The Durban July is South Africa's equivalent of Britain's Royal Ascot with superb horse racing, high fashion, elegance, fine cuisine and champagne. It is the one meeting of the year where knowledge of horse racing is not a requirement to have a fantastic day out. First held in July 1897 at Greyville Racecourse in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Raced on turf, the Durban July Handicap is open to horses of all ages. It is South Africa's premier horse racing event and currently offers a purse of R2.5 million (app. US$360,000).