Belated Met Update

I guess one advantage of being sick is spending time sitting - still. So I am getting a chance to catch up on some bogging, and browsing...

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The last time I had fun was this time last week when we went to the J&B Met - aka the Ascot of Cape Town.

I first went in 1999, when I managed to score us some hand-me-down corporate tickets from my boss - nice! The winner that year was Horse Chestnut, who won by FAR, and then sadly died a few months later.

We went again in 2000, with Quinn who was all of 3 weeks old at the time! We lived within walking distance of Kenilworth Race Course, so it wasn't a MAJOR excursion or anything. We sat in the shade on the grass in the main public picnic area. It was a scorcher on the day though (anyone else remember how crazy-hot January 2000 was in Cape Town?), so I ended up strolling home at about 14:30 - not a moment too soon as when I got home and turned on the telly to catch the main race an entire section of cars, parked alongside the race course in the long grass, was up in flames - YIKES! A horse called Badger's Coast won, but I didn't pay too much attention.

Jane & Quinn at the 2000 J&B Met

We skipped 2001, for some reason, I think, probably due to having a 12 month old hell-raiser...

In 2002 I was back, with a 2 year old and 9 week old baby in tow! We had clubbed in with friends to share a private picnic site, complete with hay-bales, umbrellas, tables, chairs, and lots of food and drink. Loverly! Polo Classic won this time.

Our family at the 2002 J&B Met

In 2003 we got a baby sitter and again did the private picnic site thing with friends. A horse called Angus won, but I hardly saw the horses that year.

In 2004. The race was postponed due to a horse-flu outbreak. It was moved to the beginning of April, and just before Richard and my respective 40th & 30th birthdays and our celebratory trip to Thailand. We decided to celebrate at the Met and set up our own private picnic site with the theme of the J&R Met (geddit?). It was fab, and we had a ball. In fact we got quite out of hand and reveled on till about 21:00 when our lack of lighting started becoming a problem... well that and the effects of drinking from 11am ;) I'm not sure if I saw the horses that year, but I did win some cash after placing a bet for the first time, on the favorite and winner Yard-Arm. Yay!

Jane & Richard at the 2004 'J&R Met'

In 2005 Richard cracked an invite to the HP corporate hospitality tent so we did the Met in Style. As blogged about here. We again tried our hand at betting and won 'a few bob' as they say. :) It was great fun that year. As usual the favorite, Alastor, won.

Jane about to leave for the 2005 J&B Met

I had to miss the met last year in 2006, as I had to travel to London for work. It was apparently good fun again, if not exceedingly hot.

We decided to go again this year 2007, but as no corporate offers were forthcoming (although our friend who is the Advertising Account Exec for J&B in South Africa offered us tickets in the Equus Lounge - at, get this, R1600 per person!) we decided to just go ourselves and mingle with the general plebs.

So we did. We had fun just walking around, checking everyone out and doing what we wanted. Strangely we hardly saw anyone we knew, apart from a few minor celebs - like Anke (snort), James Lennox, Michael Mol etc - but then they don't know US.

Jane & Richard at the 2007 J&B Met

The favorite Pocket Power won, but as I didn't know who the favorite was (I have been told I shouldn't own up to that) my money was on Successful Bidder - because he had won 8 out of his 12 races and came 2nd in the rest... seemed like a good bet to me. He came 4th in the end, and thanks to 2 horses pulling out before the start of the race only the first 3 were awarded places. Bugger! Still it was a lovely day.

More pics here, here, and here.