Met Day Trainer comments

Great Mr H

"Jy laat die koek vlop, ek laat die huis rys....jou meisie het n foto van my $%^## op haar space case"

Let me just say that this may be the most original (and creative) tune to come out of South Africa since I left



Loved it!!!

Ebony Flyer

Justin Snaith has two massive runners on J&B Met day at Kenilworth on Saturday, Agra and Ebony Flyer, while the L’Ormarins Queens Plate winner Gimmethegreenlight will also go into the main race with a big chance and there are other chances for the yard too including Derby hopeful Changingoftheguard.



Ebony Flyer was favourite for the Queen’s Plate, but ran a flat race and the yard have freshened her up since in preparation for the Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes, a weight for age event for fillies and mares over 1600m.



The massive daughter of Jet Master looked terrific yesterday (Monday) and jumping from the pens over 600m on the Philippi grass with Skip West, who is no slouch, she quickly put a few lengths between herself and the latter in effortless fashion.



Snaith said, “She’s doing better than she was for the Queen’s Plate and 5-2 is good value. Her breathing is a bit of a concern, but if she’s right they’ll battle to beat her.”



She certainly could not be faulted yesterday and Snaith made her his second best runner on Saturday’s card.



Snaith also runs Dance With Al in the Majorca and said, “She’s better suited to the mile these days, but it’s a very competitive race.”



Agra, who was the first runner and first winner of the exciting sire Trippi in this country, won her debut over 900m in impressive fashion despite being slow away.



Snaith is very confident of her chances in the Listed Schweppes Summer Juvenile Stakes and said, “She is my best bet on the card. She is flying at home.”



He added that The Terminator was also working well and "could be in the first three in this race."



Gimmethegreenlight, the magnificent looking Australian three-year-old colt by More Than Ready who is currently quoted at 7-1, was also looking in good shape.



Snaith said of his chances in the J&B Met over 2000m, “He is one of the horses to beat if he stays. He is doing very well and I think he has a chance of staying as the race should be run at an easier pace than the Queen’s Plate.”



Gimmethegreenlight produced a strong finish in the Queen’s Plate to catch Variety Club, who had looked all over the winner.



He has a fair draw of eight.



Snaith’s Run For It has drifted to 14-1 and he said, ”He’s doing exceptionally well. His last run can be ignored as he was forced to go to the front. He will be given a quiet ride this time and will be running on.”



Snaith’s other Met hopeful Emerald Cove has a hard task at the weights, but has been claimed into 20-1 from an opening of 40-1.



He said, “She had to be tranquilised after the Paddock Stakes (a fillies and mares Grade 1 over 1800m where she was defending her crown) as she had been cut into eight times. She has recovered and put up an exceptional gallop at the Met Gallops. She moved better than any other horse on the day and her run to Tales Of Bravery in her penultimate start must make her a runner.”



Snaith made Igugu the one to beat if she runs and added, “The older horses haven’t been that impressive. Bravura was caught three wide in the Queen’s Plate and is the one to beat of the older horses. The Apache is a very good horse, but was beaten a couple of times in Johannesburg, which is not ideal.”



Justin’s father Chris reckoned Tales Of Bravery would be a big runner at the weights.



Snaith’s Go Deputy colt Changingoftheguard has always had the Investec Cape Derby as his mission.



He said, “It’s a competitive race, but the further the better for him so he’ll enjoy the step up in trip. He was shin sore so I couldn’t gallop him before the Politician Stakes, so he needed that race. We’ve galloped him now and he’s a lot fitter, but Jackson is going to be hard to beat.”



Jackson with his groom, Sam, looking relaxed but alert after rolling subsequent to an impressive gallop at Philippi on Monday.



Snaith has two runners in the first race, a MR88 Handicap over 1400m, and said, “Boundless Blue might need it, but his work is good and he may be a value bet. President Of Pop might be outgunned in this sort of field, but is drawn well and has Felix up so has an each-way chance.”



