The CTS 1200 and CTS 1600, to be run at the Sun Met meeting on Saturday, are the two richest races in South Africa with stakes of US$500,000 apiece and this year there are stand out competitors in both events.

Cirillo looks to be the meeting banker in the CTS 1200. Van Halen beat him easily in the Grade 1 Allan Robertson over this trip at Scottsville last year but that was only after he had completely taken him out when they went for the same gap. Cirillo has since only run in one sprint, romping home in his maiden over 1160m. However, he showed a lot of pace when winning the R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m. Meanwhile, Van Halen has not had a good time of it in Cape Town, although with first time blinkers on last time he did run an improved race in the Needforspeedsprint over 1000m where he had to give weight to the field. If bouncing back to his best he could be the chief danger.

Some regarded CTS 1600 favourite One World’s third place finish in the Cape Guineas, his first defeat in his sixth start, as a below par run. However, the winner Soqrat came out and only just failed in an ultra strong L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate. The runner up Twist Of Fate then showed just what a big engine he has when not settling too well but still winning the Grade 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m going away despite giving lumps of weight away. His half-a-length beating of One World in the Cape Guineas was likely no fluke and he could repeat the dose.

However, Bernard Fayd’Herbe will not be aboard this time, although he has been replaced by a champion jockey in S’Manga Khumalo. A dark horse in this race is Mr Greenlight, who has a fine turn of foot and is improving rapidly. Silvano’s Pride, who finished runner up in the Cape Fillies Guineas, will ensure a good pace and as an ever improving daughter of Silvano could hold on for a place. Majestic Mozart is an immature sort who is also improving all the time and having not been disgraced in the Cape Guineas, where he was beaten 4,25 lengths into fifth, he could also earn.

By David Thiselton

The female of the species has won four of the last nine runnings of the Sun Met- incredible when you consider how few of them run – and there is a growing feeling behind the brick walls of Snaith Racing that last year’s winner Oh Susanna is in with a real chance of a repeat.

Last Saturday’s blowing-the-house-down gallop might not have moved the bookmakers all that much – Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount has shortened little more than a point to 13-2 and 7-1 – but it has hardened the conviction of her trainer that the Horse of the Year will really put it up to hot favourite and stable companion Do It Again.

“If he wants to win the Met he is going to have to beat Oh Susanna. That’s the way I feel,” says Justin Snaith. “Since her win last year this is the best I have had her. In fact I don’t think I had her as well for last year’s Met as she is now.

“But, that said, it is always hard to beat Do It Again. He has done more than the other horses – he has won the July and the Queen’s Plate – and so you have got to give him the benefit of any doubt about his being the better. Certainly he deserves to be favourite.”

Snaith has booked former champion S’Manga Khumalo for 16-1 shot Made To Conquer, second in both the July and last month’s Premier Trophy. “He would have run in the New Turf Carriers Stayers but for putting up an incredible gallop. We put blinkers on, he was a different horse and it was one of our top three gallops of the season. He will wear them again on Saturday and he always runs consistently well.”

The fourth runner from the all-powerful Philippi yard is Piere Strydom’s mount Doublemint (22-1) who won the Peninsula Handicap on Queen’s Plate day. But the colt’s trainer has mixed feelings about the horse’s presence in the line-up. “He is a lot better than his rating suggests and he has accomplished more too, winning the Winter Derby as well as the Peninsula. I thought he would be my July horse but that may have to go out of the window if he runs a big race on Saturday. Like the other three, he is primed and ready.” Seemingly one of them will be on standby to make it a good gallop if none of the expected front-runners takes it up. “It is going to be a tough race,” acknowledges the champion trainer. “But we also want it to be a strong-run race and I am going to ensure that it is.”

By Michael Clower

Justin Snaith said his huge string for Sun Met day had their races carefully chosen and suitable jockeys had been handpicked.

He has four runners in the Met, Do It Again, Oh Susanna, Made To Conquer and Doublemint and said they were all so well he would have liked the race to have been tomorrow.

In the eyes of many the defending champion Oh Susanna had tended to race a bit strongly in her last three races, including when winning from the front in the Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes.

However, Snaith disagreed.

He said, “She didn’t over race at all last time, that was the plan. We raced her in ear muffs and that seemed to help. This is the best I have had her for a year.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe will ride her for the first time since her maiden win in April 2017.

Snaith said, “Bernard has a good record on our fillies. He has had Group 1 wins for us on the like of Ebony Flyer, Snowdance and Dancer’s Daughter.” Fayd’Herbe has won the Met three times, twice on Pocket Power and on Futura.

L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate winner Do It Again is a worthy favourite as he is just getting better and better in the same way his sire Twice Over did as a racehorse. He will appreciate this step up in trip and will attempt to give Richard Fourie his first Met win.

