Only Hassen Adams, David Shawe and Markus and Ingrid Jooste can win the US$ 1 million bonus that Cape Thoroughbred Sales is paying if the same owner wins both the $500 000 CTS Sprint and the $500 000 CTS Mile at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Always In Charge (Nkosi Hlophe)
The chances are that, if the bonus is won, it will go to the Joostes because their Mayfair Speculators partnership dominates both races. It has six of the 20 runners in the Sprint including several of the highest rated and 9-2 second favourite Always In Charge. In the 18-runner Mile it has five horses headed by 12-10 favourite William Longsword.
Adams’s pair are both longshots – 66-1 chance Red Light Girl and Primrose Lane who is available at 40-1. Shawe’s Al Danza is a 25-1 shot but his Singapore Sling has been backed from 12-1 to 8-1 in the Mile.
Cape Guineas winner William Longsword is “doing extremely well” according to trainer Vaughan Marshall who advises “don’t write off Elusive Path (already backed from 12-1 to 8-1) in the Sprint.”
Sergeant Hardy is 16-10 favourite for this race with World Sports Betting which makes the long-absent Cloth Of Cloud third favourite at 11-2.
William Longsword (Liesl King)
Safe Harbour is 9-2 second favourite for the Mile and third favourite at 5-1 is the Cape Fillies Guineas winner Just Sensual, yet another Mayfair Speculators horse. But Frankie Dettori is going to have his work cut out to overcome the filly’s 18 draw.
Justin Snaith, who notched up a world record-equalling eight wins at last year’s Met meeting, has 40 runners this time including at least one in each of the 13 races, Candice Bass-Robinson has 25, Sean Tarry and Joey Ramsden have 19 apiece and Brett Crawford 18.
Richard Fourie and Grant van Niekerk are the busiest of the jockeys, riding in every race. Aldo Domeyer, Greg Cheyne, Corne Orffer and Donovan Dillon each have 11 rides, S’Manga Khumalo, Gavin Lerena and Anthony Delpech have ten while Anton Marcus, Piere Strydom and MJ Byleveld each have nine. Dettori has six.
World Sports Betting is breaking new ground by quoting prices on which trainer will win the Sun Met: 16-10 Sean Tarry, 3-1 Candice Bass-Robinson, 4-1` Brett Crawford, 11-2 Justin Snaith, 8-1 Glen Kotzen, 16-1 Joey Ramsden, 45-1 Johan Janse van Vuuren, 50-1 Weiho Marwing, 60-1 Dean Kannemeyer.
By Michael Clower
