Double Superlative’s WSB Cape Town Met victory was miraculous, considering what he had been through (Picture: Wayne Marks) 

Prolific Durban owner Nick Jonsson has revealed how against the odds the WSB Cape Town Met win of his comeback star Double Superlative really was.

He praised trainer Justin Snaith for an incredible training feat before confirming the five-year-old Twice Over entire did have a stud career ahead of him and the Met was likely to have been his last race.

Jonsson and Snaith retained their Met crown having won it last year with Jet Dark.

Jonsson has finished one-two before in his hometown’s biggest race, the Hollywoodbets Durban July, but Saturday might have topped that.

Not only did he finish one-three-four in the Met with Double Superlative, Without Question and See It Again, but he had earlier won both the R7.5 million Gold Rush over 1600m with Rapidash (Danon Platina) and the Listed Summer Juvenile Stakes over 1100m with Roman Agent (Vercingetorix).

Snaith trains all of those horses except for See It Again.

England-based Daniel Muscutt rode Double Superlative, becoming the first overseas-based jockey to win the Met, and Jonsson praised every aspect of his contribution.

Grant van Niekerk rode Roman Agent and Rapidash.

Snaith, Jonsson and Van Niekerk nearly capped their memorable day with victory in the Gr 2 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers when yet another Jonsson-owned Twice Over, the Snaith-trained gelding Triple Time, failed to get there by a short-head.

Nick said about Double Superlative, “He’s an extraordinary horse, but Justin has done an unbelievable job to get him there. He had a very serious tendon injury and the chances of him ever running again were very slim let alone getting him back to that level. We took a long time to get him right and then when he came back into training he had the most terrible attack of colic and they literally thought they might have to euthanise him. Justin drove him to the hospital at one o’clock in the morning and they operated on him. That was about seven months ago. To have won the Cape Guineas so comprehensively and then come back after all that and win the Met is quite extraordinary.”

Nick added, “Walking in the cold water every day is very helpful for healing leg injuries. Mike Stewart is on Noordhoek beach so we often send horses there for a while to have time in the water. Double Superlative was there for months. John McVeigh and Johnny Cave were amazing too. They looked after him when he had the injury. John McVeigh had just had a huge back oparation, so he was lying on his back at the time unable to move, but I talked to him everyday and he would give me his opinion of the x-rays. Johnny Cave was doing all the treatment, so Double Superlative was in KZN for quite a while and from there he went straight to Mike Stewart.”

Although Jet Dark is by Trippi and Double Superlative is by Twice Over, both of the Snaith-trained Jonsson-owned Met winners are out of Jet Master mares.

This is paricularly poignant because Nick’s Uncle Hugh Jonsson bred the great seven-times champion sire Jet Master.

Double Superlative was bred by Jet Master’s owners, Pat and the late Henry Devine.

Jet Dark, who was also a dual winner of both the Gr 1 wfa L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and Gr 1 wfa Champions Cup, is already at stud and Jonsson said about Double Superlative, “The chances of him running again are very slim. I don’t think he’s got anything more to do. He will definitely be going to stud. There is plenty of time and there are no thoughts yet on what his next move will be. We will see how he pulls up and take it from there.”

Nick said he had always supported Trippi, buying them every year from day one, and he had done the same with Twice Over.

Therefore he lamented there being not a single Twice Over on last week’s Cape Racing Sales Cape Premier Yearling Sale.

Nick has had unbelievable success with Twice Over’s progeny. Double Superlative became the third dual Gr 1-winning Twice Over he has owned following the legendary Do It Again and the latter’s three-parts brother See It Again.

Four-time Gr 1 winner Do It Again is statistically the greatest Durban July horse in history, as is well documented, See It Again won two Gr 1 classic as a three-year-old and Double Superlative has now added Cape Town’s greatest race The Met to his win of the country’s greatest sire-producing race, the Gr 1 Cape Guineas. That is eight Gr 1 wins Twice Over has given Jonsson. Twice Over’s only other Gr 1 winner is Sand And Sea, who, like Do It Again, was from his first crop.

Jonsson also owns Gr 2-winning Twice Over gelding Mucho Dinero, who was a late scratching from the Met, and of course Triple Time.

