Search
where the horse is always the hero
Article Item
Posted 2018-01-18 21:36:19  
Marinaresco Draws Wide for Met

Horse of the Year and the runner best suited by the weight-for-age conditions of the race Legal Eagle drew wide at No 15 for the R5-million Sun Met celebrated with G.H. MUMM (Grade 1) over 2000m at Kenilworth on Saturday 27 January.

In spite of his wide barrier the Sean Tarry-trained star, who has had a picture-perfect preparation with victories in the Green Point Stakes and Queen’s Plate to his credit in Cape Town this summer, is currently joint favourite at 9-2 with Marinaresco in Betting World’s latest prices.

The Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Marinaresco, a superb fifth in the Queen’s Plate over a distance he would have found sharp, also did not fare well in the ballot for barrier positions, drawing at No 13.

Robinson said: “I’m not too unhappy about Marinaresco’s draw. He doesn’t race up with the pace and likes to be given a chance so it’s not the end of the world.”

Dean Kannemeyer’s charge, Last Winter, who briefly touched favourite in the days leading up to the announcement of the final field on Monday and then the draws yesterday, drew widest of all in the 20 horse field – the highest number of runners seen in years in this race. He has been pushed out to 11-2 with Oh Susanna, the only three-year-old in the field, on offer at 17-2. One of five horses trained by Justin Snaith, the Australian-bred filly fared well in the ballot and drew stall No 6.

Two more of Snaith’s runners are near the top of Betting World’s boards, Copper Force and African Night Sky, who are both quoted at 9-1. Copper Force, who finished like a bullet in the Queen’s Plate and was not beaten far by Legal Eagle, drew well at No 7 with his stable companion one berth to his outside.

Robinson has two other runners in the race, Horizon, who drew at No 19 and Nightingale, who drew well at No 4.

Both ran “crackers” in the Durban July, Nightingale finishing fourth and proving she has the class to give the big boys a run for their money, and Horizon coming from right at the back to finish a 0.65-length sixth.

“Horizon’s draw is less than ideal,” said Robinson. “He’s going to have to be dropped in again, like in the July when he ran on well. We were always planning on doing that in the Met because he’s been ridden more handily in his last two races and got one-paced late. I would like him to have drawn a bit closer, but we’ll take what we get. If there’s a good pace, he’ll definitely be running on.”

She continued: “Nightingale ran no sort of a race in the Paddock Stakes, but was badly interfered with – she was nearly put over the fence, so put a line through that run.”
 

Tabnews.co.za Image SAHorseracing.COM

Rate:
Email link to a friend | Printable Version
  • South Africa
    Displaying 10 ResultsSee All
    fundi sithebe heads 4racing tv into high definition14 hours ago

    4Racing is proud to announce an exciting enhancement to our TV product: Africa’s dedicated hor...

    View | Add Comment
    hassen adams passes1 days ago

    It was with saddeness that Rayaan Adams announced that his father Hassen Adams has passed away. The...

    View | Add Comment
    sandie khathi interim suspension 2 days ago

    INTERIM SUSPENSION ON JOCKEY SANDILE KHATHI     The National Horseracing Authority conf...

    View | Add Comment
    breakthrough as direct imports to europe approved 3 days ago

    SAEHP, collaborating with the South African Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Develop...

    View | Add Comment
    markus jooste dead 7 days ago

    Markus Jooste's life tragically came to an end as he took his own life in the wake of a damning repo...

    View | Add Comment
    rodney dunn, a racing man like few others 7 days ago

    Racing in the Western Cape mourns the loss of Rodney Dunn, a stalwart figure in both administration ...

    View | Add Comment
    bo and his single arrow - one horse trainer wins2024-03-19

    Sboniso ‘Bo’ Ngcobo made waves at Scottsville on Sunday when his sole horse in training,...

    View | Add Comment
    aiden o'brien splits with long time rider2024-03-16

    A significant development has occurred in the world of horse racing as Aidan O’Brien and his l...

    View | Add Comment
    richard fourie: 218 and counting2024-03-16

    Richard Fourie has hit home 218 winners after today's Kenilworth meeting in the quest to beat Anthon...

    View | Add Comment
    jockey, trainer in charge disagree with dead heat post race comments2024-03-16

    Miss Argonaut won an excellent race for Peter Muscutt and owner Jason Muragasa at Kenilworth on Satu...

    View | Add Comment