In race two, a fillies and mares MR88 Handicap, he has four runners and said, “Skip West had feet problems which we’ve sorted out, so she should now keep on improving (she’s won two of her last three).Ocean’s Swift won a very good race last time and is working well. It’s between her and Skip West. Naughty Girl is too inconsistent, but we’ve worked on her back muscle problem and Anthony Delpech has a great strike rate for me. Christina ran a good race last time and with the 4kg claimer up could be in the money.”



In race four, a MR103 Handicap over 1600m, Snaith runs Soweto Slew and said, “It’s a very hard race and he’s not well in at the weights. It won’t be easy, but I’m hoping for a good run.”



Snaith runs two in the eighth, a MR96 Handicap over 1200m, and said, “Cap Alright is doing well and is in good form. Great Fox has been doing very good work at home and has a nice weight, so could be a dark horse. Divine Jet will be hard to beat.”



He also has two in the ninth, a fillies and mares MR84 Handicap over 2000m, and said, “Roczinta has had a great gallop into the race and is nicely weighted. Audrey Rose is very consistent and will run a good race.”



Snaith runs Mystic Moon in the Grade 2 J&B Reserve Stayers over 2800m and said, “Piere Strydom might have to catch a plane, so might not ride him. This was the only race we could find for him with his high merit rating, but he looks to be wanting ground and will be a big runner if he does stay as he’s well weighted.”

Jackson, who is a narrow second favourite for the Investec Cape Derby over 2000m on J&B Met day at Kenilworth on Saturday, put up an awesome gallop over 800m on the light sand at Philippi yesterday (Monday) under the watchful eye of Brett Crawford, who is in the middle of a rich vein of feature race form.



Jackson has an enormous stride and was a length clear of the 1800m Grade 2 Peninsula Handicap winner Polar Bound as he stretched past under big race jockey Karis Teetan.



Crawford said about the impressive Dynasty colt, who was a comfortable winner of the Listed Politician Stakes over 1800m in his last start, “He’s very good. This is a step up and his first time against big horses, but he’s done nothing wrong and will go the trip.”



Crawford added that for a colt Jackson had a “wonderful temperament.”



He also had a word of caution, “If the handicapper is right and Variety Club stays the trip, none of us have a chance.”



However, Jackson looks to be a horse who is better than his 102 merit rating and with one or two question marks over Variety Club’s stamina, he appears to be the choice of the most astute pundits.



He is drawn very well in three, although Variety Club also has a good draw of five.

Crawford also contests the Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m with the Silvano four-year-old filly Frequent Flyer.



He said, “She’s very consistent, so what you see it what you get with her. We’ve put her in to try and get some black type and if we get more than that we will be over the moon.”



Polar Bound, a four-year-old Western Winter gelding who has won his last three starts, contests the fourth, a MR 103 Handicap over 1600m and Crawford said, “He has always been a nice horse, he just needed time to strengthen. We’ve also taught him how to race as he used to pull a lot. I think he is still progressive, although this will be a test for him with his merit rating having been raised to 100 (from 96).”



Crawford’s final runner on the day is Meringue, a four-year-old Camden Park filly, who contests the ninth, a MR84 Handicap over 2000m.



He said, “She has a lot of aches and pains, but she is doing well at the moment and ran a good race last time, so hopefully she can keep her form.



The Crawford and Teetan combination have scored four wins and a second in the last five feature races they have contested at Kenilworth and Jackson has every chance of giving the yard their second Grade 1 winner of the Cape Sizzling Summer Season.

Stephen Page runs the five-year-old Fort Wood gelding Cask in the J&B Met on Saturday over 2000m at Kenilworth and also has two horses involved in the Grade 2 J&B Reserve Stayers over 2800m, Two Strikes and Saluki.



Cask won the Grade 2 Premier Trophy over 1800m at this course last season and finished second in that same race this season.



However, he has always been just behind the best at the highest level.



Page confirmed, “If he comes there with his best game and the others don’t have their best game, he has a chance of a place. I think he’s as good as the likes of Super Storm, so we will take our chances.”



Page added, “Igugu will always be the one to beat no matter what. I also like Gimmethegreenlight. I was very impressed with him in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.”



Page is more bullish about his J&B Reserve Stayer’s chances.



