Eric Sands is very happy with the well-being of the defending Sun Met champion Rainbow Bridge in the week of the big race.

Some of the five-year-old Ideal World gelding’s fans have been concerned about the hard race he had in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate but Sands said, “He got caught in the front with Hawwaam and they were fighting head to head for about three furlongs so it was a great effort for him to still stay on for third. So we had to ease back on him a little after the race, but he has now come well, I am very happy with him.”

Big race jockey Ryan Moore is globe-trotting at present and Sands was not sure whether he would arrive in time to sit on Rainbow Bridge before Saturday. 

Moore was in Florida last Saturday to ride in the Pegasus World Cup, where he finished second on the Aidan O’Brien-trained Magic Wand, he then finished second yesterday on the KW Lui-trained More Than This in the Hong Kong Classic Mile at Sha Tin’s big Chinese New Year meeting, and today he will be riding work in Saudi Arabia ahead of the US$20 Million Saudi Cup on February 29.

Sands believes there will be a fair pace in the Met.

He identified Twist Of Fate as a horse who had run his best races when going strongly up with the pace and mentioned Head Honcho as another who liked to be right up there.

He added, “We are drawn outside of both of them too.”

He said he could not see either of those horses setting a very fast pace but felt there would at least be an honest pace. 

Rainbow Bridge has a fine draw of five and Twist Of fate and Head Honcho are drawn three and four respectively.

Sands clinched his first Met victory last year.

His previous best in Cape Town’s biggest race had been second with Grand Jete in 2002.

Sands only has one other runner on the day, Black Belt in the last race.

He said about this hard-knocking Black Minnaloushe gelding, “He is a five-year-old so is not improving but is very honest and it is not a killer field. In fact I think the field he ran in the other day was stronger and he is doing well.”

By David Thiselton

Adrian Todd now expects South Africa to be able to export horses direct to Europe – without having to go via Mauritius – in either September or October.

This follows the official confirmation from the European Union that its bloodstock protocol audit will take place between April 20 and May 1.

Todd, managing director of SA Equine Health & Protocols, said yesterday: “Audits in any sector seldom return flawless results and nobody ever gets a 100% clear report. There will be additional recommendations from the EU team after the audit; they will send a report and we will implement what they suggest but I am confident that the audit will be successful and I would expect that, once any additional recommendations have been implemented, we should be looking at the reinstatement of direct exports to the EU by September/October.”

By Michael Clower

Mike de Kock is very happy with the condition of Hawwaam ahead of Saturday’s Sun Met and is actually pleased he is drawn wide, although he described the betting for both the Met and the Grade 1 Bidvest Majorca Stakes as “ridiculous”.

De Kock said about the draw, “At least from draw 12 Anton Marcus will not have to think about getting away from the rail, he will already be away from it. He was obsessed about getting away from the rail in the Queen’s Plate, I struggle to think why when you are in the perfect position to take the shortest way home, but this time he won’t have to do all that thinking.”

Hawwaam over-raced in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate when caught in a head to head fight with Rainbow Bridge for about  three furlongs, so many were of the opinion he had a hard race.

However, De Kock disagreed and said, “I am not convinced he had a hard race. Once his chances were ruined and it became obvious he was not going to place he made no effort in the finish.” 

He concluded, “He has had a good prep, I couldn’t be happier with him.”

The Met has the known front-runner Head Honcho in the line up and there are others like Undercover Agent who like to get on with it.

De Kock predicted the race would be run at a “good, even tempo”.

Hawwaam is the ruling favourite at roundabout 18/10 while the Queen’s Plate and Green Point Stakes winner Vardy is only second favourite at 28/10.

De Kock said, “The Met betting is absolutely ridiculous. Even if things had gone better in the Queen’s Plate Vardy would have been very difficult to beat. When is Vardy going to be given the credit he is due? He is an absolute champion. I just don’t understand it but I think it is because of all this hype from people who seem to have no idea about form.”

De Kock is also bewildered by the betting for the Majorca, a weight for age mile for fillies and mares. 