Nick said about the booking of Daniel Muscutt, “Towards the end of 2022, I had a conversation with William Haggas and told him we needed to bring another Engand-based rider out for the summer because we sometimes have more horses in big races than we have top class jockeys for and I said, ‘Who’s an up and coming young guy who can benefit?’, because the top riders all go and ride overseas during their winter. He said, ‘That is easy … Dan Muscutt is the guy.’ I spoke to Dan and he couldn’t come at that time. But about a month ago, out of the blue, we heard he was coming to Cape Town over this period and we immediately said ‘Let’s grab him.’ We tried to fill his book. Hell he rode well and is a charming young man, brilliantly professional. I can’t praise him more highly in all aspects. He rode work on every one of the horses. He walked the whole course on Friday with Justin and he rode Double Superlative exactly as Justin had asked him too. About a furlong and-a-half out switching inward was very smart, because the outside gap was closing. We were thrilled to have Dan and there is no question he will come back again.”

It was a hot day on Saturday and Double Superlative receives a welcome splashing after his famous victory from trainer Justin Snaith. It was Snaith’s third Met win. (Picture: Wayne Marks)  

Nick was also full of praise for Rachel Venniker’s ride on Without A Question. His good thirds in the Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby and Gr 1 Daily News 2000 had both come after being in handy positions from where he did not have to break stride and on Saturday he finished third again from a handy position. Rachel delivered Justin Snaith’s instructions to perfection.

See It again was a major disappointment in fourth place.

However, Nick said, “He’s just flat at the moment. We don’t know exactly, but he might have an underlying virus, because he doesn’t look himself and has just not been himself since before the King’s Plate. Everybody was saying I was going to win the Met, but I was replying ‘just be careful’, because there was a six length turnaround with him and Charles Dickens. I am sure Charles Dickens improved, but he didn’t improve six lengths. See It Again went backwards a lot and it was a terrible run in the King’s Plate. People explained it away by saying he’s not a miler, which is not correct. He is a fantastic miler (as his record attests to, although he is probably at his best over 2000m). So he should never have been 5/10 for the Met and we were worried about him, although his bloods getting closer to the race were good.”

Saturday’s race did not pan out perfectly for See It Again, but Nick said, “Whatever happened in the race, See It Again would not have won, it was not his day. He’s a fantastic horse, but he’s flesh and blood and horses can’t always be at their best, but we hope to see him back up there in the Champions Season.”

Nick praised Grant van Niekerk for his ride on the gelding Rapidash to win the lucrative Gold Rush. He likes the progeny of Danon Platina and believes Rapidash has a bright feature race future.

He said, “I don’t know how he was so long in the betting, because he’s a very nice horse with good form and he gets the mile easily. Most of those runners were sprinters. We were reasonably confident that we would win that race. Grant rode him fantastically I thought. That 13 draw was a blessing in disguise because he had to settle him at the back of the field and we knew that most of the field would be stopping because they’re sprinters. Rapidash will win us more races, I’m pretty sure of that … I think he’s got much more to come. I like Danon Platina and his time will come. I had a Danon Platina colt in the second race and Dan Muscutt was very complementary about him … this colt (Great Plains) was very green and has a nice stride.”

Nick owns the Kilimanjaro Bloodstock-bred Rapidash in partnership with Douglas Ross.

Nick was also thrilled with Roman Emperor. He had believed this grey Varsfontein Stud-bred Vercingetorix colt might go close to being the sales sales topper at last year’s National Yearling Sale and was surprised to secure him for R1 million. The reason might have been because his dual Gr 1-producing dam Secret Of Victoria is old. Secret Of Victoria is a daughter of the Champion broodmare and famous matriarch Mystic Spring, so Nick took his chances. It looks likely to pay dividends as he has won two out of three and already has bold black type. His wins have been eyecatching too.

Nick said, “He might run in the Nursery on Derby day and will then be put away … he is not going to go to Durban that is for sure.”

Nick thought Triple Time might have got up from the angle he saw the finish from.

He said. “He’s taken time to mature, but he’s going fo get better. He’s a lovely horse and will win us a big race one day I’m sure.”

He added, “I was very pleased that Mrs Plattner won that race though, because she puts so much into racing and it was wonderful she had a big race win on Met day when she was there.”

Nick had 12 runners on the day and the only other disappointing one besides See It Again was Call To Unite (Vercingetorix), who now looks unlikely to run in the Spashout Cape Derby.

