Justin Snaith said the cancellation of the Sun Met gallops saved him from having to scratch his Met contender Oh Susanna, whom he said will instead arrive at the race “spot on”, as will all four of his other contenders, African Night Sky, Copper Force, Krambambuli and Elusive Silva.

Oh Susanna, a smart three-year-old daughter of Street Cry, romped home to a cosy 1,5 length victory in the Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes over 1800m last time out despite over-racing in the early stages. Before that she flew home for second in the Grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas after having to be dropped out from a wide draw. Snaith pointed out that when Street Cry fillies are good they are very good with the two best examples being the legends Zenyatta and Winks.

“There are no boundaries to them,” he said. “So with such a good pedigree, and as she is a young horse who is still raring to go, she has got to be respected carrying just 51,5kg.”

Snaith added, “But, she cannot afford to over-race in the Met”.

The Phillippi-based trainer began working on the over-racing issue immediately after the Paddock Stakes and said, “Fortunately playing polo has increased my knowledge of bits.”

A new bit has been part of the solution and he added, “I think the pace will be faster in the Met too, which will help.”

Oh Susanna’s set up with the bit is now similar to the one applied to Bela-Bela. Snaith also drew a comparison with Dancer’s Daughter, who many wrote off before the 2008 Vodacom Durban July as she had pulled hard when winning her previous outing in the Gold Challenge over 1600m at Clairwood. Dancer’s Daughter then settled beautifully in the July after the over-racing antic had been worked on in the build up.

Snaith was quoted after the Cape Fillies Guineas saying Oh Susanna tended to “take her races hard.” However, he is beginning to change his view on this one, particularly as he now knows just how classy she is.

He said, “The Paddock Stakes was her hardest race, make no mistake, so I have had to be quite careful. But horses with class can handle more and she is also maturing. I am testing all of her ability and am getting the feeling now she is the type of horse who can handle it. It is a big ask but the good news is that if they had gone ahead with the Met gallops we would have had to scratch her. She can’t do it all. Cancelling the gallops has helped a lot and given us the opportunity to run her.”

Winter Triple Crown hero African Night Sky did not have much luck in the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate, as he was caught one wide without cover the whole way. Snaith was upbeat about the four-year-old Dynasty gelding’s chances in the Met and said, “That was his second run after a rest in a fast run race and he finished only 2,9 lengths back. Over 2000m, in his third run after a rest, he will finish closer.”

He was also bullish about Copper Force’s chances. The four-year-old Royal Air Force gelding nearly caused a major shock in the Queen’s Plate when flying through for a 0,4 length second. Snaith said, “He was very unlucky as he came from last and couldn’t get a run in the straight, he had to be switched twice, and the winner also wouldn’t give up. Legal Eagle is a tough horse and showed incredible guts.”

There is a possible question mark about Copper Force enjoying 2000m, but Snaith said, “I don’t see why he shouldn’t get it. The best milers can win the Met.”

Snaith used Flaming Rock, trained by his father Chris, and Legal Eagle as examples, although both were twice runners-up without ever winning.

Krambambuli is rated a 50/1 shot by Betting World, but Snaith said on the performance of his last start in the Grade 2 Peninsula Handicap over 1800m, he “without doubt has a shout.” On paper that run does not look exceptional as the six-year-old Black Minnaloushe gelding was 5,25 lengths back in fifth. However, Snaith pointed out, “He carried 60kg so gave the whole field weight and he came from last, 20 lengths back, and cut through the field like a knife through butter. I thought it was the most impressive run of the day together with Oh Susanna’s run in the Paddock Stakes.”

Snaith’s five-year-old Silvano gelding Elusive Silva is also 50/1 with Betting World. His class was proven by his impressive wins in the Grade 3 Winter Derby in 2016 and the Listed Sledgehammer over 1800m last year, where he showed an exceptional turn of foot on both occasions. However, his career has been beset by injury. In his latest comeback he ran on well from well back in the running in the Peninsula and finished a 6,35 length ninth.

Snaith said, “That was a prep run and he has come on a lot for it. But I do worry about his capability in a weight for age event like this.”

He concluded by saying that Oh Susanna was one to watch out for, as being a three-year-old brought in an unknown factor, and he said there was not much between his four older horses.

He has been happy so far with all of their preparations and is also happy with the jockey arrangements; Oh Susanna (Grant van Niekerk); African Night Sky (Bernard Fayd’Herbe); Copper Force (Lyle Hewitson); Krambambuli (Brandon Lerena); Elusive Silva (Robert Khathi);

He regarded Legal Eagle and Marinaresco as the ones to beat and also mentioned Captain America, who ran a gallant race from the front in the Queen’s Plate. They are in fact the three highest merit rated horses too, so should be in front on paper under the new weight for age conditions.

By David Thiselton

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.”

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.

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