“Two Strikes went to the front in a race where there was no pace on last time (in the Grade 3 Cape Summer Stayers Handicap over 2500m). It is very difficult to lead like that and still win and he went close to doing it so I thought that was a great run.”



Two Strikes doesn’t look too well weighted as he carries joint top weight of 60kg and is 1,5kg worse off with Blake despite being beaten 1,05 lengths by him in the Cape Summer Stayers.



However, he was officially even worse weighted in the Reserve Stayers last year, when also carrying joint top weight, and yet finished a narrow 0,5 length second to the top staying mare Sangria Girl.



He can’t be written off particularly as Richard Fourie knows him well.



He said of Saluki, who is capable of a strong finish from behind, “He ran a good race last time (3,85 length 6th in the Grade 2 Peninsula Handicap over 1800m), because when there was no pace on he went ahead to try and set it for Cask, so that was a good run.”



Saluki failed in his only attempt at a real staying trip in the Canon Gold Cup over 3200m, but ran on well to win a Grade 3 over 2200m at Greyville from a wide draw in 2010.



He is out of a Fort Wood mare too, so there is some hope that he will run on over this 2800m trip, but he is not well weighted.



Wild Shot, Page’s contender in the eighth, a MR96 Handicap over 1200m, has obvious talent, but has returned coughing in his last two starts, so it is difficult to predict how he will do.



Page said of Strike Hands, a four-year-old Strike Smartly gelding who runs in the first, a MR88 Handicap over 1400m, “He ran wide in a slow run race last time. He is well in himself and like all my runners I am hoping for a good run.”

Stan Elley has only one runner on J&B Met day on Saturday at Kenilworth, Punta Arenas in the Grade 1 Investec Derby over 2000m, and he and some of his Philippi colleagues shared their hopes for the day.



Elley’s three-year-old Silvano gelding finished a 5,1 length sixth to Jackson last time in the Listed Politician Stakes over 1800 and must now face that one on 1,5kg worse terms.



Elley said, “He is doing well and has a better draw this time. It’s going to be tough with his merit rating, but he is a horse with scope for improvement and I’m hoping for a place.”



Riaan van Reenen has two runners in the Grade 2 J&B Reserve Stayers over 2800m, Sun City and Posh Boy, and said, “They are a bit old and are not really this class, but any horse can win these long distance races, you just have to be in the right place at the right time, so they’ve just got to get lucky.”



Carl Burger has two runners in the second, a fillies and mares MR88 Handicap, and said, “They are both well and have been prepared for Met day. Madame Rooney always goes to the front, so I’ve put her in a sprint for the first time. Dark Journey is out of a Rakeen mare, but we’ve tried her over further and she just doesn’t stay. She’s run against some good horses in her time and needed her last run.”



Burger has three runners in the third, the Listed Schweppes Summer Juvenile Stakes over 1000m, in which he admitted they all had to beat "the Snaith bomb Agra.”



He said, “Stormy Ridge ran a good race last time for just his second start. I’d be more confident over 1200m with Western Move. Gooi Mieilies … he can run.”

Joey Ramsden has proved himself one of the most astute big race conditioners in the country over the years and his J&B Met pair, Bravura and Lion In Winter, and his Investec Cape Derby hopeful Variety Club have duly enjoyed excellent preparations into Saturday’s big day.



He said his chief Met hope Bravura was “doing great for the Met”, but added that the race conditions that lump him with a 2kg Grade 1 penalty for a race that he won two years ago is “ludicrous and grossly unfair”.



Bravura was caught three wide for the entire trip in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate over 1600m, but was still staying on gamely for a 1,8 length fourth and faces the three-year-old winner Gimmethegreenlight on weight for age terms again, meaning he gives him 6kg over this trip as opposed to 5kg over 1600m.



Bravura’s biggest moment came at this same meeting two years ago over the course and distance of the Met when he won the Cape Derby.



He jumped from a wide draw that day with Anton Marcus up and will be relying on the Champion Jockey to help him overcome another tricky draw on Saturday in the brilliant fashion that he did back then.



Bravura was considered a big runner for last season’s Vodacom Durban July, but scoped full of mucus after the race, explaining his disappointing seventh place.



This could be his ideal trip and his best chance to make amends for that run since then.