Nick concluded, “It was a great day. Greg Bortz has done a wonderful job at Kenilworth, the organisation of the meeting was tip top … it’s very exciting.”

Dyce powers to victory in his usual head in the air style (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Vaal-based raiding trainer Lucky Houdalakis also pulled off a magnificent training feat on Saturday when his five-year-old William Longsword entire Dyce won the Gr 1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship

There was drama at the start when Equus Champion Sprinter and favourite for this race, the Peter Muscutt-trained Isivunguvungu, rushed the gate and cut himself on a rivet and had to be withdrawn.

The new respective favourite and second favourite Thunderstruck and Dyce dominated the race from the off, but it was Dyce who found etxra in the closing stages. He won by 0,40 lengths from a brave Thunderstruck and it was then a length further back to Bereave. Former Equus Champion Sprinter Rio Querari was next best ahead of Mr Cobbs.

Dyce converted odds of 5/2.

“I came to the Cape with a gun, not a peashooter,” said Houdalakis, renowned for training world class sprinter JJ The Jet Plane to seven Gr 1s, including the international Hong Kong Sprint.

Dyce has a screw in the left fetlock and previously did a tendon in his right leg.

However, Lucky Houdalakis is a horseman extraordinaire and said, “Time heals everything. I don’t like to force horses according to a set programme, but like to let the horse tell me when they are ready to go.”

Dyce showed huge ability as a two-year-old, culminating in a 4,30 length win in the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

However, he was then laid off for 15 months.

In his comeback he won once and then placed second in the Grand Heritage and second in a 1400m race, before being laid off again for nine months.

He was kept to sprints in his second comeback and has won four out of five, including a Listed race, a Gr 3 and now a Gr 1 wfa event.

Lucky added, “I am just so happy for Dave Shawe… a homebred … this is what he’s been waiting for … his first group 1. Hopefully we can go on from here with many more. He’s such a good horse. I had to bring him. I didn’t want to bring him for the season, for the simple fact that he’s got his issues. I’ve got my tracks to work in (at the Vaal), so I’m happy”.

Dyce’s owner and breeder Dave Shawe said, “This is a plan come together. This boy looked stunning today. They had him spot-on”.

Double Superlative collars Rascallion close to the line. Two of SA’s three traditional majors have been run this season and both have been won by 33/1 shots (Picture: Wayne Marks) 

David Mollett (The Molly Column)

Saturday’s WSB Met meeting may have been well organised, but as far as the majority of punters are concerned it was bitterly disappointing and they were left with empty pockets.

It’s scary to think how much money was riding on Piere Strydom and See It Again. There wasn’t a pundit in the country who went against Michael Roberts’ runner with the No 11 the only number ticked for thousands of place accumulators and Pick 6 tickets.

The only saving grace is that I had recommended in Turf Talk when the final Met field was announced that punters should take the 4-1 a place available about Without Question.

When Peter Muscutt met his son at Cape Town airport, he probably told the 28 year-old he had three nice rides for him from his stable but a place is the best you can hope for in the Met.

As it turned out, Danny made a smooth run from the rear to collar Rascallion who was given an enterprising ride by Bernard Fayd’Herbe.

Vaughan Marshall’s runner carried my loot in both the 2022 and 2023 Hollywoodbets Durban July, but defeating the favourite didn’t look on the cards.

It was a meeting where lady luck certainly did not smile on trainer Peter Muscutt. It’s probable that he considered Quasiforsure (backed in to 4-1 for the fourth race) as his son’s best ride. The five year-old only managed sixth place and worse was to follow when his sprint star, Isivunguvungu, was withdrawn from the Cape Flying Championship following veterinary examination.

So – at the middle of January – racing looked in good shape with pundits and punters looking forward to the clash between Charles Dickens and See It Again. Then came the news of the former’s retirement.

When you think about it, the Met result wasn’t what Drakenstein wanted. Charles Dickens would surely have taken advantage of a below par See It Again in the Met to add another Gr 1 to his CV.

Some website bloggers have voiced the opinion that Charles Dickens wouldn’t have stayed the 2000m of the Met – they don’t know that, they’re guessing.

The fact that Candice Bass-Robinson seemed upbeat about Charles’ prospects in media interviews is surely proof she felt her star performer would stay. Did the outstanding trainer retire to bed on Saturday night wondering just what might have been if the son of Trippi had been in the race?

