Snaith was forced to scratch leading J&B Met candidate Legislate earlier this afternoon after conceding that although the Equus Horse Of The Year was ‘100% healthy’ his preparation had not been great after scoping full of mucus in his lungs following a subpar performance in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate just three weeks ago.

Justin Snaith

Snaith still has a massive team of 40 runners engaged on Saturday, including five in the R2,5 million J&B Met over 2000m.

The always professional Snaith team have sort the advice of the world renowned USA-based immunologist, Dr Holland, who practices a “serum aminoid test” as opposed to the more risky method of scoping, in order to find out whether horses are incubating a virus.

The virus affecting horses has been thriving in the current hot weather in Cape Town. Dr Holland has also advised on both treatment and prevention.

Jonathon Snaith spoke glowingly of the results of this assistance in a Met panel discussion on Tellytrack on Sunday. Justin said, “We are doing the best we can behind the scenes to contain the virus and find out which horses are incubating and which aren’t, but this has been the worst two weeks the yard have had, and it’s not just us it’s all over. It seems to be hit and miss and the yard have had more last places in the last couple of weeks than winners.”

He said of his 16/1 chance Dynamic, “He is sailing, he’s doing very well.” Dynamic has been seen by some as a possible pacemaker, but Snaith said, “He is not a natural front runner, he likes to come from behind, and it’s only when the pace has been too slow that he’s been up there.”

Arion is also a 16/1 chance and Snaith said, “My biggest concern with him was the Met Gallops as he’s not the soundest, so he went as slowly as possible and never came out of a canter. All is well with him.”

Jet Explorer’s form points to a possible stamina doubt and Snaith said, “It depends on the pace. He didn’t stay the July trip (2013), otherwise he would have won it, although he might have been sent for home too early. He’s a runner, make no mistake, although he will prefer a slow pace.”

Johnny Rockets (Liesl King)

He said of the rank 150/1 outsider Johnny Rockets, “We have him as sound as we can have him. He hurt his feet in his last start. It is just his feet that worry him.” This horse runs with quite a head carriage, due to his unsound feet, and it would be interesting if he one day fully let himself down as he does look full of potential.

Snaith denied a rumour that Astro News had been supplemented in order to set the pace. He said, “He is as sound as he’s ever been going into a big race but has no easy task. One of the reasons we entered him was in order for Luyolo (Mxothwa) to gain some experience and to give him a feeling of a big race as we think this young jockey has a bright future.”

Snaith named Buckinghamshire in the Listed Sun International Summer Juvenile Stakes as one of his best runners on the day.

However, he lamented that most of his runners were poorly weighted in their respective races. He cited the example of Ultimate Dollar, who runs in the ninth over 1600m, as he was beaten by St. Tropez in the maidens over 1400m two runs ago, but now has to carry 1kg more than him.

He said about the five-year-old Jet Master mare Jet Belle, who runs in the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m from a great draw, “I think she is a huge runner, she was unlucky in the Paddock Stakes and her preparation has gone flawlessly so is good value at 10/1.”

He said that Jet Belle had been working and looking “exceptionally well”. Kotzen runs the Western Winter colt Light The Lights in the Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby over 2000m.

This horse’s plan has always been to mirror the route Big City Life took all the way to his Vodacom Durban July win in 2009, because Kotzen has always believed he would get better as he got older and went further.

Jet Belle (Nkosi Hlophe)

He followed in Big City Life’s footsteps by winning the RA Stakes in Port Elizabeth. He ran below par last time out in the Gr 1 Grand Parade Guineas but a subsequent lung wash revealed an infection, which was the identical experience Big City Life suffered before winning the Cape Derby. Kotzen mentioned that the virus effecting horses in Cape Town appeared to be rife, but has been pleased with Light The Lights progress since and said, “He has been working well and is very bright.”

Kotzen has three fillies in the Listed Sun International Summer Juvenile Stakes, including Captain Al filly Princess Royale, who is a half-sister to the yard’s brilliant Princess Victoria, who won this race on her way to stardom in 2011.

Kotzen said, “Princess Royale has come on a lot from her winning debut and is a serious runner. The other two haven’t won so will be receiving weight. Princess Jane is quite quick.  We thought Entre Nous would win first time out but a lung wash showed she had the virus. She put up a fantastic workout last time. But on their work I would say Princess Royale has the edge.”

Kotzen was bullish about Gone Baby Gone, who runs in the tenth, a MR 96 Handicap over 1600m. He said, “I think he is a huge runner. He has solid form over a mile and was unlucky last time as he was brought for his run down the inside in the worst going and just gave up in the last bit.”

His son Kuyan’s horse Cathy Specific won on debut over 1000m at Kenilworth despite being slow away and runs in the first race, a MR 86 Handicap for fillies and mares over the same course and distance. She was only given a 74 merit rating, so goes in with bottom weight, but is officially 1,5kg under sufferance. Kotzen clearly thinks a lot of her and said, “She weighs 560kg and this might be a bit sharp but she will be flying at them.”

The yard have a team of 14 runners for the day and Omaticaya, who runs in the eleventh over 1800m, was another he mentioned, “She ran a cracker last time over 1700m in a similar race with the same top-weight and she has a good draw. It’s a competitive handicap but she is very honest.”

It didn’t come as any great surprise as he has been under a cloud since running a shock last place in the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and subsequently scoping full of mucus in his lungs.