Whilst agreeing Queen Supreme is looking to be a very good filly he said, “She doesn’t have nearly the formlines of Celtic Sea. Celtic Sea is a a multiple Grade 1 winner and the champion of her generation, yet the betting has Queen Supreme at around even money and Celtic Sea at about 7/2. There is no logic in that.”

Queen Supreme has won five of her seven starts including an easy 2,50 length victory in the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes over 1800m last time, which followed an excellent 1,60 length fourth in the Grade 1 Gauteng Summer Cup. The Exceed And Excel filly is Irish-bred and although officially a four-year-old she has not yet turned four in actual terms, so she will be improving all the time. She gets a half-a-kilogram hemisphere allowance. 

De Kock said, “She has had a very good prep. She stayed down in the Cape after the race and has blossomed. As time goes on she will get better and better as she is not even physically four yet.”

Queen Supreme is drawn nine compared to Celtic Sea’s eight.

De Kock has three horses in the CTS 1200, Vaseem, Battleoftrafalgar and Alramz.

His regular first call jockey Callan Murray is on Vaseem.

De Kock said, “Vaseem is probably the best sprinter of the three. Battleoftrafalgar had an abscess on the epiglottis after winning the Million Mile so missed a fair bit of work but he is getting there, although the Million Mile form looks ordinary. Alramz has done nothing wrong and has been better in blinkers.

The yard’s other runner on the day is Atyaab in the Grade 2 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers over 2800m where he is second favourite at around 11/2.

De Kock said he was well and added, “He is exposed, what you see is what you get with him.”

The Australian-bred Dundeel gelding carries second topweight of 59,5kg and jumps from draw six under Murray. 

By David Thiselton

“Punters, follow the Snaith team on Sun Met day. I think we have our horses right at the right time, and I think we are going to have a big one.”

Justin Snaith’s interview with Grant Knowles could be heard all over the grandstand at Kenilworth on Saturday and, whether by accident or design, the volume was turned up to maximum – even on the escalators – as the Met day maestro made his bold prediction for Saturday.

With a staggering R18 million Pick Six up for grabs many punters will be turning to Snaith for their first choice selections – and with good reason. Over the past eight years his average Met day winner haul is better than four and only once during that time has he sunk below three.

“If I had to pick a horse for the day I think Kasimir is a huge runner in the Cape Flying Championship,” he told this writer. “He needed his first run back but he is doing very well and the only one in the race that I’m worried about is Run Fox Run. She hasn’t beaten much [compared with Kasimir] and this is a bigger test for her but she is the unknown.”

For a long time the Met was Snaith’s bogey race and, while he finally won it with Oh Susanna two years ago, hot favourite Do It Again was beaten 12 months ago and his well-documented post-Queen’s Plate setback has threatened to make it go pear-shaped again.

What punters are openly doubting is whether the horse can turn it on in his dual Vodacom Durban July-winning style after having an interrupted preparation. “There hasn’t been much interruption,” says his trainer who believes some members of the media (including this one) have made too much of the horse being under the weather.

“I wouldn’t say under the weather either,” Snaith responds. “It’s just that he hasn’t been at his best. It was too long between his July win and his season starting. He had become a quiet horse – too much boring work up and down the tracks in heavy sand.

“Also that 20 minute delay at the start of the Queen’s Plate didn’t help with a horse who had not been doing as well as I’d hoped because he was already at the limit of his wellbeing. He has improved a lot since.  I don’t want to say too much as to why at this stage because I feel that, with the changes I have made, he has to go and run well first for me to be able to say what might have been wrong – whether it was a slight biliary, whether it was a track issue or what. We have had problems in Philippi with the tracks, tractors breaking down etc.”

The extra two furlongs on Saturday will presumably suit him a lot better? “Without a doubt and, in any case, just look at the distance he was beaten in the Queen’s Plate (just over four lengths). It’s not like he ran ten lengths back. I’m only looking for a small bit of improvement.”

Lastly, does he still think 50-1 shot Bunker Hunt is the dark horse of the race, bearing in mind that Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount is rated between five and seven kilos inferior to the big guns? “That is against him, I agree, and probably it could cost him winning but I do think that not running on Queen’s Plate day is a huge advantage for him.”