Lion In Winter has also enjoyed a good preparation and could earn if he repeats last year’s excellent fifth place.



He has consistently been unable to quite match the best at this level, but is very well drawn this year.



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Ramsden said that Variety Club had enjoyed a better preparation going into the Investec Cape Derby than he had when a narrow runner up in the Queen’s Plate.



“This time we have not had to sort out any niggles he had with the start, so he has enjoyed a much more focused preparation and is looking a million dollars. There has to be a question mark over the trip and a lot could depend on how he’s ridden, but it also must be remembered that he won as a juvenile (the Langerman over 1500m in slightly soft going) when coming from off the pace.”



Variety Club had to be used up early in the Queen’s Plate to overcome his wide draw and only just failed to hold on in a strong run race, so has a chance of seeing out another 400m.



He does tend to bounce out very quickly and has plenty of early speed, so his chances could also depend on whether this early energy can be contained over this extra distance.



There is every chance that it can be as he appears the type that can be switched on and off at will, as is the case with most great horses.



However, he will face a horse in Jackson whose pedigree and style of running look perfectly suited to the 2000m trip, while the likes of Potala Palace will also relish the trip, so it will be a truly classic contest.



Ramsden also has Silver Haven in the Derby, who looks to be wanting this trip, and Ramsden said, “He was close to Mushreq over 1800m in the Politician Stakes at level weights. It won’t be easy to reverse form with Jackson despite the weight turnaround (3kg better off for a 5,4 length beating), but last year Il Saggiatore also finished fifth in the Politician Stakes and then ran a short-head second in the Derby.”



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Ramsden runs the consistent three-year-old Trinity House in the Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m for fillies and mares and appeared confident that she would stay a true run mile, which it is likely to be with the presence of the strong Mike de Kock-trained front-runner Gibraltar Blue



Trinity House’s only attempt at a mile was when staying on gamely for a 1,25 length second to the brilliant Princess Victoria in the slow run Cape Fillies Guineas.



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Ramsden has a trio of runners in the Grade 2 J&B Reserve Stayers over 2800m and his preference is for the four-year-old Casey Tibbs gelding Orchard House.



“Orchard House has done incredibly well, is looking a million dollars and is a lively runner. There’s a question whether he stays the trip, but there is no reason why he shouldn’t.”



Of the rest of his runners on the day Ramsden makes Ce Loire his best.



This ultra consistent four-year-old Dupont filly tries 2000m for the first time in the ninth race, a fillies and mares MR84 handicap.

Tales Of Bravery is viewed by the pundits as the most likely horse to upset the favourite Igugu in the J&B Met over 2000m at Kenilworth on Saturday and trainer Vaughan Marshall said the consistent bay would be “spot on” for the big day.



Tales Of Bravery, a five-year-old Kahal gelding, ran a 2,75 length fourth to Past Master in the race last year from the identical draw of 15.



However, his regular jockey MJ Byleveld, who was off injured for last year’s race, said, “He is a much better horse than he was last year. His prep has gone so well too.”



Furthermore Tales Of Bravery will go into the race without a Grade 1 penalty and is consequently the joint second best in at the weights on official merit rated terms together with Gimmethegreenlight (Igugu is the best in).



The draw doesn’t worry Byleveld as he said the horse was a type that relaxed well in the running.



“I am able to put him wherever I want to,” he said.



Tales Of Bravery was the fastest finisher in the L’Ormarins Queens Plate over 1600m and was only 1,4 lengths behind Gimmethegreenlight at the line.



That was on weight for age terms and he now faces the latter on 2kg better than weight for age terms, while he is also 2kg better off with the fancied Bravura, whom he beat by 0,4 lengths in the Queen’s Plate.



Byleveld said, “I followed Gimmethegreenlight in the Queen’s Plate and he just quickened a bit better than we did.”



He added, “Tales Of Bravery will prefer this trip to the 1600m.”

Mike Bass has one contender for the J&B Met over 2000m at Kenilworth on Saturday, Super Storm, but looks unlikely to add another winner to his prolific record in this race, although the yard do have chances in other races on the day.



