Do It Again, bidding to end the run of six beaten favourites in the Sun Met, will start from a mid-division seven in the R5 million Kenilworth showpiece on Saturday week.

Justin Snaith himself picked the straw (in the form of a Mumm champagne bottle) at yesterday’s GrandWest Casino barrier draw ceremony and later demonstrated a new-found skill by opening the bottle with a knife.

Brother Jono secured stall five for Oh Susanna who started from gate four when she won 12 months ago. The last four winners, and eight of the last 12, have started from single figure pens.

Legal Eagle, second from gates three and nine but only fourth from 13 last year, will this time break from stall 11.

Piere Strydom, who won on Angus in 2003, picked pen three for 20-1 shot Doublemint.

Eric Sands, the first man up to the table that carried all the numbered bottles, was well pleased with two for his 7-2 second favourite Rainbow Bridge. But M.J. Byleveld drew the 13 short straw for his mount Tap O’Noth.  Byleveld started from the same pen six years ago and was beaten only a neck on Hill Fifty Four.

By Michael Clower