By Michael Clower 

The Vaal eight race meeting tomorrow should start off with a favourable result for punters and this can help build up a pool with which to play the exotics.

In the first race over 1000m Varina made a good debut over this trip despite being bumped and with improvement has a fine chance. However, Winter’s Power is likely to give her a run for her money as she showed pace last time in a Juvenile Plate race to finish close to the promising Miracle Flight, although she was receiving 5kg.  Elusive Woman is not far behind these two on formlines and should earn.

In the second over 1000m Fire And Ice’s seven length third place finish to War Room has turned out to be good form and he looks to be the one to beat. He is interestingly bred, being by Noble Tune and a half-brother to the Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Missisippi Burning. Last time out when also running third over this trip with first time blinkers on, he lost a length at the start so can do better if jumping better. Karnallie was beaten 6.5 lengths by War Room in a later race but was receiving 3kg. He can improve so will be a threat. Portico had to be eased and switched before running on well again for second over this trip at Scottsville last time. He also has a chance.

In the third race over 1000m Wings Of Honor ran well over 1200m last time and looks to have plenty of natural pace so can win this off a two point lower mark. Moggie Brown has plenty of speed and can do better than her last two starts especially considering she is reunited with Marco van Rensburg who won on her over this course and distance last July, albeit off a five point lower mark. Phillydelphia has always been thereabouts off this mark and should be in the shake up. Miss Boomerang was a highly regarded speedster as a juvenile and a recent win at Flamingo could have buoyed her confidence while a lowered turf rating will help here too. Midnight Top was 1,1 lengths behind Wings Of Honor over 1200m and is now 1kg worse off which gives her a hard task, although she was slowly away that day and was scalped. She is of interest over the step down in trip as she has pace.

In the fourth over 1200m the classy mare Double ‘O’ Eight has her easiest task for some time and from a plum draw is the one to beat.  In Cahoots has a touch of class and a good cruising speed so could be dangerous over this drop in trip despite being given two points for his win over 1475m last time. Topmast beat Grade 1 winner over this trip Eden Roc last time, also over this trip, and off a four point higher mark he can go close with a repeat. State Trooper is unbeaten in two starts over this course and distance but has a tough draw to overcome. Whorly Whorly retuns from a layoff so will likely need it but he is capable of staying on late so might do well fresh. 

In the fifth race over 1200m Crown Guardian is an interesting runner from a fair draw of five with the blinkers back on. The last time he wore blinkers, three runs ago, he finished just 1,80 lengths back over this trip. He is now six points lower in the merit ratings and finished second in his only previous stat over this course and distance. Irrevocable Dream seemed a fair sort early on in his career and he has now dropped considerably in the merit ratings so could go close.  Alex The Great steps up in trip but has won over this distance before and is interesting from a wide draw with Warren Kennedy aboard as he was dropped three points in the merit ratings for his last run. Bockscar is unreliable but can never be ignored as he is capable of a strong finish.  True Words is also interesting as he has some pace and drops down to a trip he has won over before. 

In the sixth over 1600m Valetorio was far from disgraced behind the classy Ikigai last time in the Three Troikas and despite a six point merit rated raise he is still selected to win as the Ikigai form has proved strong wherever he ran. Seven Patriots stayed on well to win his maiden comfortably over this trip in his fourth start and off an 82 merit rating he sneaks into the handicap here with the minimum weight so could follow up. Marshall Foch and Norland are both in good form and will be in the shake up too. Mr Greenlight has talent but has become disappointing, so the blinkers on make him interesting, although he has a tricky draw. 

In the seventh over 1600m Hawthorn looked to have ability early in her career and has had excuses in her last two starts so is interesting off a lowered merit  rating stepping back in trip to her winning distance. Plum Field should be staying on and Magic Mila is interesting as she is still green so can go close first time out the maidens from pole position with Kennedy up despite having to carry 62kg. Tahitian Orana and Passion Peach are the other pair to consider.

Ideal Wolff has a fine chance in the last from a good draw under Gavin Lerena. He made a good debut over 1200m and will relish this step up in trip. However, Ideal Day is an improving sort who has to be respected.

By David Thiselton