Defending champion Kommetdieding heads a high-class field of 19 that will line up in the 161st renewal of the R2 million WSB Cape Town Met. Photo: Chase Liebenberg
WATCH | Cape Town Met: Every second of Kommetdieding’s stunning win
Watch as Kommetdieding wins the Grade 1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met over 2 000m at Kenilworth racecourse.
Defending champion Kommetdieding heads a high-class field of 19 that will line up in the 161st renewal of the R2 million WSB Cape Town Met. Photo: Chase Liebenberg
Kommetdieding landed a famous victory in the Grade 1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met over 2 000m at Kenilworth racecourse on Saturday, beating off the late rally of Jet Dark and outstaying the persistent threat of Linebacker.
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The winner is a son of Elusive Fort, out of the Captain Al mare Adorable, and was bred at Klawervlei Stud.
His success, following on from a sensational victory in the 2021 Durban July, caps a stellar four-year-old campaign for the Harold Crawford/Michelle Rix trained champ.
Lockdown restrictions denied charismatic owner Ashwin Reynolds the pleasure of leading in his hero in Durban, but this time around he was on track with vociferous fans at Kenilworth to celebrate the moment.
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He was gracious and fulsome in his praise in the post-race interview.
“Thank you to all Kommetdieding’s supporters and to Michelle Rix for training him and (her father) Harold for buying him.”
Rix has indeed handled her charge with aplomb – Kommetdieding is now a multiple Grade 1 winner with six wins from just 10 starts.
He overcame an interrupted prep due to a minor skin infection to come out cranked up for an outstanding Cape Town Met performance.
Jockey Gavin Lerena, super-professional as ever, walked the course the day before, found a perfect box seat position and delivered a strategic ride when the chips were down.
Kommetdieding, a popular winner with both the Cape public and professional punters convinced he was teed up to land a rare July/Met double, was heavily backed to start favourite at slightly better odds than 2/1.
Queen’s Plate winner, Jet Dark tried hard to make up the deficit, but his late rally fell short three quarters of a length shy at the wire.
Linebacker, who had moved up with intent before weakening late, was under a length back in third.
Sole three-year-old, Double Superlative got underway belatedly on the outer to snare fourth, 1.7 lengths off Kommetdieding in a rousing finish to this iconic Cape feature race.
