Dean Kannemeyer’s hopes of a first Sun Met win on Saturday week suffered a hammer blow when Last Winter was drawn widest of all in the 20-runner field when the draw ceremony broke new ground by being conducted in a V & A Waterfront shopping centre yesterday.

Kannemeyer said: “I am not a happy chappy and of course I’m disappointed but at least I’ve got a ****ing good jockey in Piere Strydom. I just hope there is going to be a good pace on.”

Dean Kannemeyer

The favourite Legal Eagle, drawn three and nine when second in each of the last two years, didn’t fare much better because Sean Tarry turned up the champagne bottle to find that the dual Horse Of The Year was drawn 15. Anton Marcus’s famed ability to get his mount fast out of the pens will be tested to the full.

Marinaresco, fifth last year when drawn two, will start from stall 13. “It’s good enough,” said Aldo Domeyer who won on Martial Eagle from gate 15 five years ago. “At least I will miss all the bustling and scrimmaging.”

Greg Cheyne, who won last year’s race on Whisky Baron from pen eight, will start with only three outside him on Sail South. But he didn’t want to start from the inside, saying: “I have twice been drawn really low and both times it worked against me.”

Cheyne reckons 4-7 are the best draws and the fancied filly Oh Susanna starts from gate 6 with Grant van Niekerk already working on the diet he needs to get down to 51.5kg – “It is a strict one and it’s going to take me a week but I will do it.”

Snowdance, his hotpot ride in the Klawervlei Majorca, is drawn nine and Jonathan Snaith underlined her chance, saying: “I think she is the best filly we have seen for a long, long time. She is up there with the likes of Ebony Flyer and Empress Club, and the work she shows at home is phenomenal.”

By Michael Clower

The Sun Met 5/1 third favourite with Betting World, Last Winter, will gallop at Kenilworth today (Thursday) before the first race.

His big race rider Piere Strydom will have flown in for the occasion and the gallop is to be screened live on Tellytrack.

Last Winter has a tough task on paper under the weight for age conditions, being merit rated only 107, 16 points below the highest rated contestant Legal Eagle.

However, he is still relatively unexposed, having run only five times for four wins and a narrow defeat in the Grade 2 Forus Premier Trophy.

The big and classy four=year-old Western Winter colt was receiving half-a-kilogram in the Premier Trophy last time out from the 101 merit rated six-year-old Milton, so it does not augur well that he failed to beat him.

However, he only got going late, was eating up the ground and only failed by a short-head.

He will relish the step up to 2000m and Kannemeyer added, “I have given him the easy route. I didn’t want him coming out of a hard race in the Queen’s Plate. I think he is up to it, he is exceptionally well and has a top, top jockey aboard.”

Last Winter won his debut as a two-year-old over 1200m on the Greyville poly.

Kannemeyer had high hopes for him and was targeting him at the Grade 1 Cape Guineas when he kicked a wall, which caused a hairline fracture of the pedal bone. He was off for close to a year, but came back to win two 1600m races at Scottsville in May and July respectively last year. He made his four-year-old debut in October and remained unbeaten by winning a MR98 Handicap over 1600m at Durbanville in cosy style, despite carrying topweight off a 99 merit rating. Then came his only defeat in the Premier Trophy on December 16.

He is out of Silvano mare Field Flower, who won the Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas. However, his grandam Field Princess (Northfields) won from 1600-2400m, so he should have no problem staying 2000m.

By David Thiselton

The Joey Ramsden trained four-year-old, William The Brave, took ten races to win his maiden – and was tried over a whole variety of different trips in the process  – but he seems in his element over this 1 800m and he still looks reasonably handicapped despite going up six points for last time’s Graduation success.

He had Visigoth 1.7 lengths back fourth that day and actually meets Sean Tarry’s runner on a kilo and a half better terms. World Sports Betting opened the selection at 28-10 but he was 33-10 yesterday along with Visigoth who runs without blinkers after that experiment failed to work in the Politician. One to note is Flying Ryan (11-2) who went close last time.

