WSB Cape Town Met: 19 horses confirmed in class of 2023

Defending champion Kommetdieding heads a high-class field of 19 that will line up at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday 28 January in the 161st renewal of one of our oldest and most prestigious racing events, the R2 million WSB Cape Town Met.

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According to the Sporting Post website, in what is expected to be his swansong appearance before he departs for the Klawervlei paddocks to take up stallion duties, Kommetdieding will again be ridden by Gavin Lerena and drew barrier gate 6 at the final field function on the V&A Waterfront on Wednesday evening.

Boasting the distinction of being the first horse since Mike de Kock’s great filly Igugu (2012), and another star in Pocket Power ( 2009), to register the consecutive Durban July-Met double, Kommetdieding comes in fighting fit after placings in the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes and the Grade 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate.

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Kommetdieding meets last year’s second and third-placer Jet Dark (0.75 lengths) and Linebacker (0.95 lengths) again, as well as having to contend with recent L’Ormarins King’s Plate winner Al Muthana, and two really smart 3-year-olds in Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas runner-up Cousin Casey, and the dual Grade 1 winning filly Make It Snappy.

The decision to run Make It Snappy here as opposed to taking on Captain’s Ransom, whom she beat in the Paddock Stakes last time, in the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes, was obviously not taken lightly.

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But she will clearly be more comfortable over the 2 000m, and Hollywood Syndicate Racing Manager Anthony Delpech will know what it takes for a filly to win this race. Delpech was aboard Imperious Sue in 1998 and 2012 heroine, Igugu.

The last 3-year-old filly to win the 2 000m contest was Oh Susanna, who stormed home under Grant van Niekerk in 2018. The previous 3-year-old filly to win prior to her dates back to 1905.

The engagement of Piere Strydom to ride Al Muthana is an interesting one on the occasion of the veteran champion’s final Met ride. The Australian-bred gelding has drawn 12 and his stamina is in doubt.

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The winner of the race will take home R1 187 500 with second place worth R380 000.

The payouts for third to fifth are R190 000, R95 000 and R47 500, respectively.

The race is due off at 17:10.

WSB CAPE TOWN MET FINAL FIELD

Under draw, horse, weight, merit rating, jockey, trainer

1	Golden Ducat	60	120	Christophe Soumillon	Eric Sands
2	Make It Snappy	51.5	125	Keagan de Melo	Brett Crawford
3	Marina	57.5	117	Aldo Domeyer	Candice Bass-Robinson
4	Jet Dark	60	130	Richard Fourie	Justin Snaith
5	Sparkling Water	57.5	122	S’manga Khumalo	Mike de Kock
6	Kommetdieding	60	129	Gavin Lerena	HWJ Crawford/M Rix
7	Universal	59.5	116	Juan Paul v’d Merwe	Adam Marcus
8	Do It Again	60	126	Bernard Fayd’Herbe	Justin Snaith
9	Nexus	60	114	Muzi Yeni	Justin Snaith
10	Zapatillas	59.5	122	Luyolo Mxothwa	Brett Crawford
11	Waterberry Lane	59.5	116	Raymond Danielson	Ricky Maingard
12	Al Muthana (AUS)	60	133	Piere Strydom	Ricky Maingard
13	Warrior	60	112	Ryan Munger	Justin Snaith
14	Cousin Casey	54	115	Grant van Niekerk	Glen Kotzen
15	Rain In Holland	57	116	Calvin Habib	Sean Tarry
16	Linebacker	60	122	Corne Orffer	Vaughan Marshall
17	Rascallion	60	122	Sean Veale	Vaughan Marshall
18	Gem King	59.5	104	Gareth Wright	Piet Steyn
19	Pomp And Power	59.5	114	Kabelo Matsunyane	Justin Snaith