably in the direction of Sage Throne however more curiously there was a strong feminine feel to the second placed finisher possibly leaning more in the favour of the talented young filly Ilha Bela.

This thought could be further backed up by the notion that the number four (one plus three) also represents the number runner that Ilha Bela is from the Mike de Kock stable.

The third card to fall was possibly of the most interest as card number 16 suggests Vettel could claim the final step on the podium but also relates to a boxed-in, disruptive type affair, a somewhat likely occurrence given Jackson’s wide draw of 16 and Ilha Bela at 18.

“The winner will more than likely be faced with quite a tough, boxed-in situation and they will have to battle exceptionally hard to get out and get to the front,” said Lindon.

“The universe card (card number twenty-one and fourth to fall) suggests that it will be a wonderful day though and that the universe supports the event entirely. It should be a fabulous and a day filled with surprises,” she added.

Sangoma Thembisani Mdlolo has been the traditional predictor of choice at the Vodacom Durban July for a number of years. After the Gallops he threw the bones in front of a rapt audience, which groaned when he announced that race favourite Jackson would finish second.

According to his bones, the 2012 title will go to Smanjemanje, currently strengthening slightly from odds of 50-1, with the popular filly Ilha Bela third.

Mdlolo will looking to improve on last year’s prediction when he foretold that superstar Igugu, who went on to win impressively on the day, would not finish in the top three. Mdlolo’s bones had English Garden as the 2011 winner.

The other hardy annual prediction from with Gold Circle is the annual growing of the beans. Planted on the day that the final field is announced, the twenty beans are watered equally, and their sprouting over the ten days before the big race is meant to be a rock-steady prediction of form for the big race.

Early signs from the beans showed Pierre Jourdaan and Whiteline Fever would make the early running with Jackson handily placed just behind them, however a powerful late charge from Sage Throne and Castlethorpe has seen them pull clear in the bean stakes, leaving Jackson some way off their blooming pace.

The beans unfortunately do not bode well for Solo Traveller. His bean didn’t sprout at all for several days and his modest stalks the day before the race suggest he won’t be part of any photo finish.

The Vodacom Durban July takes place at Greyville racecourse on Saturday 7 July 2012. More information can be found at www.vodacomdurbanjuly.co.za 

SUMMARY OF MYSTIC PREDICTIONS:
Tembi the elephant
1.Pierre Jordaan

Mystic Brenda Lindon
1.Jackson
2.Ilha Bela
3.Vettel

Sangoma Thembisani Mdlolo
1.Smanjemanje
2.Jackson
3.Ihla Bela

Hlabathi the seal
1.Jackson
2.Vettel

The Gold Circle beans
1.Sage Throne
2.Castlethorpe
3.English Garden