Joey Ramsden

Punters are faced with a familiar problem in the opening maiden, whether to go for the form horse or take a chance with a lightly-raced improver. Hammie’s Fan appeals more on form than fellow 5-1 chance Ladysmith but Sunshine Mint (very short at 9-20) was well backed on debut and ran a creditable second.

It is this Dennis Drier favourite who gets the vote but without a great deal of confidence because the winner that day (Vice Versa) won very easily indeed and promptly let the form down.

Gyre can take the TAB Telebet Handicap and make amends for his narrow but most unlucky fourth last month. He lost a good two lengths at the start and then had to switch when finishing strongly. He looks value at 28-10 even though the sahorseracing computer reckons he won’t make the frame.

It predicts that 33-10 shot One Direction (who started favourite last time but ran badly and finished last) will win from Benjan and Stonehenge with 28-10 joint favourite Waiting For Rain fourth.

In the Tabonline Maiden half an hour later the computer has Cradleofgratitude (33-10) winning by a mile. Maybe it is influenced by Candice Bass-Robinson and Aldo Domeyer being in such form but preference is for evens favourite Sea Fury who was only beaten a short head on his most recent start.

Miss Smarty Pants is 18-10 favourite for the Betting World Maiden and she looks the one to beat as she drops back in trip after running below form over a mile. Spam Alert (the computer’s tip) looks the danger but don’t ignore Perfectproportions who is on a retrieving mission after disappointing at odds-on four weeks ago.

By Michael Clower

Anthony Delpech could be one of the jockeys to follow on Sun Met day as he has chances in six big races he contests.

In the big one Delpech has switched from the top class Dean Kannemeyer-trained colt Last Winter to the top class Mike de Kock-trained Irish-bred filly Cascapedia as the latter was a supplementary entry and he is retained by her owners, Mauritzfontein Stud. The bookmakers believe it is a negative switch from Delpech’s point of view as Last Winter is the joint-second favourite at 9/2 with Betting World and Cascapedia is an 11/1 shot. However, history favours the switch as Delpech’s last Met win was aboard a De Kock-trained filly, the great Igugu, who won in 2012. Delpech’s only other Met win was also aboard a filly, the David Payne-trained Imperious Sue, in 1998.

Delpech said it would be very hard to compare Cascapedia to Igugu as she had not yet attempted what the latter had done. Igugu won four Grade 1s, including the Vodacom Durban July and the Met, and landed the Triple Tiara, whereas Cascapedia is yet to run in a Grade 1.

Anthony Delpech (Liesl King)

However, he added, “She is well and she beat the boys last time, so she is going the right way.”

Cascapedia is a solidly built Irish-bred by the six-time Group 1-winning champion High Chaparral and she is from a strong female line, being out of the unraced Dansili mare Janoubi, who is a half-sister to the Group 2 and Group 3-winner in France, Radevore. Janoubi’s dam is a half-sister to Al Bahathri, the champion three-year-old filly in Ireland in 1985 and champion miler in Ireland the same year.

Cascapedia gets a Northern Hemispehere allowance of 1kg from her fellow four-year-olds in the Met, being six months younger than them.

Last time out she was handy in the Grade 3 London News Stakes over 1800m at Turffontein and quickened well at the top of the straight before staying on strongly and beating the Triple Crown hero Abashiri by 1,4 lengths receiving 3kg from him. She received a maximum ten point merit rated raise, but the handicappers confirmed that she ran exactly to that mark. Therefore, under the weight for age conditions of the Met she officially faces a very tough task, being merit rated 20 points lower than Legal Eagle. Another downside is the failure of Johannesburg’s older horses in Cape Town this season, with Hat Puntano and Deo Juvente beaten six lengths and 19 lengths respectively in the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate, while Nother Russia, Safe Harbour, Wind Chill and Orchid Island finished fourth, fifth, eighth and twelfth in the Cartier Paddock Stakes. However, Cascapedia has only had six runs and won five of them, so has done nothing wrong and will still be improving. Her only defeat was in the mud, so she will enjoy the fast going at Kenilworth and will be hoping for a good draw so she can run a similar handy race to the one she ran in the London News.

