See It Again wins last years’s Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby over the course and distance of the WSB Cape Town Met (Image: Wayne Marks)
Graeme Hawkins (Gold Circle)
At around 4/10 with the sponsors, See It Again is the red-hot favourite to land the spoils in the R2-million World Sports Betting Cape Town Met over 2000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth – the shortest priced market leader in 25 years! So how have odds-on favourites fared over the years in Cape Town’s premier event beyond a mile?
Way back in 1967 the mighty Sea Cottage was a beaten 5/10 favourite in the Cape Met, won by Ding Dong with James Maree aboard, and In Full Flight was a beaten 8/10 favourite in 1973 when third behind Gold Flame. But back then the race was a Handicap and both Sea Cottage and In Full Flight were conceding plenty of weight to their rivals.
The record books reveal that odds-on favourites have fared much better since the race was changed firstly to a Conditions race and even more recently a Weight-For-Age contest.
Horse Chestnut justified 5/10 favouritism in 1999, winning by an astounding 8 lengths, and he was followed by victorious odds-on shots Yard-Arm (8/10) in 2004, Pocket Power (7/10) in 2008 and Igugu (8/10) in 2012. See It Again is the first odds-on favourite to face the starter since Anthony Delpech’s famous win on Igugu twelve years ago and I am fully expecting the son of Twice Over to get the job done with a minimum of fuss. The form book, the Handicapper’s Ratings and the fact that he is unbeaten over 2000m all point to an emphatic victory for Michael Roberts’ charge and there can be no logical reason to expect otherwise.
It’s curious that despite stellar careers in the saddle, Michael Roberts and Piere Strydom have each won the Cape Met only once. Roberts won on Sledgehammer in 1975 while Strydom’s sole Met success came aboard Angus in 2003, twenty-one years ago! Now they combine as trainer and jockey in a bid to notch up their second Met victory and few will have any complaints if See It Again delivers for owner Nick Jonsson who is also “on the double”, having won the race last year with Jet Dark.
With a R1-million Quartet carryover adding huge betting interest to the WSB Cape Met, who will chase See It Again home? I fancy the Justin Snaith inmates Royal Aussie, Mucho Dinero (SCRATCHED) (also owned by Jonsson) and Pacaya to make up the frame but all of Rascallion, Al Muthana, Without Question, Double Superlative and Montien could find their way into a top four finish. Quite frankly the minor money is up for grabs and the Quartet is possibly not as straight forward as may first appear – even with a ready-made banker!
The 11-race programme, which gets under way at 11:55, also features the R1,5-million World Pool Cape Flying Championship (Gr 1) over 1000m and the R1-million City of Cape Town Majorca Stakes (Gr 1) for Fillies and Mares over 1600m. The former features a re-match between Isivunguvungu and Thunder Struck who recently finished one-two in the Winchester Mansion Sprint on King’s Plate day.
They meet again on the same terms but with the benefit of that run under the belt – his first since July – the Hollywood Syndicate-owned Isivungvungu should be able to reverse the order with Sean Tarry’s runner, but that’s no foregone conclusion! The presence of Bereave, Surjay and highly rated Dyce adds depth to the quality of the field and all need to be considered for inclusion in Pick 6 permutations. With a TAB carryover of R2-million, and being a World Pool race meeting, the Pick 6 is expected to reach a massive R10-million.
Beach Bomb and Princess Calla renew rivalry in the Majorca Stakes. Beach Bomb got up to deny Princess Calla in the last few strides in a slow-run Cartier Paddock Stakes (Gr 1) over 1800m three weeks ago and there should again be little to choose between the pair. Princess Calla will appreciate stepping back to 1600m and perhaps this time she will have the measure of Beach Bomb.
Red Palace was a couple of lengths further back in fourth, but she may have done better had she gone forward to dictate the pace in the Paddock Stakes. Prior to that the daughter of Potala Palace had finished second in the colts’ Guineas behind Snow Pilot and a repeat of that effort would render her very competitive here.
Lightly raced multiple Grade 1 winner, Make It Snappy, has been sidelined for a year and it would be a remarkable training feat by Brett Crawford if the daughter of Dynasty was to find her way to the winner’s circle. Her stable companion, Happy Chance, ran out of her skin when a close third in the Paddock Stakes behind Beach Bomb and Princess Calla and she cannot be lightly dismissed. Both Make It Snappy and Happy Chance race in the colours of the Hollywood Syndicate.
Crawford also saddles At My Command in the first leg of the Pick 6 carryover, a Cape A Stakes over 1400m. At My Command held an entry into the Cape Met but runs here in preference and he should prove a tough nut to crack. He is very well weighted in terms of the conditions of the race and although Quasiforsure, Silver Operator, Underworld and to a lesser extent Captain Fontane all warrant utmost respect, I am expecting At My Command to come out on top from a decent draw.
Winter Cloud rates the one to beat in the fifth race, the R200 000 Olympic Duel Stakes (Listed) over 1200m, with Hunting Trip, Shantastic and Distant Winter the principle dangers. The richly endowed R7,5-million Cape Racing Gold Rush is billed as the eighth race on the card and not surprisingly the race has attracted a maximum field of sixteen three-year-old graduates of the Cape Premier Sale.
The Tony Peter-trained Bavarian Beauty has made the trip from the Highveld and is far and away the best rated runner in the line-up. She won a Grade 1 race as a juvenile and was an emphatic winner of her only start as a 3yo this season. Piere Strydom retains the ride, but Bavarian Beauty has a tricky draw in what is likely to be a rough race and her best option may be to go forward from the start. To add to the intrigue, this will also be her first foray around a left-handed turn.
If she fails, then any kind of result can be expected as many are unproven or as yet untested over 1600m. Bavarian Beauty aside, only Willie John and Infrared have won over 1600m while Rapidash has twice finished second over the trip. Tail Of The Comet is classy and could prove his last two starts over 1600m were all wrong and not a reflection of his true ability. Sunshine Day is worthy of a mention and must be considered for Trifecta and Quartet permutations.
Bavarian Beauty comes with a big reputation and gets the vote to justify her position at the top of the boards, but I am more nervous than confident.
