The Met has always eluded Justin Snaith – and his father before him – but African Night Sky raised their hopes that he just might be the one by pulverising the opposition in the Highlands Stud Winter Derby at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Seemingly some of the 14-10 favourite’s rivals knew their fate even when still in the back straight. Bernard Fayd’Herbe, winning this for the third time, afterwards related with some relish that MJ Byleveld on Ollivander turned to him and said: “If your horse doesn’t s*** in he will never win!”

He duly did, quickening away from the opposition from over a furlong out as if he had a plane to catch – much to the relief of owner Fred Crabbia who confessed: “I was so nervous I didn’t know where to turn.”

The winning margin was five and a half lengths and who knows what it would have been had the gelding’s rider pressed the button a bit earlier. “From the way he won this I think he could be a special horse,” said Fayd’Herbe, evoking memories of his 2006 winner Pocket Power.

Indeed African Night Sky, the first to complete the Winter Series treble since that legend, emulated him by refusing to go into the winner’s box. The winner, somewhat appropriately, was bred by the race sponsors and is by their resident stallion Dynasty.

True, his main market rivals either failed to fire or to stay – the jury is out on which with some of them – and fourth-placed Our Mate Art was found to be coughing but it was an impressive performance.

Snaith, who also won last year’s race with the ill-fated Elusive Silva, said: “This is a proper horse and the Met has always been the plan. Fingers crossed, we will look after him and aim him at the right races.”

Tap O’Noth was almost as impressive in the Langerman. Eyebrows were raised when Vaughan Marshall mentioned him in the same breath as William Longsword after he won on debut but the Captain Al colt, named by owner-breeders Alec and Gillian Foster after an ancient Scottish fort, accelerated like a class act and Byleveld said: “He is a serious horse. We went a good gallop and he picked it up on his own. He had it won inside 100m.”

“It was his demeanour and the way he went about things,” said Marshall, explaining how he had spotted the talent even before the colt saw a racecourse. “He took to work as if he was an older horse and he clearly had the right attitude. We will put him away now and aim him at the Guineas if he proves good enough.”

Silver Coin, the 14-10 favourite, never got into it and finished last but the veterinary examination ordered by the stipes revealed that he wasn’t striding out behind.

Joey Ramsden and Anton Marcus had better luck with Rose In Bloom in the Irridescence while 17-10 favourite Ngaga was seemingly a little unlucky when failing to peg back Richard Fourie on the Glen Kotzen-trained Silvan Star in the Ladies Mile. “The gap I went for was tight, the horse on my inside moved out and I had to wait for a couple of strides,” said Grant van Niekerk.

Whose That Girl led a one-two for Candice Bass-Robinson in the Winter Oaks while Brett Crawford also showed the well-being of his string in advance of Saturday’s big day with a Corne Orffer double.

By Michael Clower