Made To Conquer has a tough task at the weights with Do It Again on Vodacom Durban July form and with Head Honcho on Premier Trophy form. However, he is an impressive galloper and in a late declaration the blinkers have been fitted. He is one of the dark horses from draw four with S’manga Khumalo up.

The Peninsula winner Doublemint is also by Twice Over so will be improving, but he has a tough task at the weights.

In the Grade 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship Snaith regards Kasimir as one of the yards better runners on the day as he has come on from his last run. This gelding has a big action and prefers 1200m but will enjoy the tough 1000m if they go fast enough and there does look to be a lot of pace in the race.

Defending champion Sergeant Hardy was disappointing last time but will strip much fitter. His high draw is against him due to his habit of jumping to the left. Snaith is going to leave it to the jockey and added, “Mark Khan is the right jockey, he has been lucky for us.”

He was hoping Sir Frenchie could produce his usual strong finish and run into the places.

Snaith said he had defending champion Snowdance as well as she was last year for the Grade 1 Bidvest Majorca and believed it would take “a top, top filly to beat her.” He was impressed by Snowdance’s run in the Queen’s Plate under the circumstances in which she had chased a strong pace “flat out” throughout and was still alongside some top class males 200m out. She was only beaten 5,1 lengths and will now have a jockey who knows her well, Richard Fourie, back aboard, albeit from a tough draw. Snaith said he did not want to take anything away from the Cape Fillies Guineas winner Front And Centre, but believed it had not been a strong renewal of that race, whereas Snowdance and Lady In Black were both proven at the highest level.

His other Majorca runner Miyabi Gold will be fitted with a cross noseband to help her breathe.

In The Grade 1 Cape Derby he has three runners. He said Bunker Hunt was a thick-skinned horse who would not be affected by the incident in the Politician Stakes where he dislodged Fourie. This horse has the X-factor and he believed he would be at his best over this trip. Belgarion is still immature but has plenty of scope and is improving all the time, so he believes he will beat those who finished around him in the Politician Stakes, where he ran on well for third. Knights Templar has ability but is still immature and Snaith said he had to learn to race at this level.

He runs Cape Fillies Guineas runner up Silvano’s Pride in the CTS 1600. She is a strong horse to hold, so only knows one way of running, to go flat out. She will be ridden accordingly and Snaith hoped she could hold on for a place. He added she was always improving.

Snaith regarded Cirillo as hard to beat in the CTS 1200 and said it was wide open beyond him. Of his four he said Seven Seas “on prepping form and current form” would be his pick as the other three were all backward types.

Snaith believed he had a particularly strong hand in the Grade 2 New Turf Carriers Stayers over 2800m. Strathdon will be a huge runner at the weights and Snaith said he had prepped well so would be hard to beat. However, he reckoned Magnificent Seven would be the horse to beat if he stayed the trip. Elusive Silva had a problem with his feet which had been sorted out and he would definitely enjoy the trip. He said Ovidio would likely need the run.

Snaith concluded by saying all of his other runners on the day would be competitive.

By David Thiselton

The Betting World Cape Flying Championship over 1000m is the first Grade 1 on Saturday’s Sun Met card and looks set to be fought out by Bold Respect and Kasimir.

The draw always plays a part in this race.

The high draws went through a phase of being favourable, but recently the inside draws appears to the most sort after. 

However, in Saturday’s race there is a lot of speed among the high drawn horses which should balance things out.  

Bold Respect will be out to prove a point as many believed he should have been made Equus Champion Sprinter for last season. He could only manage a three length sixth in last year’s race, but he had a crack at the Cape Guineas and then had to come down in trip so did not have an ideal preparation. This time he has had two good runs over 1200m and 1000m and caught the eye last time over this course and distance when staying on strongly without being hard ridden. He showed in his Grade 1 win last season in the Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville over 1200m that he has plenty of early pace. He was handy throughout that day and kicked on. He is reliable and should go close.

Kasimir was second to Pacific Trader over 1000m last time in the same race Bold Respect ran in. He has speed and a lovely big action and was not being at all hard ridden in that race. He will have come on from the run and is a worthy favourite, although Bold respect is in a slightly better position to get a tow from one of the speedsters. 

Pacific Trader has a lot of pace but he was more forward in his preparation when beating Kasimir and Bold respect last time and was also receiving 1,5kg so it would be no surprise to see them reversing form. 

Dutch Phillip was one of the best sprinters around as a three-year-old and has enjoyed a good preparation so will be looking to recapture his best. His ideal trip is 1200m but he is effective over this trip.

Attenborough is a top class sprinter on is day. He won the Computaform Sprint and produced a devastating finish from way off the pace in the Mercury Sprint. He was fifth last year in this race from a high draw in an event where the inside draws came out on top so he has a shout here from a middle draw having enjoyed a good preparation.

Rebel’s Champ is the most improved sprinter in the land and can produce a strong finish over this ideal trip. However, he does prefer a little bit of sting out of the ground. 

