Michael Roberts drew barrier position eleven for the WSB Met’s hot favourite See It Again, but he was not at all perturbed (Image: Chase Liebenberg)  

The final field for the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met was revealed at a function in Cape  Town on Wednesday evening.

A medium sized field of 13 will line up in the R2 million weight for age event over 2000m on January 27 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

There have been smaller fields in recent times.

In fact there were fields of eleven in both 2021 and 2022.

Trainer Michael Roberts drew on behalf of See It Again and he was not unhappy with the draw of eleven.

He did not feel draws were of much significance and spoke of the long back straight giving jockeys plenty of time to place a horse and he added that he had an experienced rider aboard (Piere Strydom).

“It is up to him,” said Roberts.

In interesting jockey news Rachel Venniker will become the second female to ride in the Met, following Genevieve Michel, who rode in the big race in 1999.

Trainer Justin Snaith said the decision on who rode Without Question came down to who was the most deserving jockey out there and it was decided Venniker was partly due to the amount of work she has put into the success of See It Again, who like Without Question is owned by Nick Jonsson.

Another interesting jockey booking is UK-based stalwart Daniel Muscutt, the son of Summerveld trainer Peter Muscutt, and he rides the Snaith-trained Jonsson-owned former Gr 1 Cape Guineas winner Double Superlative.

Muscutt has three rides for his father on the day among other mounts.

However, in the Gr 1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship Daniel’s mount, former Equus Champion Sprinter Rio Querari, will be in opposition to his father’s charge, the current Equus Champion Sprinter and favourite for the race, Isivunguvungu.

The second favourite for the Met is the Snaith-trained Pacaya and as he is merit rated only 111 some will say that points to the field being a bit below par this year. However, he does come off a 0,30 length third in the Gr 2 Anthonij Rupert Wine Premier Trophy and is now 1,5kg better off with the winner of that race Mucho Dinero. Pacaya will be ridden by JP van der Merwe, who rode the Alec Laird-trained Smart Call to Met victory in 2016.

Regarding the strength of the field, a closer look reveals it to not be bad at all, especially if the career best performance of each horse is taken into account.

However, it has to be said that but for AHS movement controls, the field would likely be a lot stronger.

The only other out of province runner besides See It Again in the WSB Met is the Sean Tarry-trained filly Bless My Stars, who is third favourite, and she drew well in five. She will be ridden by Richard Fourie, who rode the winner last year, Jet Dark.

The WSB Met Betting Board with the sponsor:

WORLD SPORTS BETTING CAPE TOWN MET (Grade 1)(Open to horses at Weight For Age) R2000000 2000m

1 - 1 WATERBERRY LANE (R Maingard) D Schwarz 60.0 - 113
2 - 2 DOUBLE SUPERLATIVE (J S Snaith) D Muscutt 60.0 - 118
3 - 3 PACAYA (J S Snaith) J P v'd Merwe 60.0 - 111
4 - 4 ANFIELDS ROCKET (B Crawford) L Mxothwa 59.5 - 117
5 - 5 BLESS MY STARS (S G Tarry) R Fourie 57.0 - 119
6 - 6 MUCHO DINERO (J S Snaith) G van Niekerk 59.5 - 110
7 - 7 AL MUTHANA (R Maingard) R Danielson 60.0 - 126
8 - 8 ROYAL AUSSIE (J S Snaith) K Matsunyane 59.5 - 124
9 - 9 WITHOUT QUESTION (J S Snaith) R A Venniker 59.5 - 117
10 - 10 SUGAR MOUNTAIN (C Bass-Robinson) A Domeyer 60.0 - 109
11 - 11 SEE IT AGAIN (M L Roberts) P Strydom 59.5 - 132
12 - 12 MONTIEN (P Botha) A Andrews 59.5 - 119
13 - 13 RASCALLION (V H Marshall) B Fayd'Herbe 60.0 - 122
Same Trainer: (1,7) (2,3,6,8,9) 
 
