Belgarion chases rare double

Igugu won the Durban July in 2011 and the Met some seven months later. It was a rare achievement and victory by Belgarion in this Grade 1 race over 2000m would lift his reputation to another level.

Trained by Justin Snaith, the five-year-old son of Dynasty has only raced 11 times for eight wins and two places but it really all came together for him after he was gelded.

He reeled off six successive victories which included five features, including the Durban July, after which he was rested. On his return Belgarion surprised even hi connections when he won the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes over 1600m at Kenilworth before finishing third behind stablemate Jet Dark in the Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate over the same course and distance.

“Belgarion’s performance in winning the Green Point Stakes was brilliant but he was running fresh, and before that I had never believed him to be a Queen’s Plate horse as it is over a mile and he is by Silvano,” Snaith told Gold Circle.

“We were hoping he could win, make no mistake, but the pace in the Queen’s Plate turned out to be on the slow side and he was shown to not be a miler.”

The only concern is his wide No 11 draw, but this is a small field and they do have an 800m straight before they hit the turn, so it should not be a problem.   

Snaith also saddles Do It Again. The son of Twice Over has a number of key races but this event has eluded him. He ran second to Rainbow Bridge in 2019 but lost his form last season. Snaith appears to have him back to his best and with Anton Marcus up Do It Again has a chance to finally add the Met to his record.

He displayed the good form by running a sterling fourth in the Queen’s Plate. “He is in a good space,” said Snaith. “He has come on a lot from that run and so has Belgarion. “I will be very surprised if both don’t both finish in the first four.”

Mike de Kock has won this race three times and he runs Irish-bred mare Queen Supreme. He could have gone the easier route and put her in the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes against her own sex but she comes into this race off an impressive victory in the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes over 1800m. With her 2.5kg sex allowance, she runs in the Met as one of the best weighted runners.

“This will be her last race in South Africa. She will be exported after this,” confirmed De Kock. “She has already won two Grade 1 races against fillies and we felt the Met would provide better value for us.” 

As she was bred in the northern hemisphere she’s actually six months younger than the other five-year-olds and is only just reaching her peak right now.     

Keagan de Melo rode her in the Paddock Stakes and he is up again.

Rainbow Bridge won this race in 2019 and was runner-up last year. He is marginally the best weighted runner, just 0.5kg better off with Queen Supreme, and it will come as a major surprise if he does not contest the finish.

Eric Sands saddles Golden Ducat as well and admits he cannot choose between the two. “Both are very well, their preparations have been outstanding and both can rise to the occasion,” he said.

“All I’m hoping for is a clean-run race.”  

He showed his well-being last time with a solid second in the Queen’s Plate and will have talented young jockey up in Luke Ferraris.

In 2018, Oh Susanna became the first three-year-old filly to win the Met in over a century. Princes Calla will be looking to emulate that feat. She is a very good filly and is trained by Adam Marcus.

“I don’t think there is more than two lengths separating the older horses who are carrying 60kg,” said Marcus. “Princess Calla is a very good filly who is physically strong enough to take on this class of field. She is improving with every run and I believe she will be involved in the finish. 

Princess Calla will love this distance, carries just 51.5kg and has a very in-form Grant van Niekerk in the irons. 

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 3 Danilo Danilovitch, 2 Callmemrgreenlight, 7 Seeking Peace, 1  Arizona Sky

Race 2: 1 Starboard, 2 Daughter Of Zeus, 3 Swazi Queen, 5 Zeta Jones

Race 3: 4 Superior Leader, 5 Churchhaven, 13 Grand Escape, 3 Wolf Man

Race 4: 6 Captain Of Stealth, 9 Pinkerton, 5 Snow Report, 3 Hudoo Magic

Race 5: 4 High Hosanna, 2 Barzalona, 3 Sheldon, 1 African Rain

Race 6: 1 Kommetdieding, 2 Rascallion, 4 Hoedspruit, 10 Dubai Lights

Race 7: 12 Erik The Red, 10 Celtic Sea, 11 Run Fox Run, 1 Kasimir

Race 8: 10 Captain’s Ransom, 1 Clouds Unfold, 11 Chat Ching, 2 Silvano’s Pride

Race 9: 3 Belgarion, 9 Queen Supreme, 1 Rainbow Bridge, 2 Do It Again

Race 10: 7 Silver Host, 1 Atyaab, 3 Kampala Campari, 2 Crome Yellow

Race 11: 1 Social Butterfly, 3 Viridian Light, 5 Qaaraat, 2 Ohwhatanight

Race 12: 2 Real Gone Kid, 1 Tarantino, 4 His Choice, 3 Bowie

BEST BET

Race 10 No 7 Silver Host

VALUE BET

Race 4 No 6 Captain Of Stealth

BEST SWINGER

Race 7 1×10

BIPOT 1 (Race 2 to 7)

R288

Leg 1: 1, 2

Leg 2: 3, 4, 5, 13

Leg 3: 5, 6, 9

Leg 4: 2, 4

Leg 5: 1, 2

Leg 6: 10, 11, 12

BIPOT 2 (Races 7 to 12)

R96

Leg 1: 10, 11, 12

Leg 2: 10

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 9

Leg 4: 7

Leg 5: 1, 2, 3, 5

Leg 6: 1, 2

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 4, 5, 13

Leg 2: 6, 9

Leg 3: 2, 4

Leg 4: 1, 2

Leg 5: 10, 11, 12

Leg 6: 10

Leg 7: 1, 3, 9

PICK 6

R2400

Leg 1: 2, 3, 5, 6, 9

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4

Leg 3: 1, 2

Leg 4: 1, 6, 10, 11, 12

Leg 5: 1, 10

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 11

JACKPOT 1

R80

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 4

Leg 2: 1, 2

Leg 3: 1, 6, 10, 11, 12

Leg 4: 1, 10

JACKPOT 2

R168

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 9, 11

Leg 2: 7

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4