Delpech has an interesting ride in the Investec Cape Derby on the Glen Kotzen-trained Philanthopist colt Pack Leader. He came from last in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas and didn’t get a completely clear run, but still managed to finish a 2,55 length sixth. He should relish the step up in trip.

Cascapedia (JC Photographics)

Delpech admitted he did not know much about Pack Leader, but reckoned he had a chance.

He rides the second favourite Naafer for Mike de Kock in the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship over 1000m. This Australian-bred three-year-old Lonhro colt has plenty of pace, but is not one dimensional and Delpech said, “You ride him the way you find him. He is not a bad horse, he is doing well and should run well.” It looks to be a competitive field this year with no stand out horse with the possible exception of the favourite Trip To Heaven, who put up one of the performances of the season in this race last year when a narrow and unlucky second. De Kock won this race with a three-year-old in 2015, the filly Alboran Sea.

Delpech rides one of the best staying females in the country, the Joe Soma-trained Fort Wood mare Fortissima, in the Grade 2 Heineken Cape Stayers over 2800m, where she has been priced up favourite.  However, he warned, “They always go slow in Cape staying races and that will be against her.”

In the US$500,000 CTS Mile, he rides the talented Captain Al colt Captain And Master, who looked to being doing a lot in the early stages of the Cape Guineas as they rushed for the turn. However, Delpech said he did not over race. Captain And Master moved up well from a handy position that day, but found little extra and finished a 4,35 length eighth. Delpech believes he has a “tough task.” However, the field is not as strong as the Cape Guineas and he could be in with a shout if things pan out well for him.

Delpech admitted not knowing a lot about his CTS US$500,000 mount, the Soma-trained Trippi colt Lobo’s Legend. This colt won his maiden by 8,5 lengths over 1160m at Turffontein third time out. In his only subsequent start he ran off an 86 merit rating over the same course and distance and failed narrowly. Therefore, he will need to improve, although he did jump from arguably a tough draw of one that day in an eight horse field.

By David Thiselton

The highest rated race on the card is a fillies and mare MR 84 Handicap over 1000m which is a tricky one to analyse.

There is plenty of speed in this race and the one to beat could be Kissable. She wowed everybody in her first two starts as a juvenile when winning by 6,4 lengths and 7,5 lengths over 800m and 1000m respectively. However, she was unplaced in three features after that. Last time in her second run after a rest in a handicap, she showed her normal good early speed before fading tamely. She now has her third run after a layoff and she has been given an eight point drop by the handicappers. That last run was in soft going and if it is quicker ground she could keep going carrying only 55,5kg. Jameson Girl has some class and moved up well in her first run for three-and-a-half months last time before finding no extra. She finished five lengths in front of Kissable. She will have come on from the run and on paper should beat Kissable, but the concern is she will be wearing first-time blinkers. The headgear can cause a horse to over race, although with their being so much pace in this race they could well be a positive and she must be included in the exotics.

Sean Tarry

The topweight Rouge Allure is an interesting contender. She is a 1400m specialist and shows pace over that trip before staying on. She is drawn one which will give her a good opportunity to sit behind all the speedsters and if she is not too badly outpaced she could be given a tow while striding freely and could then run on. Celtic Lady is a courageous little filly who has good pace and the ability to kick at the end. She should also benefit from all the pace in the race, but she does have to overcome a seven point raise for her comfortable three length win last time in a weaker race than this. Levi Lady has a lot of pace and managed to escape the field last time and win easily. She has a six point raise to overcome and is none too reliable. Melinda’s Garden sneaks into the handicap with the minimum weight and will be dangerous. This big, good-looking filly has good pace and has dropped another two points in the merit ratings. She wears second-time blinkers. The concern is that she has suffered breathing issues in the past and is also not a reliable sort.

