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Doing the Durban July in style

Doing the Durban July in style

Date: 2019-06-28

July fever will take hold next month as Durban's Greyville racecourse welcomes over 60 000 people to the 123rd edition of the greatest fixture on the racing and social calendar - the Vodacom Durban July (VDJ). Primping and planning at the various venues at the track is well underway, with numerous options ranging from trackside all-fall-down parties to lavish lounges now on offer to punters ready to enjoy the Stars of Africa theme, which guides all the fashion, hospitality and dÈcor elements on the day. The rush for the golden ticket to the best experience at this fashion and entertainment extravaganza is officially on as track tickets go on sale and sought-after spots at hospitality venues get snapped up.

Companies and social race-goers looking for private totes and bathrooms, full catering, a complimentary bar, waiter service, plasma screens and the best views to enhance the experience can pay between R3,000 and R5,000 per head for various hospitality options, with arguably the best being on the grandstand side.

Local racing and entertainment doyenne Sharon Saunders passed her passion for the races on to her sons, Neil and Chris Theron, who say her fervour for creating the ultimate race day experience is the reason they will again be entertaining 1 000 guests in lavish style at the family-run OneStop Hospitality lounge. A fixture at the races since 1994, OneStop has been in various sites and now has the ideal position in the grandstand, offering the only dual view of the parade ring and the finish line, 50m away. "We started out in the first trackside marquee in the early 90s," explains Neil Theron. "We then moved from the Silver Ring to the Gold Ring on the grandstand side and for several years we constructed a tent each year. Fifteen years ago, we transformed a large underutilised training room on the upper level into our fabulous permanent venue for guests to experience the thrill of thoroughbred horse racing." The investment paid off and OneStop has earned the hotly contested Best Hospitality Venue award eight times.

And Theron's advice to potential punters "Know what you want out of the day and book in advance! If you want a sophisticated environment to enjoy the thrill of thoroughbred horseracing without tangling too much with the big crowds and queues, it's worth spending that little bit extra with an experienced hospitality provider."

So, let the Stars of Africa gather and inspire the world as this glittering event truly puts South African racing on the map. Just make sure you're doing it in style!