Summer Cup winning trainer Geoff Woodruff, successful with Yard-Arm in 2004, has entered his dual Sansui Summer Cup star Master Sabina, who is set to take on South Africa’s reigning Horse Of The Year Legal Eagle in the R5 million Gr1 Sun Met to be run over 2000m at Kenilworth on Saturday 28 January.
Master Sabina and stablemate Deo Juvente are both entered
The Cape’s flagship race is being run under a new sponsor banner in 2017 and carries a total stake of R5 million for the first time.
Legal Eagle suffered a defeat as favourite in last year’s Met when beaten by Alec Laird’s star filly Smart Call.
The 5yo gets the ball rolling in his Cape campaign in the Gr2 Green Point Stakes at Kenilworth this Saturday.
Last season’s Triple Crown winner Abashiri is second only to Legal Eagle on merit ratings and he also runs in Saturday’s mile, as do Captain America, Champions Cup winner Marinaresco, New Predator and Black Arthur.
Horse Chestnut wins the 1999 J&B Met
Mike de Kock, who first won the race with the legendary Horse Chestnut in 1999 and followed up with Badger’s Coast the following year, also scored with the filly Igugu in 2012 and he has entered three – Bold Rex, Heavenly Blue and Al Fahad. All are three-year-olds.
Another notable three-year-old entry is the Golden Horseshoe winner Zodiac Ruler trained by former champion trainer Justin Snaith who is determined to break his Met duck this time round.
There are two supplementary entry stages – on 13 December and 9 January.
R5 000 000 2000m SUN MET (Grade 1)
| 0 | Abashiri | Mike Azzie | 117 | |
| 0 | Al Fahad (AUS) | Mike de Kock | 94 | |
| 0 | Baritone | Justin Snaith | 105 | |
| 0 | Bela-Bela | Justin Snaith | 107 | |
| 0 | Black Arthur | Justin Snaith | 106 | |
| 0 | Bold Rex | Mike de Kock | 101 | |
| 0 | Brazuca (AUS) | Johan Janse van Vuuren | 111 | |
| 0 | Cape Speed | Dean Kannemeyer | 101 | |
| 0 | Captain America | Brett Crawford | 115 | |
| 0 | Deo Juvente | Geoff Woodruff | 106 | |
| 0 | Dynamic | Justin Snaith | 98 | |
| 0 | French Navy | Sean Tarry | 115 | |
| 0 | Heavenly Blue (AUS) | Mike de Kock | 100 | |
| 0 | It’s My Turn | Justin Snaith | 105 | |
| 0 | Legal Eagle | Sean Tarry | 120 | |
| 0 | Mac De Lago (AUS) | Weiho Marwing | 114 | |
| 0 | Macduff (AUS) | Joey Ramsden | 90 | |
| 0 | Mambo Mime | Dean Kannemeyer | 103 | |
| 0 | Marinaresco | Candice Bass-Robinson | 110 | |
| 0 | Master Sabina | Geoff Woodruff | 110 | |
| 0 | Nebula | Brett Crawford | 95 | |
| 0 | New Predator (AUS) | Johan Janse van Vuuren | 110 | |
| 0 | Parachute Man (AUS) | Ricky Maingard | 99 | |
| 0 | Rocketball | Gavin van Zyl | 101 | |
| 0 | St Tropez | Joey Ramsden | 94 | |
| 0 | The Conglomerate (AUS) | Joey Ramsden | 107 | |
| 0 | Whisky Baron (AUS) | Brett Crawford | 96 | |
| 0 | Zodiac Ruler (AUS) | Justin Snaith | 100 | |
| (28) | ||||
