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Popular entertainer Somizi Mhlongo will be joining TV darling Minnie Dlamini-Jones and superstar sprinter Usain Bolt as the host of this year’s Sun Met, which will be held at Cape Town’s Kenilworth Racecourse on Saturday.
Bolt, the event’s so-called chief entertainment officer, is set to make a return to the racecourse where last year he surprised the guests when he showed off his other talents by taking over the decks at the GH Mumm marquee.
Besides Bolt, fashion is another aspect of the Sun Met – the event that kick-starts the year’s social calender – which is already on everyone’s minds.
Mhlongo was doing last-minute fabric shopping at the Oriental Plaza in Johannesburg this week and said he was excited to host the event alongside Dlamini-Jones and Bolt.
He said he wouldn’t want to miss the vibe and jovial mood of the event.
“The cherry on top was when they broke the news that I was also hosting,” he said.
Mhlongo, who is known for his show-stopping outfits, says he is now a grown-up and “obviously” will opt for a clean and classy look.
“One look will definitely be a metallic white or salmon pink outfit with a touch of gold,” he said.
His fiancé, Mohale, will be joining him at the races, but there will be no matching outfits this time around, he said.
Dlamini-Jones, the master of celebrations for the Champagne brand, said it’s a huge honour to be hosting alongside Bolt.
“He’s an incredible human being who loves South Africa and he really knows how to have a great time here. Last year was my favourite Met. I have no doubt that this year will be even better,” she said, adding that a few months ago she was with Bolt in Paris, France, and he told her that he couldn’t wait for his next trip here.
Dlamini-Jones says she will be wearing a custom-made dress by Gert-Johan Coetzee.
Gold, platinum and copper are the inspiration behind this year’s Sun Met theme, “African Luxury: Precious Metals”.
Coetzee said the theme is proudly South African and he didn’t expect fashionistas to disappoint. He advised racegoers to play around with metallic, gold, copper and platinum colours. But he also advised them not just to have shiny colours in mind when planning their outfits, but a balance of colours that incorporate different textures.
So what should racegoers not do?
“Be careful, you should avoid being too much. Trying too hard can be too much,” says Coetzee, who insists that a clean and simple look can save your day.
“This theme can go wrong very quickly.”
He pleaded with women to wear comfortable shoes.
“We don’t want to see ladies with their shoes off by 4pm!”
For last-minute shoppers, he said a simple gold or black dress could work, only if you know how to accessorise your outfit with jewellery.
The Paddoclub marquee, which accommodates up to 500 racegoers, is one of the marquees that everyone wouldn’t want to miss because GH Mumm Champagne flows throughout the entire event.
This year’s line-up hasn’t been confirmed, but DJ Zinhle, pH and others shook the dance floor last year.
And then there are the horses, which some attendees actually care about. The Grade 1 race is the richest in Africa and carries a R5 million prize pool, which will be shared by the top-10 finishers. The owner of the winning horse will receive a R2.85 million cheque and the runner-up will receive R1 million.
Jack Milner, managing editor of Phumelela Events, says Grade 1 races are the highest tier of racing and all the best horses race in those events. He said 13 horses and their jockeys will compete in this year’s race, which is a 2 000m distance.
There will be 12 races on the day and the total prize money on offer is just less than R19 million.
The hot favourite to win is Do It Again, a bay gelding that will be ridden by Richard Fourie.
“He is trained by Justin Snaith, who won this race last year with a filly called Oh Susanna. The filly is running again this year,” Milner said.
He also said it was highly possible that Do It Again, which won last year’s Durban July, might take the prize at Kenilworth.
“Fourie rates Do It Again as one of the three best horses he has ridden. Fashion is also a major issue at the course and people come to Kenilworth dressed to kill, hoping to collect one of the best-dressed prizes,” Milner said.