Ice Art was dropped down to this trip last time and after sitting off the pace swept through to win cosily. The race should set up well for her here too, but she was given an eight point raise so it won’t be easy in this tougher event. Celestina faded tamely in her comeback effort but if recapturing her best could be a factor, although the overall form of the Sean Tarry yard is not yet as lethal as it was last season. Lady Of The World has dropped to a mark four points lower than her last win and has a chance if finding her best, but this is her second run after a four month layoff. Memphis Belle has a tough task with the like of Kissable and Jameson Girl on their last meeting. Gimmethemoney has the ability to be involved but returns from a five month layoff.

The meeting starts off with a workrider’s maiden and Over Easy is the one who is selected. He looked promising the last time he ran in September but needed maturing and he has been given time to do so. Leeuwpoort is interesting as he is not a bad looking sort and his two best races have both been under this rider over this trip.

In the first leg of the PA Bell Tower makes plenty of appeal as this typically rangy daughter of Ideal World caught the eye running on strongly over 1200m on debut and will relish the step up in trip. She is drawn in pole too. Truth Of Beauty could be worth including in the swinger with Bell Tower as she has ability and faces an uninspiring field. She has a fair draw over a probably ideal trip.

The first leg of the Pick 6 over 2000m is an uninspiring event and offers a good opportunity for Brave Gitano, who plugged on over 1700m last time and should enjoy this further step up in trip. However, he has a tough draw so Sucha Charmer and Artificio must also be considered.

The first leg of the Jackpot should be won by Ma Amour who is proven over the trip and has little to beat. Generoso is the back up.

In the next race , a Middle Stakes event over 2400m, the frustrating Odd Rob appears. He is drawn well and although not officially too well weighted he has a lot of ability. However, he doesn’t appear to go through with his effort on occasion so can’t be relied on. Sheet Weaver and Smart Mart will enjoy the trip. Wild Brier is interesting stepped up to this trip as he has plenty of ability and his pedigree suggests he will stay. Enchanted Drawing is interesting having his first run for Mike de Kock as one who stays and carries only 52kg.

Raydaveric and Jubilee Line both have a touch of class and are fancied to fight out the sixth over a suitable 1600m.

The last could be won Rebuked from pole position as he was only 1,6 lengths behind the smart Emily Jay over this sort of 1450m trip last time and runs off the same merit rating with a 1,5kg claimer aboard.

By David Thiselton

The field for this year’s Sun Met will be the biggest since Pas de Quoi proved too good for his 19 rivals back in 1994- assuming all 20 declared stand their ground in Saturday week’s R5 million highlight.

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

In fact 22 were declared yesterday morning but Mambo Mime and Deo Juvente failed to make the cut. Legal Eagle, runner-up in each of the last two runnings under a 2kg Grade 1-winning penalty, will have no such handicap this time as the race is being run on strict weight-for-age terms.

In recent days Legal Eagle has been challenged for favouritism by Marinaresco – fifth 12 months ago – and Last Winter whose trainer Dean Kannemeyer desperately wants to fill one of the few gaps in his illustrious CV.

The same applies to Justin Snaith and his father Chris, and the family’s huge racing operation accounts for a quarter of the field. They have 35 runners and are represented in all but one of the 13 races.

Last year Justin declared 40 horses when he won three races while the previous year he declared 36 and equalled the world record for the number of winners on the same card with eight. Other trainers going into battle with big armadas are Candice Bass-Robinson (29), Joey Ramsden (24) and Brett Crawford (19).

The two CTS $500 000 races have proved understandably popular – 25 were declared for the 1 200m event and two more for the mile race. They have been whittled down to 20 apiece but only 16 will go to post in the mile. The draws for these two and the four Grade 1s will take place in Cape Town’s V & A Waterfront tomorrow afternoon.

At the time of writing most bookmakers had still to update their prices but the Snaith-trained Fillies Guineas winner Snowdance shortened to a scarcely credible 1-3 for the Klawervlei Majorca yesterday morning.