Bass has won four of the last five running’s of the big race courtesy of the great three-time Met winner Pocket Power and his full sister River Jetez, while he also ran one-two in 2001 with Bunter Barlow and Trademark.



Super Storm, a five-year-old Rakeen gelding, finished a 3,25 length third to Chesalon in the Premier Trophy on the same terms as the Met and then stayed on well for a 2,85 length fifth in the Peninsula Handicap.



The Peninsula is also a race that does not produce Met winners and he is also widely drawn.



He will be distance suited and if he runs a blinder like he did in the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m at Greyville when a 1,25 length third to The Apache on similar terms as here, he could place.



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Bass’s four-year-old Western Winter filly Covenant will defend her Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes crown over 1600m.



Bass said, “She doesn’t stay a true mile and everything went right for her in the race last year which enabled her to get it.”



This year Covenant is drawn eight as opposed to pole position last year, so will have her work cut out, but she is in fine form and can’t be discounted at her favourite track at what appears to be her favourite time of the year.



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The yard also have Politician Stakes runner up Solar Captain in the Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby over 2000m, but were not too bullish about his chances of winning considering he now faces Jackson on 3kg worse terms for a 2,25 length beating.



Bass’ most bullish comments were about his pair in the first, Cherbourg and Jet Into The Wind, as well as Brown Penny in the fourth and Jet Lady in the ninth.



He said, “I think Jet Into The Wind will start favourite and Cherbourg will win. Cherbourg found himself a bit out of his ground last time.”



Cherbourg goes into Saturday’s race over the same 1400m trip as last time with a nice light weight and a fair draw, while Jet Into The Wind is drawn in pole over the course and distance of his last win, but on the downside he is now six points higher in the merit ratings.



The yard said about Brown Penny, who is one of five Bass runners in the fourth, a MR 103 Handicap over 1600m, “The slow pace followed by a sprint for home didn’t suit him in the Peninsula (2,35 length fourth to Polar Bound) and he has a nice weight here and is drawn in pole. He’s a big runner."



Brown Penny’s last win came over 1600m on Vodacom Durban July day at Greyville from a good draw.



Jet Lady runs in the ninth, a fillies and mare MR84 Handicap over 2000m and the yard said, “She is better than her form suggests. She is looking for the trip and was a bit unlucky last time as she was squeezed. At the weights she has a good each/way chance.”



Bass also felt that his pair Monsieur Dupont and Kambrook, who run in the eighth, a MR 96 Handicap over 1200m, would “definitely be thereabouts.”



He regarded Thanks John and Komatipoort as having the best chances of his five runners in the Grade 2 J&B Reserve Stayers over 2800m.

Gavin van Zyl was very happy with The Apache as the big race he contests, the J&B Met over 2000m at Kenilworth on Saturday, begins to loom large.



Van Zyl said he was very happy with the way the four-year-old Mogok colt had travelled down from Turffontein to Kenilworth and was equally happy with his preparation.



The Apache was the Equus three-year-old Champion of last season having won the Grade 2 Dingaans over 1600m, the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m.



He became known not only for his outstanding conformation, but also for his devastating turn of foot that he always used to telling affect.



He was therefore a bit disappointing when only a 2,5 length fourth in the Summer Cup over 2000m and when losing narrowly to Smanjemanje in his last start, the Grade 3 London News over 1800m at Turffontein.



The blinkers have now been applied and van Zyl said, “Raymond Danielson told me that The Apache had been losing concentration at the top of the straight in his last three starts and he just has not had the same feeling of sharpness at that stage of the race that he had in the past. So we worked him with blinkers in a gallop at Turffontein on Saturday and he showed improvement. We will run him the same way as usual, sitting in midfield, and if he improves two lengths on his recent form he should be right there.”



The Apache has a hard task at the weights with the likes of Igugu and Bravura on the form of last season's Vodacom Durban July over 2200m, but he was unlucky in that race and was finishing like a train.

Tyrone Zackey said that he will know how well his Highveld raider Smanjemanje had travelled for his engagement in the J&B Met over 2000m at Kenilworth on Saturday after the five-year-old Kahal gelding had had a pipe opener at Kenilworth today (Thursday).



