In the build-up to The Sun Met celebrated with GH Mumm there was a chance for a trio of Miss South Africa semifinalists to get up close and personal with a few of the thoroughbred stars involved in the R5-million spectacle at Kenilworth Racecourse on Saturday.

Callie-Jo Bouman and Chante Holloway, two semifinalists in this year’s Miss SA, pose with Sun Met celebrated with GH Mumm hopeful Captain America on the beach.

As part of the promotional efforts that have gone into this, Africa’s richest raceday, Ade van Heerden, Chante Holloway and Callie-Jo Bouman all spent time with Whisky Baron and Captain America, the two entrants from the Brett Crawford stable for the 2000m Grade One race at the beach in Muizenberg.

“It was really cool to be that close to the horses and watch them during the morning. They were calm and relaxed the whole time and it was a really great experience,” Bouman said of the morning.

It’s not unusual for a number of the Cape Town-based trainers to take their horses out to the beach for some time in the sun, work on the sand and the icy cool waters of the Atlantic is great for the legs. And after their workouts the horses enjoy nothing more than a roll in the sand, something that caught the models off guard.

“I’ve seen dogs roll like that but never a horse! It’s amazing to watch them and see how happy they were. It was really good to see this side of them,” added Bouman.

Given the short time left until raceday it’s only natural that excitement levels are ramped up and Bouman, who will attend the races for the first time, is eager to see what the day, and the sport of horseracing, has to offer.

Whisky Baron and Captain America, two of the runners in The Sun Met celebrated with GH Mumm, take time out to pose with Miss SA semifinalists.

“I’m excited. I’ve never been racing before, so just to share in this experience is going to be amazing. Seeing all the horses and the fashions is also going to be great. I’m really excited to be part of this and of course with Sun International involved it’s going to be really special.

And the Belville resident found that picking a horse for the big day was relatively simple given that’s she is currently pursuing a law degree.

“I had a look at the names of the horses and Legal Eagle definitely stood out for me,” says Bouman.

Tickets for The Sun Met celebrated with GH Mumm start from just R150 for general access and can be purchased from Ticketpro and the official after-party presented by GUESS includes some of the biggest names in South African music including Mi Casa, Euphonik, Sketchy Bongo, Goodluck, Kyle Deutsch and Shekhinah.

Racing. It’s a Rush