Vaughan Marshall’s Cape Guineas winner Tap O’Noth is expected to start favourite for the Investec Cape Derby even though Peninsula Handicap winner Eyes Wide Open is rated 2kg better.

By Michael Clower

The first race over 1200m is an interesting Maiden. Oratorio filly Regal Graduation just failed over this trip second time out. The impressive part of the run was she kept on finding extra when challenged, although the late surge of the winner Fort Vodka, finally won the day. The pair had pulled more than two lengths clear of the rest.   Regal Graduation will have to improve as the form does not look too strong at present, but she is entitled to do so. Get Your Groove On covers a lot of ground and ran on in eyecatching style on debut over 1160m. In her second start she found herself in front around the turn over 1400m and this did not suit her, but she did still manage a fair 4,5 length fifth in a field of similar strength to this one. Reverting to hold up tactics over this 1200m trip should put her in with a winning chance.

Weichong Marwing

Weichong Marwing has stayed aboard. Generous Notion was another eyecatcher on debut. She dwelt at the start, losing a length or two, and then showed good pace before running on well despite initially hanging outward. The form has been quite nicely franked although a horse, Kissmeinyourdreams, she beat by a length was subsequently beaten 2,35 lengths by Regal Graduation. Of course Sean Tarry-trained first-timers can never be ignored and they have one here who is by Trippi out of a Galileo mare who ran four poor races. Another first-timer of interest is Truce, who is by Mullins Bay and is a half-sister to West End, a five-time winning sprinter by Opera King. The only other horse with some form in the race is Backslash, who came from Port Elizabeth to run a good Highveld debut, but the feeling that was a weak race was confirmed when she was well beaten on Saturday.

If Generous Notion wins the first then Eleni will be of interest in the second over 1200m as she beat Generous Notion by 1,1 lengths over 1160m before going down by just 1,3 lengths next time out over 1160m to the promising Schippers. However, Gold Dawn will be a threat as she caught the eye in her second Highveld start when her considerable stride carried her into a good 1,8 length second behind Carmalita over 1000m on Saturday.

In the third over 1400m Saint Michael is interesting as he was up with the pace over 1160m last time but it certainly did not look like a comfortable cruising pace for him and he was duly found wanting in the closing stages. He should be more comfortable over this trip as his breeding by Pathfork out of a Kingmambo mare suggests. However, the concern is he was reported to have made a breathing noise last time, so can’t be bankered. Aranjeuz looks like he has scope for improvement so can also be included in the PA, alongside Colonel Bogey.

In the fourth race over 1600m Empress Rock could be banker material. She was most unlucky last time over 1700m when coming through to challenge and having to be snatched up as the gap between horse and rail closed. After being gathered she ran on strongly for second. She took quite a keen hold in that race, yet still showed fine acceleration  at the end, so over this 100m shorter trip it would be no surprise to see Weichong Marwing allowing her to stride freely from  the off. Otherwise, if she is covered up and settles, she will be hard to beat. Fragrant Miss is the danger as she stayed on well over 1400 in a similar quality field to this one last time from a wide draw at Turfontein and should relish the step up in trip.   

The handicaps start in the first leg of the Jackpot and in the first of them over 1600m Pilgrim’s Progress, by the top class late sire Await The Dawn, is one who is going places. She is coming off a hattrick and in time will surely rise above a merit rating of 88. The only concern is this could be a preparation outing for the classics and she would prefer a touch further. Emily Jay, going for a hattrick, has always struck as one with a touch of class and makes the most appeal of the rest especially as she will likely relish a step up to 1600m.

In the sixth race over 1600m Pinfanta is a rangy sort with scope so can follow up on her maiden win off a mere 73 merit rating. Her chances will be particularly good if Empress Rock wins the fourth as she beat that one last time.

The seventh is a tough low-grade handicap over 1400m and the blinkers-strike Lady Negra is selected, as she has not always put it in and she could improve with the headgear on. All Over The World is the main back up as one who at one stage looked full of promise and went close last time having dropped to her current lowly mark of 55.