Smanjemanje is staying in the holding boxes at Kenilworth racecourse.



Zackey said, “He looks fine and didn’t wait to put his head in the manger. We took him for a walk for about an hour and he does look a bit tucked in, but I think that is normal after a 20 hour journey.”



Smanjemanje first showed improvement when a cornel collar solved a breathing problem caused by a soft palate.



However, he showed even bigger improvement with recent gelding and has consequently won the Grade 2 Victory Moon Stakes as well as the Grade 3 London News Stakes this season, both over the tough Turffontein 1800m course.



Zackey said, “You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to see that the weights favour Igugu. But we haven’t only come to challenge one horse. It’s a very hard race for any trainer to win. He’s improved tremendously with gelding and has been ahead of or alongside some of the other contenders. He’s run well over the tough Turffontein 2000m (2,75 length fifth in the Summer Cup), so the Kenilworth 2000m shouldn’t be a problem. I don’t think he will be disgraced as long as he’s travelled well and I think he has a shout of earning a small cheque.”

Mike Azzie was happy with the way Potala Palace had travelled down to Cape Town for his big engagement in the Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby on J&B Met day at Kenilworth on Saturday, while Dean Kannemeyer and last year’s Met winning trainer Darryl Hodgson also commented on the chances of their runners on the day.



Azzie said, “He travelled well and we took him for a nice walk. I’m very happy with him.”



Potala Palace, who won the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville as a two-year-old last season, is highly rated by Azzie, who warned after his first and only win in three runs this season that he would get better the further he went.



Azzie was unhappy with the ride he was given in the Grade 2 Dingaans over 1600m when he was taken to the front after a sluggish start from a wide draw.



The Singspiel three-year-old colt was duly held up last time in a MR 94 handicap over 1600m and stayed on well for a creditable three length third considering the trip was too sharp for him and he was meeting some useful older horses off a merit rating of 105.



Azzie said, “That was a nice comeback run and he has come through the run perfectly.”

Potala Palace will stay under vector protection at the Kenilworth Quarantine Station and Azzie said, “It’s not ideal, but you have to take what is thrown at you.”



Dean Kannemeyer runs one of the country’s most exciting three-year-olds, Divine Jet, in the eighth on Saturday, a MR 96 Handicap over 1200m.



Divine Jet is merit rated 101 and Kannemeyer said, “It won’t be easy for a young three-year-old, but he is very good. In the Guineas he moved up well in the straight before going up and down in the last furlong, so there was a question mark whether he stayed. But we were always on the back from that draw. I’m still convinced he will get a mile as he matures. He’s a very smart horse and I think he’s a sprint-miler.”

Kannemeyer runs Alula Borealis, a three-year-old Go Deputy gelding, in the Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby.



Kannemeyer said, “He is doing very well. His last run was a very good run for a three-year-old (1,25 length second to Thanks John over 1800m off a 98 merit rating). He over raced with blinkers on then so I’ve taken them off. He doesn’t have a good draw, but if he puts his best foot forward he could be in the shake up. Jackson is the horse to beat.”



In the J&B reserve Stayers over 2800m he runs Blake and In Writing and lamented the bad draws he has been getting in the features all season as they have drawn 16 and eleven respectively.



He said, “Blake has been a model of consistency but has a very difficult draw. The most important part of this race is the first 400m and it’s not easy from a wide draw going into that sharp bend. But he is very well. In Writing has had to run three times with top weight over this distance but now there are only 2kg from top to bottom. His draw is not good, but he’s not out of it.”



Hodgson runs the useful four-year-old Kahal gelding Uncle Tommy in the eighth and said, “He seems to prefer the sting to be out of the ground a bit. It’s a very competitive race.”



Rain Gal, a four-year-old Australian-bred Galileo filly, is in hard knocking form from 1200-1600m and runs in the second, a MR 88 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m.



Hodgson said, “She is doing very well, but wants further.”



Power Dive runs in the first, a MR 88 Handicap over 1400m, and he said, “I’ve been keeping him up the straight to get him stronger. He is now ready for the turn and is looking for this trip.”



The three-year-old Kabool gelding has some good recent form, so has a chance but does face quite a wide draw of nine.