The no-show of See It Again scuppered what I thought would be a brilliant intro to this month’s column.

The Oscars will be held in Los Angeles on March 11 and – at the evening ball – the winning actress (possibly Emma Stone for Poor Things) and (possibly Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer) would have had the traditional first dance.

I was looking for a cartoonist who could draw our leading actress (Candice Bass-R) and leading actor (Michael Roberts) at a possible Cape gala at the end of February. Saturday’s result ended that idea.

Nevertheless, the big news from Met week were the figures released at the conclusion of the Premier Yearling Sale held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

For 119 lots sold, the aggregate reached R64,8 million which is a staggering 44,77% increase on 2023.

The average return was R545 336 which is a 22,88% increase on last year.

The destiny of Princess Calla’s half-brother (by Hawwaam) was always going to be of huge interest and it was good to learn that this choicely-bred youngster is headed for Johan Janse Van Vuuren’s stable to race for Laurence Wernars and partners.

After what he achieved with Puerto Manzano, Johan deserved a horse of this quality and many experts rated him the colt the best lot on the sale.

So now we move on to the big Gauteng features, particularly Saturday’s Guineas at the city track where another hero could be unearthed.

Unlike the Met, we must hope we get the two-horse showdown between Sandringham Summit and Main Defender – the winner could be our new superstar.

Racing produces an endless supply of dramatic and stirring stories and the 2024 Cape Town Met was no exception. There was no more heart-warming tale than that of two “wounded soldiers” teaming up to win the main event at Kenilworth, one of the most prestigious races in the world.

Horse Double Superlative and jockey Danny Muscutt might have vexed hardcore punters with their 33-1 upset, but as their twin tales of overcoming adversity unfolded in the aftermath of victory it would have been a granite heart that didn’t soften.

Daniel Muscutt, 28, is a Zimbabwe-born son of Peter Muscutt, former jockey and now a trainer in Durban.

He has established himself as a rider in Britain, battling his way through the ranks to become last season’s All-Weather National Champion Jockey, with 73 winners.

But that was only after he’d suffered a broken neck bone, several broken vertebrae and a broken rib when his mount came down at a night meeting at Chelmsford in 2017. Local press wrote of “horrific injuries”.

They make them tough in Zim. It took a while, but Danny clambered back into the saddle. His recovery process included road running and he is now an avid marathoner.

The all-weather circuit is a school of hard knocks, specialising in wet and freezing weather at small, out-of-the-way venues. But it honed Danny Muscutt into a jockey people started noticing.

In October 2022, he registered his first Group 1 win, the Criterium de Saint-Cloud in France, aboard Dubai Mile for top Brit trainer Mark Johnson.

Then, a few months ago, a blow worse than any broken neck: he and wife Claire became parents but lost one of their newborn twins.

Danny came to Cape Town this month to visit his dad, who has been raiding from his Summerveld yard up the east coast, while Claire stayed home with daughter Florence. Danny’s voice quavered just momentarily during his eloquent winning interview.

Champion trainer Snaith revealed that Danny was the only one of his many booked jockeys on Met day to join him as he walked the Kenilworth course before a meeting at which he sent out no fewer than 38 runners.

“I thought then it was game on!” exclaimed Snaith.

It was only five-year-old Double Superlative’s third win – in his 13th start – and his first for 770 days. He got into Cape Town’s premier contest on the strength of a high merit rating that came courtesy of a 2021 Grade 1 Cape Guineas triumph and a superb run into third in the Met as a three-year-old.

A bad tendon injury in 2022 had experts tut-tutting over a promising career cut short. But owner Nic Jonsson – a horse-mad fellow if you ever saw one – was having none of it, ignoring a chorus of “never run again” and setting trainer Justin Snaith the task of nursing his colt back to the turf.

It took more than 18 months and included four months of icy Atlantic Ocean water therapy at trainer/healer Mike Stewart’s Noordhoek beach stables, but Double Superlative was well enough to race again in September 2023.

He was runner-up in a progress plate sprint at Durbanville before venturing into higher company.

Hindsight is beguiling and some pundits might now look at Met prep races and discern a cunning Snaith plan to spring a big race surprise. Truth is, it was a decent and careful prep, but not enough to lure form hounds from the main scent.

