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Champ trainer has nearly a third of entries for Cape Town’s big race.
The perils of long-haul travel might have dissuaded top Cape Town trainer Justin Snaith from the big purse temptation of Joburg’s Summer Cup, but there’s no question about his enthusiasm for an upcoming big race in his own backyard.
Snaith has put up no fewer than nine of the 31 first entries for the WSB Cape Town Met, due to be run over 2000m at Kenilworth on 25 January 2025.
It’s not just the R5-million prize money and a Grade 1 trophy the national champion is hunting. He’s also aiming for three wins in a row in Cape Town’s premier horse race – having won with Jet Dark in 2022 and Double Superlative in 2023. And a victory would be his fourth in the Met; the breakthrough having come with the filly Oh Susannah in 2018.
Snow Pilot
Snaith’s best candidate at this early stage appears to be Snow Pilot, last season’s Grade 1 Cape Guineas winner who burst into spring with a couple of cracking victories.
There were no glaring omissions from the list of Met nominations, though no representation from top Joburg trainer Sean Tarry is a mild surprise. A few well-rated upcountry gallopers, like Main Defender and Winchester Mansion, are missing, as is Durban star Royal Victory.
There’s Highveld representation from the Mike de Kock yard, though, notably Equus Horse of the Year Dave The King.
The master of Randjesfontein has also proffered his top filly Silver Sanctuary and – excitingly – two up-and-coming three-year-olds in Greaterix and Heather’s Boy.
KwaZulu-Natal’s flag is likely to be carried by See It Again, the country’s top horse, trained by Michael Roberts, and Gareth van Zyl’s emerging talent Flag Man.
See It Again is currently the 28-10 favourite for the Summer Cup at Turffontein on Saturday and it seems Roberts is trying to complete a triangular sweep – with the Met and Durban July to follow.
An intriguing entry is Dean Kannemeyer’s Gimme A Prince, a champion sprinter who the trainer clearly suspects has hitherto hidden staying power. Stablemate Green With Envy, a disappointment in the 2024 Durban July after a rough passage, will also be closely watched in his Met preparations.
Durban July champion Oriental Charm, from the Brett Crawford yard, has been rested after his heroics and has transferred from his previous Joburg home to the stable’s main base in the Cape. He’ll be handily handicapped for the weight-for-age contest.
Cape Town Met first entries (WFA: 3yrs-6kgs, 4yrs-0.5kgs):
See It Again (5G) 131 Michael Roberts
Gimme A Prince (6G) 130 Dean Kannemeyer
Dave The King (5G) 128 Mike de Kock
Green With Envy (4C) 127 Dean Kannemeyer
Flag Man (4G) 126 Gareth van Zyl
Oriental Charm (4C) 125 Brett Crawford
Snow Pilot (4C) 125 Justin Snaith
Royal Aussie (5G) 124 Justin Snaith
Barbaresco (4G) 122 J A Janse van Vuuren
Rascallion (7G) 122 Vaughan Marshall
Al Muthana (AUS) (7G) 120 Ricky Maingard
Montien (5G) 120 Piet Botha
Without Question (5G) 120 Justin Snaith
Red Palace (4F) 119 Candice Bass-Robinson
Zapatillas (6G) 119 Brett Crawford
Frances Ethel (4F) 118 Brett Crawford
Hluhluwe (4G) 118 Justin Snaith
Pacaya (6G) 118 Justin Snaith
Saartjie (5M) 118 Andre Nel
Billy Bowlegs (5G) 117 Brett Crawford
Master Redoute (6G) 117 Andre Nel
Silver Sanctuary (4F) 116 Mike de Kock
Triple Time (5G) 112 Justin Snaith
William Iron Arm (4G) 112 Dean Kannemeyer
Cape Eagle (7G) 110 Andre Nel
Eight On Eighteen (3C) 110 Justin Snaith
Future Swing (5G) 110 Justin Snaith
Baratheon (6G) 106 Piet Botha
Get Impressed (4G) 106 Justin Snaith
Greaterix (3C) 105 Mike de Kock
Heather’s Boy (3C) 96 Mike de Kock