Aerobatic is also off a competitive mark in the eighth over 1400m and will enjoy the step up in trip. Caribbean Queen has the ability to win too and so does Heaven’s Door, the classiest horse in the field but one who returns from a 108 day layoff.

The ninth over 1000m pits the classy Punta Cana, returning from a layoff of over a year after just one impressive start, against Brigtnumberten, who ran way above his rating in his penultimate start and was only undone by the draw last time. Rebel’s Champ also has plenty of ability and this up-and-coming sort has a chance of making it two in succession.

By David Thiselton

Hopes are high that the Hong Kong Jockey Club will be buying in significant numbers at this weekend’s big CTS Cape Premier Yearling sale.

It is believed that this is a consequence of Hong Kong’s fallout with Australia and that it will result in Hong Kong becoming major buyers in the South African market. Even more importantly, it could  lead to an end of the African Horse Sickness restrictions that have isolated this country’s racing and bloodstock industries from the rest of the world.

CTS boss Wehann Smith was unwilling to join in the speculation yesterday but he did say: “We are fully aware of what is going on between the Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Australian authorities, and the fact that they have decided to boycott the Magic Millions sale.

“I can confirm that the Hong Kong Jockey Club are here and that it is the first time that they are attending our sale. We are obviously extremely excited given our efforts at internationalising the sale.

“However it would be presumptuous to say that they are going to be buying horses. We are, though, extremely hopeful and we are looking forward to the sale.”

The Australian government suspended the movement of horses from Hong Kong to Australia just over three months ago. As a result Hong Kong horses can no longer be sent to Australia to race (unless they serve 180 days quarantine in New Zealand) and nor can Australian horses run in Hong Kong’s big international races.

Hong Kong is the main international player in the drive to bring South African horses back onto the international scene – at present they have to quarantine in Mauritius for three months  – and last year the HKJC’s CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said: “We have a major ambition to open up South Africa to be part of a wider international scene and one of our clear targets is that within the next two years we are able to find quarantine solutions with them.”

By Michael Clower

Paul Gadsby has had his hands full with the temperamental gelding Techno Captain but earmuffs and the attentions of a horse whisperer appear to have done the trick. “He spooks at everything he sees,” said Gadsby. “But hopefully he’s settled down a little,” he added. All that plus an excellent front-running ride from apprentice Ashton Arries saw Techno Captain into the winner’s both for the fourth time in his career at Scottsville yesterday.

It was an exceptional ride by Arries but in hindsight, those that followed the form were well rewarded.

Techno Captain (Candiese Marnewick)

Four runs back yesterday’s favourite, One Man Show, had beaten Techno Captain by just under a length at level weights over course and distance. Yesterday there was a 7kg swing in favour of Techno Captain and although the winning margin was not much wider than a piece of paper, Arries was full value for his claim.

With only five runners facing the starter there was always the danger of a slow-run race but as the field dawdled the first couple of furlongs, Arries set sail.

Techno Captain was still many lengths clear turning for home but a furlong out his legs were turning to jelly as One Man Show cut the deficit and looked set for victory.

However, Arries somehow managed to extract more from his seemingly beaten mount and he came back at his challenger to get up on the line. It was an exceptional effort from both horse and rider.

There was another tight finish to the third as City Of Stars, in the colours of Rob and Michelle Pickering of Middlefield Stud, got her nose in front when it counted for Belinda Impey with Lunar Tide denied on the line.

“Don’t thank the trainer, thanks the jockey,” where Alistair Gordon’s magnanimous words after Anton Marcus got home aboard Whiteleaf Hills. Had at work even before the field turned for home, Marcus kept pumping away and was rewarded with an extra effort from his mount who got up lose home to beat the Des Egdes-trained Le Cheik.

“I thought we were beaten a long way out,” said Gordon. “Most other jockeys would have given up.”

By Andrew Harrison