Justin Snaith won no fewer than five Grade 1s during the Cape Summer Season and likely broke a few records in the process.

He became the first to win both the Cape Guineas and the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate in the same season since David Payne achieved it in the 1993/1994 season with Little Ballerina (Truely Nureyev) and Take A Walk (Bakharoff).

Both of Snaith’s respective winners of the two prestigious events, Double Superlative (Twice Over) and Jet Dark (Trippi), run in the colours of NIck Jonsson, who was the first owner to achieve this double since Markus Jooste did it with William Longsword (Captain Al) and Legal Eagle (Greys Inn) in the 2016/2017 season.

Jonsson owns Jet Dark together with his good friend Tommy Crowe and this colt emulated his damsire Jet Master (Rakeen) by winning the Queen’s Plate twice in succession. However, as an entire he is unlikely to make an attempt at Pocker Power’s (Jet Master) four successive Queen’s Plates.

Snaith won the prestigious Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes with Captain’s Ransom (Captain Al) and she followed up by winning the Grade 1 Schweppes Majorca Stakes. 

Some are calling this superstar Moutonshoek-bred Suzette and Basie Viljoen-owned filly the best horse in the land, although Kommetdieding (Elusive Fort) and Jet Dark fans would perhaps disagree. 

Snaith completed the five-timer on Saturday when Pomp And Power (Vercingetorix) won the Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby.

Considering one has to go so far back to find a trainer who did the Guineas/Queen’s Plate double his five-timer is highly likely a record. 

Richard Fourie rode Captain’s Ransom to both Grade 1s and also rode Pomp And Power. Anton Marcus and S’Manga Khumalo were the respective riders of Double Superlative and Jet Dark. 

Snaith, the reigning champion, leads the SA Trainers Championship by about R1.9 million from Paul Peter.

Picture: Hugh Routledge