Defending champion Kommetdieding heads a high-class field of 19 that will line up at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday 28 January in the 161st renewal of one of our oldest and most prestigious racing events, the R2 million WSB Cape Town Met.

According to the Sporting Post website, in what is expected to be his swansong appearance before he departs for the Klawervlei paddocks to take up stallion duties, Kommetdieding will again be ridden by Gavin Lerena and drew barrier gate 6 at the final field function on the V&A Waterfront on Wednesday evening.

Boasting the distinction of being the first horse since Mike de Kock’s great filly Igugu (2012), and another star in Pocket Power ( 2009), to register the consecutive Durban July-Met double, Kommetdieding comes in fighting fit after placings in the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes and the Grade 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate.Kommetdieding meets last year’s second and third-placer Jet Dark (0.75 lengths) and Linebacker (0.95 lengths) again, as well as having to contend with recent L’Ormarins King’s Plate winner Al Muthana, and two really smart 3-year-olds in Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas runner-up Cousin Casey, and the dual Grade 1 winning filly Make It Snappy.

The decision to run Make It Snappy here as opposed to taking on Captain’s Ransom, whom she beat in the Paddock Stakes last time, in the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes, was obviously not taken lightly.

But she will clearly be more comfortable over the 2 000m, and Hollywood Syndicate Racing Manager Anthony Delpech will know what it takes for a filly to win this race. Delpech was aboard Imperious Sue in 1998 and 2012 heroine, Igugu.

The last 3-year-old filly to win the 2 000m contest was Oh Susanna, who stormed home under Grant van Niekerk in 2018. The previous 3-year-old filly to win prior to her dates back to 1905.

The engagement of Piere Strydom to ride Al Muthana is an interesting one on the occasion of the veteran champion’s final Met ride. The Australian-bred gelding has drawn 12 and his stamina is in doubt.

The winner of the race will take home R1 187 500 with second place worth R380 000.

The payouts for third to fifth are R190 000, R95 000 and R47 500, respectively.

The race is due off at 17:10.

WSB CAPE TOWN MET FINAL FIELD

Under draw, horse, weight, merit rating, jockey, trainer

1 Golden Ducat 60 120 Christophe Soumillon Eric Sands

2 Make It Snappy 51.5 125 Keagan de Melo Brett Crawford

3 Marina 57.5 117 Aldo Domeyer Candice Bass-Robinson

4 Jet Dark 60 130 Richard Fourie Justin Snaith

5 Sparkling Water 57.5 122 S’manga Khumalo Mike de Kock

6 Kommetdieding 60 129 Gavin Lerena HWJ Crawford/M Rix

7 Universal 59.5 116 Juan Paul v’d Merwe Adam Marcus

8 Do It Again 60 126 Bernard Fayd’Herbe Justin Snaith

9 Nexus 60 114 Muzi Yeni Justin Snaith

10 Zapatillas 59.5 122 Luyolo Mxothwa Brett Crawford

11 Waterberry Lane 59.5 116 Raymond Danielson Ricky Maingard

12 Al Muthana (AUS) 60 133 Piere Strydom Ricky Maingard

13 Warrior 60 112 Ryan Munger Justin Snaith

14 Cousin Casey 54 115 Grant van Niekerk Glen Kotzen

15 Rain In Holland 57 116 Calvin Habib Sean Tarry

16 Linebacker 60 122 Corne Orffer Vaughan Marshall

17 Rascallion 60 122 Sean Veale Vaughan Marshall

18 Gem King 59.5 104 Gareth Wright Piet Steyn

19 Pomp And Power 59.5 114 Kabelo Matsunyane Justin Snaith

https://www.thesouthafrican.com/sport/horse-racing/wsb-cape-town-met-result-19-horses-confirmed-in-class-of-2023-breaking/?fbclid=IwAR0u7DrlosNztjnV3xPfW-Lsd3gOJYVp-iKkPlO2hMrW4BlYUWiHQOTo_HY