The J&B Met, Cape Town’s greatest race and the city’s party of the year, was a winner from start to finish at Kenilworth on Saturday.

TAB Tote pools were huge on the day with an all time record of 45,3 million rand wagered on the day, up from 39,1 million last year - an increase of 15.88%! The Pick 6 pool was a South African record of R8.6 million, up from 3.5 million last year - the payout was R78,615. 

More than 36,000 people were at Kenilworth and the racing and festivities began before midday and continued into the evening with the last race being run at 7pm.

The form experts got it wrong in the R2.5-million J&B Met. Favourite Master Of My Fate could only stay on to finish a close fifth as outsiders filled the first four places. Patrons who wagered a place bet on the favourite qualify for a R 1,40 place dividend as TAB paid 5 places on this race for the first time ever.

Victory went to 15-1 chance Hill Fifty Four, who had finished second in last year’s race. There was no stopping the five-year-old gelding this time and he led from start to finish under a terrific ride from Anton Marcus to win by nearly two lengths from last year’s Sansui Summer Cup winner Yorker. Rank outsider Punta Arenas (R6,90 a place) ran third with Whiteline Fever fourth.

The Vaughan Marshal trained Hill Fifty Four races in the familiar green, black and yellow silks of Ingrid and Markus Jooste. The country’s leading owner enjoyed a fantastic finish, the runner-up as well as the fourth placed horse are jointly owned by Markus Jooste.