WORLD POOL CAPE FLYING CHAMPIONSHIP (WFA) (Grade 1)(Open to horses at Weight For Age) R1500000 1000m
1 - 1 CAPTAIN ARROW (C Bass-Robinson) G Wright 56.5 - 98
2 - 2 MR COBBS (C Bass-Robinson) A Domeyer 60.0 - 103
3 - 3 MUFASA (B Crawford) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 103
4 - 4 DYCE (M N Houdalakis) C Zackey 60.0 - 130
5 - 5 WE'RE JAMMING (J S Snaith) J P v'd Merwe 60.0 - 114
6 - 6 BEREAVE (A N Marcus) C Orffer 60.0 - 122
7 - 7 KWINTA'S LIGHT (J S Snaith) G van Niekerk 57.5 - 110
8 - 8 THUNDERSTRUCK (S G Tarry) P Strydom 60.0 - 124
9 - 9 ISIVUNGUVUNGU (P B Muscutt) R Fourie 60.0 - 130
10 - 10 BARTHOLDI (M/A Azzie) S Khumalo 60.0 - 119
11 - 11 SURJAY (B Crawford) L Mxothwa 60.0 - 119
12 - 12 RIO QUERARI (J S Snaith) D Muscutt 60.0 - 118
Same Trainer: (1,2) (3,11) (5,7,12) 
 
CITY OF CAPE TOWN MAJORCA STAKES (WFA) (Grade 1)(For Fillies and Mares at weight for age) R1000000 1600m
1 - 1 DOUBLE GRAND SLAM (J S Snaith) G van Niekerk 55.0 - 104
2 - 2 HAPPY CHANCE (B Crawford) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 116
3 - 3 GIMME A SHOT (M/A Azzie) S Khumalo 60.0 - 108
4 - 4 RED PALACE (C Bass-Robinson) A Andrews 55.0 - 111
5 - 5 PRINCESS CALLA (S G Tarry) R Fourie 60.0 - 127
6 - 6 MAKE IT SNAPPY (B Crawford) L Mxothwa 60.0 - 125
7 - 7 GOLDEN HOSTESS (C Bass-Robinson) A Domeyer 60.0 - 117
8 - 8 ASIYE PHAMBILI (G van Zyl (Jnr)) P Strydom 60.0 - 111
9 - 9 SAARTJIE (W A Nel) C Orffer 60.0 - 110
10 - 10 RASCOVA (G S Kotzen) C Zackey 55.0 - 110
11 - 11 BEACH BOMB (C Bass-Robinson) J P v'd Merwe 55.0 - 117
Same Trainer: (2,6) (4,7,11)

The connections of WSB Met runner Bless My Stars will be on tenterhooks from now until January 23rd. She will be allowed to travel from Randjesfontein to Cape Town provided there are no further outbreaks of AHS within a 30km radius of Randjes (Candiese Lenferna Photography)   

Horses will be allowed to travel from Randjesfontein to Cape Town from the 23rd of January onward.

That is provided there are no further AHS outbreaks in the vicinity.

Sean Tarry thus travels Bless My Stars for the WSB Met and also Proceed (Gimmthegreenlight) for the first race, the Listed WSB Summer Juvenile Stakes, Winter Greeting (What A Winter) for the Listed Pongracz Olympic Duel Stakes over 1200m and Storm Brasco (Pathfork) for the R7.5 million Cape Racing Gold Rush.

He has four horses in the meeting who have been campaigning in Cape Town.

They are Thunderstruck (Rafeef), who runs in the Gr 1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship over 1000m, Princess Calla (Flower Alley), who runs in the Gr 1 City Of Cape Town Majorca Stakes over 1600m, Tail Of The Comet (Gimmethegreenlight), who runs in the Gold Rush, and Nebraas (Vercingetorix), who runs in the Gr 3 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers over 2800m.

Another Highveld horse set to make the journey are the Lucky Houdalakis-trained Vaal-based sprinter Dyce, who runs in the Cape Flying.

Turffontein-based Tony Peter has Bavarian Beauty (Querari) in the Gold Rush.

