The Vodacom Durban July is not only a major social and fashion event on the South African calendar but also doubles up as one of the biggest highlights on the sporting front.
Come July 1, the Greville Racecourse will be the place to be for celebrities, horseracing fanatics and the who's who of showbiz.
The theme for this year's instalment is "The Colour Of Magic" and promises nothing short of dramatic fashion statements.
All the fancy marquees and entertainment aside, the July as the event has been dubbed over the years, is about the horses.
The event is the biggest horse racing event on the African continent and attracts close to 55,000 spectators.
Bets are placed in excess of an estimated R200 million.
According to David Airey of Airey Scott, making money at the event is easy, but can be tricky.
"It is a difficult art, but a great experience," he said.
If you will be attending the event, here is how you can make some money betting on the horses:
1. You need to be 18 years or older to buy a race card and bet.
2. Pick your horse. Choose a name you like or your lucky number. You can study the horse's form and racing history in the race card.
3. Once you understand the form of the horse you are backing, you need to decide whether you want to take a win or a place bet. If you bet on a horse for a Win, the horse must win to qualify for a payout. If you're not that confident of your selection you can take a place bet if there are six or more runners. Here you will receive a payout if your horse finishes first or second if there are six or seven runners, or first, second or third if there are eight to 15 runners. If there are 16 or more runners there will also be a payout for fourth place.
4. You can bet on more than one horse. If you like two horses in the same race then the swinger is for you. Here you call both horses to the tote operator and you win if your horses finish first and second, first and third or second and third.
The swinger is the only bet with an R2,00 minimum bet. All other bets are a minimum of R6,00.
5. The jackpot. The jackpot is a bet where you are required to choose the winner of the four consecutive Jackpot races. It's harder to win than the Double, but the rewards are much higher. To make this bet easier to win you can take a permutation, where you select a number of horses in each race or leg. Each line of four horses would cost you R1 and again the minimum bet is R6.
Airey said although betting can be intimidating for first-timers, it adds to the thrill of the event.
"It is more fun than anything else. If you are not sure, ask. Go with your gut and just have fun while you're at it," he told HuffPost SA.