Jonathon Snaith said, “He is 100% healthy but his preparation has not been great. There is too much at stake to risk running another below par race. There used to be four weeks between the Queen’s Plate and the Met but three weeks is just not enough time. It is probably just a week too short. The owners have put us under no pressure and are very much behind us with this decision.”

He said, “Helderberg Blue and Paterfamilias are both very well and I’m happy with both. They look pretty well and are in good shape and I think they will both run their best races to date.

Paterfamilias (Liesl King)

“Helderberg was a bit too handy last time and went too hard and I hadn’t done enough between races with him so he could have done better. Paterfamilias has had a very strange prep as the Premier Trophy and the Queen’s Plate were the only races for him and as a result his form doesn’t look great.

“If I could rather have run him in a Pinnacle over 1400m he would have gone close and then if he had run in an easier 1800m next time with a better pace he would have done better. The Queen’s Plate was a slow run race and he was sitting at the back, I know Futura was too, but he couldn’t show much and he’s better than that. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he runs a place.”

Helderberg Blue and Paterfamilias, who are geldings by Jet Master and Trippi respectively, are drawn wide in 13 and 15 respectively with Grant van Niekerk and Corne Orffer up.

Bass said, “The draws are horrible but complaining doesn’t change it. When Martial Eagle and Hill Fifty Four won from those draws in the last two years the pace was slow and they pushed up into handy positions, but doing that would not suit either of our horses. I don’t know if I can hope for both, but I hope at least one of them gets nicely placed.”

Bass has a strong hand in the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m with four classy runners, Hammie’s Hooker, the Gr 1 Paddock Stakes winner Inara, Lanner Falcon and Supreme Sunset.

He said, “Hammie’s Hooker is doing well and ran a good second last year and I think she will run a similar race this year. To be frank I think it is a race in two between her and Cold As Ice. I have to ignore her last run (Paddock Stakes) as the rider rode a poorly judged race. She is doing pretty well and I hope she goes close. Inara will run very well, she was second in the Guineas and if she runs another big race she might well be good enough on the day. She is improving all the time and if the race pans out well, who knows.

“Lanner Falcon is doing very well indeed. She is pretty close most of the time running on from off the pace and has a very real place chance. Supreme Sunset beat both Athina and Arcetri Pink in the race in Johannesburg she won when Majmu was unlucky. The others are preferred but she won’t be far off them and if you don’t have a ticket you don’t have a chance.”

Bass has realistic hopes for his Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby runner, Seven Oceans. He said, “He is a nice staying type of a horse and I think he has as much chance as the rest except for the two hotpots, Act Of War and Ertijaal, although maybe the one hotpot as I didn’t think Ertijaal was all that impressive last time.”

Helderberg Blue (Liesl King)

Bass was bullish about the chances of his two runners in the Gr 2 J&B Urban Honey Stayers over 2800m, Mountain Master and Shingwedzi. He said, “I think they both have fair chances. Mountain Master will stay and might well be good enough. Shingwedzi has a shout at the weights.”

He is also confident of good runs from his pair Ernie and Waity Katie in the Listed Sun International Summer Juvenile Stakes over 1000m. He said, “I give both of them a chance of finishing in the first five. I’ve heard Buckinghampshire and Seventh Plain are unbeatable but I’ve heard that before and it’s always a hard race to assess.”

Bass gave Ze Kaiser a good chance in the tenth, a MR 96 Handicap over 1600m, and said, “Ze Kaiser ran a very good race last time. He needs to do a little bit more in this slightly stronger field, but he might well do it again as he has come right. He had foot issues and our farrier has got him back to his best.”

He also runs the talented Night Trip in that race and said, “He ran well last time but with that weight we can’t expect too much.” However, he has said in the past that he wished Night Trip would bring his work at home to the racecourse, so this horse can never be ignored.

Bass mentioned Sail For Gold and Counting Angels as two of his best runners on the day. The former runs in the ninth race, a MR 75 Handicap over 1600m, and he said, “Sail For Gold has an outstanding chance, although he is drawn wide.”

Counting Angels runs in the eleventh, a MR 90 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1800m. Bass said, “She didn’t have a race last time out because her stirrup iron broke and I’m expecting a big run from her.”

Piere Strydom, successful on the Brett Crawford-trained Angus 12 years ago, is confident that the extra 400m will bring out the best in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate runner-up.

He said: “The mile of the Queen’s Plate is not Louis’ game and we were hoping only that he would run into a place. A win obviously would have been a bonus but he ran on well.”

But seemingly not as well as many people thought – “I believe they were confused by the camera angle which suggested that we were coming back at Futura at the line. He came from last to run past us as if we were standing still. He then went away and we were never coming back at him.

“But the extra two furlongs of the Met will help us. I know it will help Futura as well but it will definitely help Louis The King.”

Robbie Fradd often rode the horse with exaggerated waiting tactics but these have not been adopted by Strydom who said: “I don’t know why Robbie rode him like that – obviously he had his reasons – but for me he is the type of horse who builds up, continues to build up and then gives a kick.”

Strydom also expects a good run from his mount’s two stable companions, saying: “I originally thought that the race was between my horse, Futura and Legislate but Tellina (13-1) has obviously come on. The Queen’s Plate was his first run after being gelded while Killua Castle (25-1) is also a runner.”