High class field for 2023 WSB Met

The final field for the 2023 WSB Met to be run over 2000m at Kenilworth on Saturday, 28 January, was announced at a ceremony held at the V&A Waterfront on Wednesday evening.

 

Defending champion Kommetdieding heads a high-class field of 19 for a race that will be much debated over the next 10 days, with dozens of theories on weight-for-age, the suitability of the race for three-year-olds, the possibility that the Kings Plate runners coming in the Met may be ‘ovcercooked’, and a variety of form pointers to be thrown into the mix along with the usual wisecracks and brain droppings from the peanut galleries on talk forums and the well-versed theses from racing’s self-appointed sages who believe that years of experience qualifies them to argue their points from the ‘professor’ category.

George Michael once wrote in a song, ‘It really doesn’t matter at all’, and so it will be when they jump for Race 9 at 17:15, Saturday week, and racing becomes the great leveller again: Some of us will be kings, others will be, well, you-know-what! All that matters is that this will be a great race featuring top class runners trained and ridden by top horsemen, a good mix of three-year-olds and older stars and some interesting pre-race considerations including jockey bookings.

At first glance over the field, with the obvious factors briefly considered, Cousin Casey catches our eye. Where are your eyes going first? Below, the big-race field. Let the games begin!