Speedpoint finished third in the Computaform Sprint and beat Pacific Trader over 1100m in his penultimate start, but was well beaten by the latter last time out when slowly away. He has enjoyed a good preparation and is good enough to place. 

Trip To Heaven was top class on his day and at his best has a devastating finish. He is getting on a bit but is losing ground at the start again, which strangely seems to be the prompt to running his best races.  

Sir Frenchie will find this too sharp but he is capable of a devastating finish and has a lot of speed around him so it could pan out well.

Pleasedtomeetyou was impressive last time in the Need For Speed Sprint over course and distance. However, he will have to improve some more to win here, although he could hold on for a place.  

Sergeant Hardy has a hard task of defending his crown as he has landed a high draw and famously jumps to his left so looks likely to lose some ground at the start again, unless he takes out the horse inside of him, Princess Rebel. 

Princess Rebel won the Southern Cross Stakes over course and distance easily in December. However, the form of that race has not worked out well here and she is up against it.

Sand And Sea made a good return from a wind operation in November but was then off for a bit as he injured himself in the float on the way home. He should improve on his last run when handy and going out the back door over this course and distance, but his interrupted preparation is against him.

Search Party is a couple of lengths off the best of them but is capable of being up with the pace and kicking on so could earn.  

Quinlan has been racing in PE and will need to raise his game to feature here. 

Rocky Valley finished fifth in the Computaform Sprint over this trip but his form since then suggests he is limited.

Bold Respect is the selection to win from Kasimir, Attenborough, Pacific Trader and Sir Frenchie. 

By David Thiselton

The Glen Kotzen-trained Eyes Wide Open can be considered the most overlooked horse in the Sun Met field as he is “cherry ripe” for the first time since winning last year’s Cape Derby in which he beat ruling Met favourite Do It Again.

Do It Again is admittedly a different horse now and is following in the footsteps of his sire Twice Over, who only came into his own in his four-year-old year.

However, Eyes Wide Open’s price of 33/1 looked too long and he is duly starting to be backed in.

The Dynasty colt was given a break after the Derby and only came back on Vodacom Durban July day, where he raced in the Thukela over 1600m. He needed that run and then ran a good third in the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m behind Captain America and Undercover Agent. The latter only beat him by a short-head but opened at half the odds in the Met.

Eyes Wide Open has had three runs this season and needed the first two and then had no luck at all last time out in the Grade 2 Peninsula over 1800m where he was caught wide throughout.

Kotzen said, “Ït was a disappointing run but Gavin Lerena got off and said it wasn’t his best ride, apologised and then said let’s make amends in the Met. The more I analyse that race the more I think it was not a bad run. He was not only caught wide but he was also giving the winner 6kg. Gavin is a great jockey and I’m not too worried about the wide draw on Saturday as it will allow him to stay out of trouble. We were on the back foot after having to keep him in quarantine for a while on the way back from Durban. He is a burly horse who needs his races to get going and he is now cherry ripe. The only time he bumped the favourite he beat him. He is a big, big runner.”

Eyes Wide Open jumps from draw nine in the 13 horse field.

Kotzen has been preparing three horses for the Grade 1 G-Bets Cape Derby, Herodotus, Seattle Force and his brother Nathan’s charge Perpetual Flame.

In the Grade 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m they were beaten 2,70, 8,30 and 8,90 lengths respectively, despite all receiving 5,5kg from the winner Twist Of Fate.

However, Kotzen said, “Twist Of Fate’s jockey eased it up and held up three-quarters of the field and it turned into a sprint for home. Herodotus had to wait and wait and I am excited about him as he stayed on well under the circumstances. Perpetual Flame’s gallop going into that race was top class but he needs a strong gallop and couldn’t turn it on in a race which turned into a sprint. Seattle Force needed that start and has come on a lot. It is competitive. It is wide open and all three of ours have excuses for their last runs.”

Kotzen admitted Herodotus was the stable elect. The grey was doing his best work late in the Politician and Keagan de Melo stays aboard. Perpetual Flame is on the small side but has a big action and Lerena rides from a good draw of seven. Craig Zackey stays aboard Seattle Force from a good draw of five.

Kotzen runs the Grade 3 Debutante winner Temple Grafin in the US$500,000 CTS 1200.

He said, “She is one of the best weighted horses. We tried to go the Guineas route but she drew wide and compounded. She has always had natural speed and put up a phenomenal gallop under Anthony Andrews who said it was a winning gallop. We respect Cirillo but Temple Grafin will be a huge runner.”

Temple Grafin will be ridden by Piere Strydom from draw eight.

Kotzen mentioned his pair Cat Daddy and Saint West as smart sorts who will be in with a good chance in the eleventh race, a Maiden over 1600m.

He said his other runners on the day would be competitive.

By David Thiselton