Mauritian Horse of the Year Parachute Man is one of 27 entries for the R5 million Sun Met to be run at Kenilworth on Saturday, 28 January next year. Initial entries include most of the country’s top gallopers who, if all standing their ground, will make for a fascinating race.

Parachute Man, trained by Ricky Maingard, has turned out to be one of the island’s ‘all time greats’ after winning his second Gr 1 in the Duke of York Cup.

“We haven’t decided on anything yet as we are not sure if he can go to Cape Town first in view of participating in the Met and not sure whether he would be invited either,” said Maingard.

Maingard regards the gelding as one of the best stayers he has trained and is hoping to crack an invite to the Met. Parachute Man is due back in South Africa on December 17.

Should Parachute Man make the field he will be up against two of the best in Legal Eagle and Marinaresco. They have yet to meet on the race course with Sean Tarry opting to skip Champions Season with Legal Eagle while in his absence Marinaresco proved himself a worthy opponent finishing a cracking second in the July and winning the Gr1 Champions Cup in the season finale.

Both have made pleasing starts in their warm-up for the Cape Summer of Champions and the Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate will likely set their stage for the Met.

French Navy, off the track since unplaced in the Vodacom Durban July, is also an entry along with Triple Crown winner Abashiri.

Mike de Kock, who has twice won the Met with a three-year-old, has entered Bold Rex, third in the Gr2 Victory Moon Stakes, Heavenly Blue and Al Fahad while Justin Snaith has pencilled in Zodiac Ruler.

Andrew Harrison

First entries for the R5 million Gr1 Sun Met to be run over 2000 m at Kenilworth on Saturday 28 January 2017: