Jack Milner
Snaith versus the rest.
That is probably the best way to evaluate this year’s Grade 1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met over 2000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
The field for this R5-million race comprises 11 runners – Justin Snaith has six, the rest have five.
There is no question that Snaith has an extremely potent hand. Just looking at the betting will tell you that three of them fill the top four slots on the betting boards.
Heading up his list is last year’s winner Eight On Eighteen. If he is at his best, he will take a power of beating. Sadly, he has not had the best of preps as he was laid low by a case of biliary. His first run back since finishing second in last year’s HWB Durban July was in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate and it was disappointing.
Snaith said that Eight On Eighteen has come on strongly from that run and he does have Richard Fourie up, but the fact bookmakers are quite happy to offer 4-1 and 9-2 about him does speak loudly.
However, the runner that has received the strongest betting support is See It Again, who will be having his third attempt at winning this race. Two years ago he was a hot favourite but could only manage fourth place behind Double Superlative and last year he repeated that result although going off at 17-2, but was only beaten 1.10 lengths.
The six-year-old son of Twice Over has had his issues over the past year, losing ground at the start and not wanting to go into the starting stalls. Owner Nic Jonsson decided to bring in horse whisperer Malan du Toit to sort out the issues and as he is based in Cape Town, the decision was taken to send him to Snaith.
With all his problems, they also opted to let Andrew Fortune ride the horse as he has a way of settling equines in races.
It looks like the move could have paid off. See It Again has come back to form with two excellent runs over 1600m, finishing a 0.35-length third behind Dave The King in the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes and a 0.25-length third in the King’s Plate.
On both occasions he was motoring in the closing stages and will no doubt be a better horse over 2000m.
“I think 1600m is too short for him now,” said Fortune on Wednesday. “He’s older now and he takes time to get going.
“If you theorise that his top speed is 70kph, he doesn’t get to that over a mile. In those two races he is still busy increasing his speed as he gets to the line.
“He’s not touched his top speed yet but over the extra 400m he should reach it.”
Fortune, who was battling a year ago to get his licence to ride back again, is one of the most in-form riders in the country right now and in fact, six of his rides have been priced up as the favourite.
“I nearly think he’s my best ride,” added Fortune. He’s had the best prep and he’s just come on with racing. I make him the horse to beat.”
He added he has a lot of respect for all of The Real Prince, Eight On Eighteen, Snaith’s other leading contender Sail The Seas, and Gladatorian.
“Those are the horses I believe can win the race.”
Talking about the perfect prep, it is hard to looks beyond Dean Kannemeyer-trained The Real Prince. This five-year-old son of Gimmethegreenlight has not put a foot wrong. He won last season’s Durban July, was touched off by Gladatorian in the World Pool Champions Cup and then showed tremendous courage to win the King’s Plate. Log-leading jockey Craig Zackey is in outstanding form as well and The Real Prince is the real danger.
Gladatorian will be having his third run in the Western Cape and should be at his peak so cannot be ignored and Sail The Seas will be a massive runner if he sees out the trip (See Page 8 for Muzi Yeni’s comments).
Many pundits will be making another Fortune-Snaith runner, Double Grand Slam, a banker in the carryover Pick 6. She lines up in Race 7, the Grade 1 Maine Chance Farms Majorca Stakes over 1600m for fillies and mares.
She needed her last run when narrowly beaten in the Paddock Stakes and Fortune is unbeaten on the filly. However, Fortune has just one reservation.
“She should win. Double Grand Slam. She’s doing well at home but I’m little bit concerned about how the race is going to be run. I don’t see any pace in the race, and she will need a decent pace,” he said
However, once you look past her it is a very open event but James Crawford sends out two decent runners in Paddock Stakes runner-up, three-year-old Reet Petite, and year older Mon Petite Cherie.
Fourie had the choice of rides and it is significant he has chosen the latter, especially if one takes into account that she finished runner-up to Double Grand Slam in the Grade 1 Garden Province Stakes at HWB Greyville.
Once again, there will be a number of excellent betting opportunities for punters, headed up by a R1-million Pick 6 carryover with the pool likely to reach R7-million.
There is also a R500,000 Quartet carryover to the Met (Race 8), with a likely pool R2 million. With 12 races, there will be three Jackpots on offer (Races 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12) with a R500,000 carryover on Jackpot Three, likely pool R2 million.
In addition, TAB bets on Wins, Places, Exactas, Quinellas and Swingers will be commingled into the Hong Kong World Pool tote for Races 3 to 12.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 4 St Harry, 12 Champagne Castle, 7 Querari Dancer, 1 Marseilles
Race 2: 7 Eric Liddell, 1 Note To Self, 2 World First, 10 Wehaveasituation
Race 3: 2 Magic Verse, 8 Holding Thumbs, 1 Zatara Magic, 4 Ahead Of The Facts
Race 4: 10 Rhydian, 13 Follow Your Heart, 18 Mauritius Kestrel, 14 Whirlwind
Race 5: 14 All The Rage, 15 Pistol Pete, 8 Surjay, 1 The US Of A
Race 6: 6 Powerandtheglory, 10 Snow Pilot, 14 Great Plains, 4 Billy Bowlegs
Race 7: 10 Double Grand Slam, 2 Mon Petit Cherie, 8 Rainbow Lorikeet, 11 Minogue
Race 8: 10 See It Again, 6 The Real Prince, 4 Gladatorian, 2 Eight On Eighteen
Race 9: 2 Happy Verse, 4 Randolph Hearst, 6 Fox On The Run, 7 Touched By Angels
Race 10: 1 Call Me Secret, 2 Princess Of Gaul, 7 Babelicious, 10 Pink Pigeon
Race 11: 7 Swiatek, 3 Give Me Everything, 6 Lavender Bay, 4 World Of Alice
Race 12: 5 Blind Date, 2 Foudre, 11 Smarten Up, 3 Yamazaki
BEST BET
Race 2: 7 Eric Liddell
VALUE BET
Race 6: 6 Powerandtheglory
BEST SWINGER
Race 3 2x8
BIPOT I (Races 2 to 7)
R324
Leg 1: 7
Leg 2: 2, 8
Leg 3: 1, 6, 10, 13, 14, 18
Leg 4: 8, 14, 15
Leg 5: 6, 10, 14
Leg 6: 2, 8, 10
BIPOT 2 (Races 7 to 12)
Leg 1: 2, 8, 10
Leg 2: 4, 6, 10
Leg 3: 2, 4
Leg 4: 1, 2, 7
Leg 5: 3, 6, 7
Leg 6: 2, 5
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R240
Leg 1: 2
Leg 2: 6, 10, 13, 14, 18
Leg 3: 14
Leg 4: 6, 10, 14
Leg 5: 2, 10
Leg 6: 6, 10
Leg 7: 2, 4
PICK 6
R2304
Leg 1: 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 14, 18
Leg 2: 8, 14, 15
Leg 3: 4, 6, 10, 14
Leg 4: 2, 8, 10, 11
Leg 5: 4, 6, 10
Leg 6: 2, 4
JACKPOT 1
R64
Leg 1: 4, 12
Leg 2: 1, 7
Leg 3: 2, 8
Leg 4: 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 14, 18
JACKPOT 2
R144
Leg 1: 8, 14, 15
Leg 2: 4, 6, 10, 14
Leg 3: 2, 8, 10, 11
Leg 4: 4, 6, 10
JACKPOT 3
R180
Leg 1: 2, 4
Leg 2: 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 12
Leg 3: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7
Leg 4: 2, 5, 11