Mark van Deventer is predicting Dean Kannemeyer will break his Met duck and The Real Prince will become the first since Futura in 2015 to land the L’Ormarins King’s Plate/WSB Met double and become the 8th horse in history to have won both the July and the Met (Picture: Wayne Marks)
By Mark van Deventer
Colloquially called “the Met,” the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met Gr 1 is one of South Africa’s premier middle distance horse races. While racing in Cape Town started on the Green Point Common (site of the 2010 World Cup Soccer Stadium) under British officers in the 1700’s, the current venue, Kenilworth has been the home of the Met, in various itineration’s, since 1883.
The 2026 edition of this historic, high-quality Grade 1, features 11 entrants. Champion trainer, Justin Snaith, sends out 6 of them and could have a stranglehold on the race with leaders, stalkers and closers in his “relay” team.
He stated, “All my horses are doing well. We started relatively late for this season with first gallops only in November, but now my runners are primed for this big race.”
Snaith stable companions, OKAVANGO and LEGAL COUNSEL are probable leaders. The trainer concluded, after a particularly impressive gallop ahead of the Anthonij Rupert Premier Trophy Gr 2, that OKAVANGO goes best when running at his own pace up front. Oisin Murphy duly steered him round from start to finish in a stylish romp. If allowed an easy lead, he could be hard to run down, though the opposition in the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met Gr 1 is considerably stronger than what he faced in the Anthonij Rupert Premier Trophy Gr 2.
Snaith describes LEGAL COUNSEL as “a game, tough horse. He will try test them upfront or perhaps sit second if Okavango goes.” These two gallopers hold the pace key to the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met Gr 1, which should proceed at a true tempo.
Of SAIL THE SEAS, Snaith says, “he is in fighting trim, ready to produce his best ever run and should be in the first three or four at the finish.” The speed map suggests he could enjoy the run of the race sitting handily from a low draw as LEGAL COUNSEL or OKAVANGO press on.
Snaith is particularly excited about the prospects of defending champion, EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN and rejuvenated stalwart, SEE IT AGAIN. The latter was misbehaving at the starting stalls and underperforming in upcountry races but has improved both his manners and race competitiveness since moving to the Cape.
SEE IT AGAIN delivered arguably the best performance in the recent L’Ormarins King’s Plate Gr 1, switching in deep stretch to belatedly get a clear run, then surging within a neck of THE REAL PRINCE. He produced the quickest final sectional in that 1600m showdown and is even more deadly over middle distances. Snaith concedes that, “Draw 10 is not great, but Andrew Fortune is the right guy to position him well. See It Again is currently in a good space and is flying at home.”
As for EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN, he is looking to build on a stellar 3YO career where, after finishing second to One Stripe in the 2024 Hollywoodbets Cape Cape Guineas Gr 1, swept the 2025 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met Gr 1 and SplashOut Cape Derby Gr 1 in imperious fashion. His Durban Winter campaign was not as successful measured by wins, but on ratings, it was outstanding. While companion, SAIL THE SEAS, beat him in the World Sports Betting Guineas Gr 2 at Hollywoodbets Greyville over 1600m, he then demolished rivals with a brilliant display in the Daily News 2000 Gr 1 over 2000m, before being outdueled by THE REAL PRINCE in the Hollywoodbets Durban July Gr 1.
He subsequently got sick, and Snaith gave him sufficient time to recover. His resumption in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate Gr 1 was so-so, clocking in four lengths off nemesis, THE REAL PRINCE, but Snaith is not deterred. “Eight on Eighteen is now a different horse after that comeback. I’m happy with his most recent gallop and he’s absolutely primed.”
What to make of THE REAL PRINCE, who is bidding to complete an extraordinary Hollywoodbets Durban July Gr 1, L’Ormarins King’s Plate Gr 1 and World Sports Betting Cape Town Met Gr 1, triple Grade 1 sequence? Dean Kannemeyer, who has handled his charge impeccably in a career which has yielded 6 wins from 13 starts, says, “He’s enjoyed an ideal preparation, building up race by race. He was a bit soft going into the Green Point after a break, then delivered the goods in the King’s Plate when sharpened up with an 800m gallop beforehand. He has taken that run well and is stripped and ready to go.”
Kannemeyer reckons, “An easy 2000m at a steady pace should suit just fine and The Real Prince’s can use his tremendous turn of foot.” It’s that ability to turn on the afterburners which may prove decisive in a race hinging on fine margins.
Of the balance, marginal cases can be made for GARRIX (on an excellent Ridgemont Green Point Stakes Gr 2 effort), GLADATORIAN (who beat THE REAL PRINCE in the HKJC Champions Cup Gr 1, but not fired in Cape Town), NATIVE RULER (stayed on resolutely in the Hollywoodbets Durban July Gr 1, needs a pace meltdown), and COSMIC SPEED (whose World Sports Betting Guineas Gr 2 form gives him an outside squeak).
THE EQUATOR will need to show much more to trouble the scorer.
SELECTIONS:
6 THE REAL PRINCE
10 SEE IT AGAIN
2 EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN
3 SAIL THE SEAS
5 GARRIX
