It takes a special three-year-old to win the Grade 1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met. To beat most of the best older horses in the country three months through your sophomore season is no easy feat. History backs this claim up. Eight On Eighteen did it at the end of January and now he faces what should be an easier task against his own age in the Splashout Cape Derby over the same 2000m distance at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
He is the only horse to bring anything close to Grade 1 form into the race. That is not to say that his other rivals will not reach that level. A year ago Green With Envy looked a shoo-in for this race. He delivered while not much was known about the horses behind him. Oriental Charm ran third and he followed up to win Africa’s Greatest Horserace. But the here and now feels highly unlikely for Eight On Eighteen to be beaten.
He truly showed his mettle when he finished second behind the formidable, overseas-bound One Stripe in the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas over 1600m at this course in December. One Stripe won the purest mile Weight For Age race in the country, the L’Ormarins Kings Plate thereafter so the form was boosted. Eight On Eighteen was a late decision for the Met but one that paid off handsomely as he scythed his way through the crowd of horses to win in style from Oriental Charm.
There will be less traffic for him to clear and the promise of pace is hinted with his trainer, Justin Snaith saddling five of the seven runners in the race. Richard Fourie is inevitably back aboard.
Garrix could be that horse bubbling under to kick on and do good things in his career. He was given no chance last time in the City Of Cape Town Politician Stakes over 1800m. From a bad draw, he took his chances around runners down the back straight to get rolling. He somehow stuck around to finish 2,75 lengths behind Zeitz who he faces again. Garrix does have stamina queries though. He will need to prove he can see out the extra 200m.
Zeitz proved his trajectory when winning the Grade 3 Politician Stakes last time. He could be a horse to do damage during the KwaZulu-Natal Champions Season which begins in May. For now, it is hard to see him beating Eight On Eighteen off level weights. Trainer Andre Nel does have a habit of getting his horses to turnover big names. Chansonette defeating Desert Miracle in the Grade 1 World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas in 2021 is a case in point.
It must be noted that Eight On Eighteen has kept the integrity of this race being a Grade 1 in tact.
The rest of the card is high quality. Despite only one Grade 1 carded, the Grade 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes, race 8 over 1200m has attracted a strong field which includes Gimme A Prince who won the HKJC World Pools Cape Flying Championship over 1000m in the style of a superstar. That victory gave him his third career Grade 1 win.
He runs in the silks of the sponsors of this race. He is having a wonderful season, running third in the Kings Plate over a distance that challenges him. He is another strong win bet on the card under Craig Zackey for Dean Kannemeyer.
Another standout on the card is See It Again who runs in race 5 over 1600m, the Listed City Of Cape Town Jet Master Stakes. He is better over further than this distance and he has the widest draw of No 10 to overcome. But he is a proven Grade 1 quality horse against horses who are nowhere near proven at the top level. Plus, he showed signs of life with a fast-finishing fourth behind Eight On Eighteen in the Met. Regular rider Piere Strydom is carded to take the ride for Michael Roberts. If this trip catches him out, Meu Capitano could be the horse to include but it is hard to motivate a strong case for a horse rated 18 points inferior. His last win was taking but at a lower level.
One could also get excited about a showdown between three high-class three-year-old fillies in race 6, the Grade 3 Splashout Prix Du Cap over 1400m. Roccapina ran a ripper in the Grade 1 Maine Chance Farms Majorca Stakes at the end of January when filling third, 1,3 lengths behind Rascova. With 54,5kg on her back, she has every chance of backing that up with a win.
Gimmie’s Countess and Mon Petit Cherie are excellent fillies in their own rights. Gimmie’s Countess has had no luck this summer. She is posted in draw No 10, the widest of all. Her luck will turn at some stage. Mon Petit Cherie is a Grade 2 winner this summer, when beating Gimmie’s Countess in November. The concern is the form of the yard of Brett and James Crawford.
The remaining features on the card are trappy. Race 1 is the Grade 3 Splashout Cape Of Good Hope Nursery over 1200m. Ireland Forever was impressive to the eye when he won on debut beating Cliffscape by 1,5 lengths over 1000m at this course. Absolutely Yes was equally smart first-up and warrants consideration too. Winter Snap is also one-from-one while Wild Wild Green is unbeaten from two runs. This race was won by One Stripe last year.
The Listed Schweppes Cape Fillies Classic over 1800m is race 4. Some progressing, unexposed fillies have a chance to make some waves before the winter season in KZN. Goodnessgraciousme was a hard-fought second last time she ran when the older Calmegetrix turned her over by a head. She is coming into her own all the time so she could be peaking now. Omikami and Give Me Everything are interesting and they have solid claims because they also seem to be coming to hand.
It will take a good horse to beat Regulation in race 2 over 1400m. He looks like he will be a force when he ventures over extra distance but he is kept in high regard by Justin Snaith and his last start might have been disappointing at the time when five lengths behind Zeitz in seventh in the Politician Stakes but he is worth keeping onsides. He takes on a much weaker field.
Trusting the eye, Talk To The Master is selected to win race 3 over 1400m. This is a harshly competitive field but he ran into trouble last time when making a good-looking run up the inside rail. He finished 1,2 lengths behind Gem King (who runs in the Grade 2 Diadem later in the day). If he is as effective over the extra trip, he could be the right one. One has to have respect for Powerandtheglory and Carriacou.
Race 9 over 1400m is the hardest race on the card. Golden Angel was mildly encouraging last time out against weaker but Fourie has seen something too and has taken the ride. She won on debut, which feels like an eternity ago, and not quite stepped up to expectations since. Her rating has dropped steadily and she ought to get into the hunt. She is 3,5kg better off with Alltheboysiveloved for a 2,15-length deficit over this course and distance last month.
