Snaith stable sends 34 horses to Met meeting

Trainer Justin Snaith sends an astonishing 34 horses to Saturday’s WSB Met meeting at Kenilworth with his star mare, Captain’s Ransom, the banker bet in the Majorca Stakes.

Only six runners will face the starter in the grade 1 event as Captain’s Ransom — priced up at 6-10 — bids for her 14th win in the colours of Suzette Viljoen. The mare should make life easier for Pick Six punters as her race is the first leg of this popular bet.

Jockey Richard Fourie will know his chief rival will be Mike de Kock’s filly, Desert Miracle, with Christophe Soumillon retaining the ride on the daughter of Dynasty. The four-year-old lost ground at the start in the Sceptre Stakes so the Belgian-born rider will want to get away on terms this time.

Silver Darling, third behind Make It Snappy in the Paddock Stakes, could take the third cheque of R95,000.

A TAB media release says that the last nine races of Saturday’s Met meeting offers punters the opportunity to bet into the Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pools.

Last year R650m was wagered with the Hong Kong tote on eight of the 12 races at the Met. The main race achieved the highest turnover of the eight races with a total of R97.8m wagered into the World Pools.

The quartet is always a popular bet for the country’s big races such as the Durban July, Summer Cup and Met. Saturday’s Met pool will get a R1m boost with the total pool expected to reach R5m.

TAB betting opens on Friday as pools must open simultaneously with Hong Kong pools.

The much-publicised WSB Gold Rush, the seventh race on Saturday’s card, offers a staggering R5m to the owner of the winning horse. The runner-up earns his or her connections a cool R1m.

In the early market, the sponsors have Snaith’s Royal Mo colt, Royal Aussie, as the 7-2 favourite followed by Winter Greeting (11-2), King Regent (8-1), Dave The King (8-1) and Time Fo Orchids at 10-1.

Royal Aussie, a bargain buy at only R75,000, owes his position to his fourth place behind Charles Dickens in the Cape Guineas.

Sean Tarry’s filly, Winter Greeting, goes to post unbeaten, but the worry here is that the form of her past two victories haven’t been franked. Calvin Habib will also have to overcome a wide draw.

A runner with an even worse draw is Time Fo Orchids, (correct) a former inmate of the Tarry stable. If Corné Orffer can overcome this disadvantage, the daughter of Time Thief can take a hand in the finish.

One runner with a favourable barrier is King Regent, and this is some consolation for trainer Glen Kotzen whose fancied Met runner, Cousin Casey, has drawn 14 of the 19 runners.

Seeking The One — a R450,000 son of What A Winter — is in with a shout for the Crawford yard which sends 12 runners to the meeting. The stable could take the Summer Juvenile Stakes with the R1.2m No Nay Never colt, The Abdicator.

Crawford won the 2017 Met with Whisky Baron and — six years later — will be keeping his fingers crossed for another triumph with three-year-old Make It Snappy.