Turffontein-based Johan Janse van Vuuren has Sunshine Day (Potala Palace) in the Gold Rush and has two runners in the Cape Racing Sales Cape Slipper, Master Casper (Querari) and Hemisphere (Vercingetorix), although the latter pair made their debuts in Cape Town in December.

Mike and Adam Azzie have been campaigning in Cape Town and have five runners on the day, including Bartholdi, who runs in the Cape Flying, Gimme A Shot, who runs in the Majorca, and Ready To Charge, who runs in the Gold Rush. Coldhardstare ran in Jo’Burg on December 30 and is in the Listed Olympic Duel.

Candice Dawson has five runners on the day, who have all been campaigning in Cape Town, Grand Crescendo, Little Ballerina, Just Be Lekker, who is in the Gold Rush, Raiseahalleluja, who runs in the Stayers, and Salute The Flag.

Mike de Kock’s two runners in the Stayers, Aragosta and Black Thorn, have both been campaigning in Cape Town.

The Lorenzo Kariem-trained Highveld campaigner Tamil Tigress runs in the Gold Rush.

Brandon Bailey has pledged to not back horses shorter than 15/10 (Picture: Cape Racing)

Some have pledged to stop listening to voices telling them not to back a horse.

Making pledges at the start of every new year is a tradition that goes back thousands of years. When ancient civilisations began to make New Year’s resolutions they were intrinsically interwoven with the prevailing mythology, religion and economic realities within their society.

These days the custom has morphed to a more personal experience wherein the individual commits to improving either their own lives or that of others or perhaps even both.

I hadn’t thought a great deal about 2024 and my personal pledges for the next calendar year but when I began penning this piece and committed to the process I thought how much more interesting it could be if I scouted some of my fellow horseracing journalists and asked them to share their New Year’s resolutions.

Cecil Mthembu was one of the first to respond and in so doing set a solemn and authentic tone that reminded me of the Hippocrates quote that “Health is the greatest of human blessings”. Cecil’s principle pledge is to be more active in prostrate cancer awareness. Secondly, he is resolved to stop finding reasons why a horse he likes should get beaten.

In committing to the courage of his convictions, Cecil’s resolution was not that dissimilar to that of renowned freelance sports writer Gary Lemke.

This year Gary undertakes to put all his bets before a meeting and not listen to anyone who might sway him from his original opinion.

I specifically asked Gary for his input not because he has won the award for South Africa’s Sports Writer of the Year three times or because he is an Equus Media Winner but on account that, along with Charl Pretorius and yours truly, he’s one of the Diamond Geezers who have all too frequently failed to trouble the judge in the Hollywoodbets Punters Challenge.

And so to the 2024 aspirations of South Africa’s most accredited horseracing journalist.

Ever the able entrepreneur, Charl Pretorius has a New Year’s resolution which will continue to stimulate South African racing. Charl is intent on introducing new people to the sport through putting together a few more racing syndicates.

Alistair Cohen, Senior Manager of Broadcast and Commentating for Cape Racing, is someone who I’ve always known as one of the most mild mannered and accommodating men in racing. Yet he’s managed to take his propensity for forbearance to even greater heights by telling me that in 2024 he wishes to be more tolerant of people. In so doing Alistair will constantly remind himself that everybody has a voice and everybody has a reason.

Fellow Cape commentator Brandon Bailey is a punter after my own heart and his New Year’s resolution was probably one that I made myself over 40 years ago. I hope he has more success with it than I did!

Brandon aims to no longer punt horses whose odds are shorter than 15-10. Demonstrating both his willingness to always share the honest truth and an endearing sense of humour, Brandon lamented that it’s only taken 13 years and two maxed-out credit cards for him to realise that there’s zero value in punting horses on the nose when they are deep in the red.

If by now you’re feeling somewhat guilty that you haven’t yet committed to any 2024 resolutions don’t stress, historically you have plenty of time.

When it comes to New Year pledges, January is the new March.

