This weekend’s prestigious WSB Cape Town Met meeting at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth promises racing action as sizzling as the summer temperatures experienced recently in the Mother city.
That the showpiece race, the Gr1 WSB Cape Town Met, continues to exert its influence on the South African breeding industry is starkly illustrated by the quality field which will face the starter for this year’s renewal.
Coursing through the veins of the majority of runners is the blood of ancestors who have stamped their mark on this time-honoured event, none more so than current favourite, the three-year-old filly, Make It Snappy, a product of champion nursery Ridgemont Highlands.
Girl on a beach…Make It Snappy and the Crawford Racing Team stepped out last Friday (Pic – Candiese Lenferna/ Gold Circle)
A perusal of the filly’s pedigree confirms that her links to the Met are more than tangible.
On the male side, she bids to continue a chain of success stretching back to grandsire Fort Wood, whose champion son Horse Chestnut turned the 1999 Met on its head when he destroyed his rivals by eight lengths.
Watch that run here:
Sadly, Fort Wood was denied another Met success when Make It Snappy’s sire Dynasty didn’t run after injuring himself in the Gr1 Queen’s Plate. He never ran again, but has continued the family trait by siring 2015 winner Futura.
Icy Winter Air, the dam of Make It Snappy, is by Western Winter, whose outstanding son Yard-Arm carried the famous Rattray silks to a five-length Met victory in 2004, while Jallad, the sire of grandam Icy Air, was responsible for 2006 winner Zebra Crossing.
Then there is Icy Air’s broodmare sire Northern Guest, who weighed in with a pair of Met winners; the fine mare Imperious Sue and 2003 winner Angus.
Flashback to 2003 – Piere Strydom and Angus win Met
Remarkably, Icy Air had the distinction of finishing second in the 2005 Met when running Sean Tarry-trained Alastor to a half length, with Horse of the Year Winter Solstice a similar margin back in third.
Can Make It Snappy go one better than her grandam? The answer is yes, for in addition to her impeccable pedigree credentials, she is in the form of her life and comes into the race off splendid victories in the Gr1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and Gr1 Cartier Paddock Stakes.
Granted, she defeated members of her own sex on both occasions, but as a big, powerful Amazon, she has the physical attributes to take on battle-hardened males of the ilk of Jet Dark and Kommetdieding.
Let’s turn our attention to her adversaries, whose pedigrees are equally as illuminating.
In addition to the favourite, Dynasty will also be represented by Nexus, who appears to have escaped the ravages of time.
In his most recent start, this sprightly seven-year-old failed by just a neck to peg back Rascallion in the recent Anthonij Rupert Wyne Gr2 Premier Trophy. Third in that race was his stable companion Warrior, a stakes winning son of Futura.
Blinkered first time Golden Ducat, whose half-brother Rainbow Bridge triumphed in 2019 and 2021, is out of a mare by Jet Master, as are aforementioned Nexus, Rascallion, second favourite Jet Dark, and Universal.
Pocket Power – King Of Kenilworth!
Lest we forget, Jet Master reigned supreme from 2007 to 2011, siring an unbroken string of five Met winners in triple winner Pocket Power, his own sister River Jetez and Past Master, a record which is unlikely ever to be matched.
Should talented Master Of My Fate four-year-old Zapatillas come up trumps on Saturday, Jet Master will fill the remaining hole in his Met resumé, that of being the grandsire of a Met winner.
Former Klawervlei ace Captain Al likewise has succeeded in both spheres. The sire of Met winners Hill Fifty Four and One World, he is of course the broodmare sire of defending champion Kommetdieding, while champion son Captain Of All is the sire of Linebacker, who will aim to improve on his third in last year’s race.
MJ Byleveld salutes after One World’s big win (Pic- Chase Liebenbegg)
It would be remiss not to make mention of Silvano.
On Saturday, the sire of 2013 Met hero Martial Eagle will be represented by two cracking female runners in last year’s Durban July victress Sparkling Water and the strapping chestnut Marina, a full-sister to 2018 Met third Marinaresco.
Silvano’s standout son Vercingetorix has seamlessly stepped into the shoes of his late sire at Maine Chance Farms and on Saturday he will be represented by Rascallion; the quirky former Cape Derby winner Pomp And Power (a half-brother to Met third Punta Arenas); as well as last season’s Champion juvenile colt Cousin Casey.
The sole three-year-old male in Saturday’s line-up, Glen Kotzen’s charge was not disgraced when second to Charles Dickens in the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas.
Enjoy the latest SPRINT!