Tristan Godden (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Jack Milner (4Racing)

Bettors can get off to a winning start in Race 1, a Maiden Plate over 1400m at Greyville on Tuesday when Future Saint makes his debut for trainer Kom Naidoo.

The Futura gelding was last seen making up a ton of ground over this course and distance to finish second.

Hopefully Tristan Godden will be able to keep him closer to the leading group this time and be closer when turning into the straight.

It will help that Hollywoodbets Scottsville has a longer straight than Hollywoodbets Greyville and although he finished unplaced on debut, he does have the advantage of having run on the track.

He also did tend to hang out late last time so he possibly could be a slightly tricky ride. That issue often goes away once the horse has had a run or two.

But, as his name suggests, he is not quite a saint yet, that’s coming in the future and hopefully his will arrive on Tuesday.

Mayor Of Merrivale could be the runner to beat in Race 2, a Maiden Handicap over 1800m. He is carrying top weight of 60kg, and he might be disregarded by some, especially as his form appears patchy, but there is quality in there.

He recently gave weight away to subsequent handicap winner Laudato and ran up close to him.

Early favourite Electric Storm didn’t show much in his one Polytrack start. He ran two good races in a row on turf but has not been the easiest of rides and looks beatable back on the synthetic.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 8 Future Saint, 1 Sweeper Keeper, 4 Noble Warrior, 3 Teriyaki

Race 2: 2 Mayor Of Merrivale, 3 Electric Storm, 7 Power Star, 1 Specmagic

Race 3: 1 Master Fuego, 2 Captain Rocket, 8 Flag Man, 4 Syx Hotfix

Race 4: 6 Shaken Not Stirred, 8 Jollification, 1 Manic Monday, 9 Blazing Astute

Race 5: 6 Vision Of Will, 3 Flying The Star, 5 Will O Me, 8 Arverni Princess

Race 6: 3 Giambattista, 6 Rafiki, 5 One Irish Rover, 7 Brass Bell

Race 7: 7 Spring Kiss, 3 Ingakara, 8 Angelic Fort, 1 Kingsmeads Krystl

Race 8: 2 Poursomesugaronme, 9 Can’t Catch Me, 3 Birdwatcher, 5 Perfect Trust

BEST BET

Race 1: 8 Future Saint

VALUE BET

Race 7: 7 Spring Kiss

BEST SWINGER

Race 1 1×8

BIPOT

R72

Leg 1: 8

Leg 2: 2, 3

Leg 3: 1, 2, 4, 8

Leg 4: 1, 6, 8

Leg 5: 6

Leg 6: 3, 5, 6

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R324

Leg 1: 2, 3

Leg 2: 1, 2, 8

Leg 3: 6, 8

Leg 4: 6

Leg 5: 3, 5, 6

Leg 6: 3, 7, 8

Leg 7: 2, 3, 9

PICK 6

R1536

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8

Leg 2: 1, 6, 8, 9

Leg 3: 6

Leg 4: 3, 5, 6, 7

Leg 5: 1, 3, 7, 8

Leg 6: 2, 3, 5, 9

JACKPOT 1

R64

Leg 1: 1, 6, 8, 9

Leg 2: 6

Leg 3: 3, 5, 6, 7

Leg 4: 1, 3, 7, 8

JACKPOT 2

R64

Leg 3: 6

Leg 4: 3, 5, 6, 7

Leg 5: 1, 3, 7, 8

Leg 6: 2, 3, 5, 9

Picture: Quanabi (Querari) gives Richard Fourie a treble and Wendy Whitehead a double (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

Richard Fourie passed the 150 mark at Hollywoodbets Scottsville and after riding a treble is now on 152 wins for the season.

He has achieved that at a strike rate of 20.32%.

Rachel Venniker rode a double and is on 30 wins at 8.80%.

Gareth van Zyl is on 27 wins at 9.96%.

Whitehead is on 22 wins at 11.58%.

Mike Miller leads the KZN Trainers championship with 25 wins from Gareth van Zyl on 23, Whitehead, Garth Puller and Peter Muscutt on 22, Alyson Wright on 21, Louis Goosen on 20 and Duncan Howells on 19.

The phrase “starting from scratch”, meaning to do something from the very beginning, comes from the way horse races were started before the introduction of stalls or flip starts. The horses’ had to line up behind a line that had been scratched in the turf.