The First Babylonian Empire was the first recorded civilisation to make New Year’s resolutions. That was nearly 4 000 years ago and their new year would always be celebrated with the arrival of the Spring Equinox in the northern hemisphere. As such crops would have been planted in the month of March triggering new beginnings and hopeful expectations.

In solidarity with King Hammurabi and the Babylonian sun god Shamash, I have strategically chosen to delay my own 2024 resolutions till our southern hemisphere equivalent, the autumn equinox, kicks in.
This will conveniently buy me the time to see whether See It Again wins the WSB Cape Met, an outcome that will influence my mood and the remainder of my year.

So lets get back to some New Year’s resolutions from two passionate and talented racing men who I’ve collaborated closely with on the Clocking The Gallop brand.

For Nico Kritsiotis, this year will be about standing up and representing what he believes is right for horse racing in South Africa. Nico has resolved to say what most people think in whatever discussion, forum or meeting he enters. Nico added: “At least I can sleep when I go to bed.”

The Ghostryder, who has a proven record of finding winners at long odds on Clocking The Gallop podcasts, was eager to share his New Year’s resolution, especially as it also mentioned Babylon.

The Ghostryder says in 2024 he’s committed to calling out self-proclaiming tipsters who he says “babble on” ad nauseum about their unsubstantiated success. He sees such flagrant narcissism as bad Form that shouldn’t see the light of day and must rather remain burrowed well below ground.

To that end he’ll have an army of supporters familiar with the Dunning-Kruger Effect which is defined as the outcome when a person’s lack of knowledge and skill in a certain area causes them to overestimate their own competence.

Piere “Striker” Strydom (Picture: JC Photos)

Jack Milner (4Racing)

Racing returns to the Inside track at Turffontein on Thursday, and this does look like a “punters’ card”.

So often when the time has been taken to rest the track and do all the necessary “gardening” to keep the course in fine fettle, the first run back yields upsets galore. But there are some lovely horses in action on the day and a number of the nine races on the card look to be between just a few runners.

It has often been said that finding the right race can work wonders for the hopes of any horses and assistant trainer James Crawford, who runs the yard for father Brett, has done just that with Articuno.

Back in December 2022, Articuno, a filly by Vercingetorix, made her debut at Kenilworth over 1000m, beaten just 3.50 lengths by Rascova.

Well, the latter has gone on to race nine more times, winning twice more, including taking the honours in the Grade 2 Western Cape Fillies Championship over 1400m at Durbanville at the end of last year.

Articuno, on the other hand, has only seen a racetrack twice since her debut.

She gets another chance to strut her stuff tomorrow when she returns to racing after a 221-day break.

While the comment from the stable is that the filly is working well but may need the run, now three years old she really doesn’t have to be a superstar to open her account in Race 2, a Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1000m.

To call this field moderate would probably be seen as a compliment, and as a result, Articuno looks be the standout bet on the card.

Kabelo Matsunyane takes the ride.

Jockeys Piere Strydom and Muzi Yeni went head-to-head last time with Biofarmer and Eiffel Tower respectively over 1600m on the Vaal Classic track with the former getting the verdict by 0.50 lengths. The two are set to meet again in Race 6, a MR 99 Handicap over 1600m.

This time Eiffel Tower comes in 0.5kg better off which, on paper, should see them finish on top of one another. Only two items have changed from their last meeting, the weight turnaround and the track. Yeni and Strydom are both back so the question is: which of the two will prefer the Inside track?

Even that is hard to work out as Eiffel Tower has only run once at the course and finished a 3.25-length third behind House Of Romanov while Biofarmer has a 2.60-length second behind Tail Of The Comet and a 3.50-length fifth behind Dingaans winner Purple Pitcher in a strong Sales Race over 1450m.

The pair are drawn alongside one another, so neither has an added advantage and this should be an intriguing encounter.

Perhaps, as the younger of the two horses, three-year-old Biofarmer has more improvement to come and as a result, Heather Adamson’s charge gets a very slight nod. However, Eiffel Tower is highly capable and St John Gray’s runner is definitely in the mix.

Swingers and Exactas could be the best way to go.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 11 Volare E Mambo, 2 Liberty Flag, 1 Freedom Square, 4 More Than All

Race 2: 1 Articuno, 2 Gold Agent, 4 Vathomvlaffie, 5 Feather Dancer

Race 3: 6 Glawari, 1 Sakhala Is’Cathulo, 7 Thing Called Love, 3 Lord Danon Platina

Race 4: 2 Mastership, 1 Van Meijel, 3 Remains Of The Day, 11 Le Grand Café

Race 5: 4 Pretty In Pearls, 3 Rosy Lemon, 6 Universal Love, 7 Azaleas For All

Race 6: 1 Biofarmer, 3 Eiffel Tower, 4 Kakiebos, 2 Platina Princess

Race 7: 6 Command Pilot, 3 Red Bomber, 10 Quantum, 5 Whispers Of War

Race 8: 6 War Queen, 3 Kalahari Blue, 4 Var Park, 1 Pontiac

Race 9: 3 Wings Within Me, 1 Chrome Tourmaline, 4 Virgin River, 11 Women Of Fame

BEST BET

Race 2: 1 Articuno

VALUE BET

Race 7: 6 Command Pilot

BEST SWINGER

Race 6 1×3

BIPOT

R162

Leg 1: 1

Leg 2: 1, 6, 7

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3

Leg 4: 3, 4, 6

Leg 5: 1, 3

Leg 6: 3, 6, 10

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R128

Leg 1: 1, 6

Leg 2: 1, 2

Leg 3: 3, 4

Leg 4: 1, 3

Leg 5: 3, 6

Leg 6: 3, 6

Leg 7: 1, 3

PICK 6

R1296

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3

Leg 2: 3, 4, 6, 7

Leg 3: 1, 3, 4

Leg 4: 3, 5, 6, 10

Leg 5: 3, 4, 6

Leg 6: 1, 3, 4

JACKPOT 1

R144

Leg 1: 3, 4, 6, 7

Leg 2: 1, 3, 4

Leg 3: 3, 5, 6, 10

Leg 4: 3, 4, 6

JACKPOT 2

R108

Leg 1: 1, 3, 4

Leg 2: 3, 5, 6, 10

Leg 3: 3, 4, 6

Aldo Domeyer’s ride on Charles Dickens in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate has received the first vote in the Turf Talk Ride Of The Month competition sponsored by Emperor’s Palace (Picture: Wayne Marks) 

Readers, please start sending in your Emperor’s Palace Ride Of The Month suggestions

There are prizes to be won in this competition sponsored by Turf Talk’s official hotel partner, Emperor’s Palace.

The first suggestion for Ride Of The Montih is for Aldo Domeyer’s ride on Charles Dickens in the L’Ormarins King’s PLate and the suggestion was made by Rika de Villiers.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH ALDO DOMEYER’S GREAT RIDE ON CHARLES DICKENS

CLICK HERE FOR THE DETAILS ABOUT EMPEROR’S PALACE RIDE OF THE MONTH COMPO

Pictures: Keagan de Melo won on the Caspar Fownes-trained favourite Super Contented (Tivaci) at Happy Valley today in a class 4 event over 1800m (HKJC)

Keagan de Melo had a welcome winner at Happy Valley in Hong Kong today after going through a seven meeting drought.

He is now on 12 wins for the season and is in 12th place on the jockeys log.

Lyle Hewitson has had 99 wins on the island and number 100 is proving elusive as his losing streak streched to 21 rides today.

Australian-bred Sun Classique (Fuji Kiseki) won three Gr 1s as a three-year-old in South Africa for Mike Bass before joining Mike de Kock in Dubai. She was unbeaten in three starts in Dubai culminating in a 2,75 length romp under Kevin Shea in the Gr 1 Dubai Sheema Classic over 2400m. She was then installed as the 6/1 ante-post favourite for the King George and 5/1 joint favourite for Royal Ascot’s Gr 1 Prince Of Wales Stakes, but she developed problems and ultimately never ran again.