Unsurprisingly the Cape Met has attracted the cream of the racing crop over the distance for its first entry. 

Cape trainer Justin Snaith has avoided races in Johannesburg this season including the highest prize in Africa, the Summer Cup but has nine in the Cape Met at Kenilworth on January 25, where he has entered almost a third of the 31 early nominations.

With R5 million in prize money and a Grade 1 title at stake, Snaith aims for a third consecutive victory in the Met following Jet Dark (2022) and Double Superlative (2023), as well as a potential fourth career win after Oh Susannah’s 2018 triumph.

Leading his charge is ultra impressive miler Snow Pilot, a Grade 1 Cape Guineas winner, who has started the season strongly. Other notable entries include KwaZulu-Natal star See It Again, Mike de Kock’s Equus Horse of the Year Dave The King, and Dean Kannemeyer’s versatile sprinter-turned-stayer Gimme A Prince.

While Sean Tarry's absence from the nominations is notable, Durban July champion Oriental Charm, now based in the Cape with Brett Crawford, adds intrigue to the weight-for-age showdown.

Cape Met first entries (WFA: 3yrs-6kgs, 4yrs-0.5kgs):

See It Again (5G) 131 Michael Roberts
Gimme A Prince (6G) 130 Dean Kannemeyer
Dave The King (5G) 128 Mike de Kock
Green With Envy (4C) 127 Dean Kannemeyer
Flag Man (4G) 126 Gareth van Zyl
Oriental Charm (4C) 125 Brett Crawford
Snow Pilot (4C) 125 Justin Snaith
Royal Aussie (5G) 124 Justin Snaith
Barbaresco (4G) 122 J A Janse van Vuuren
Rascallion (7G) 122 Vaughan Marshall
Al Muthana (AUS) (7G) 120 Ricky Maingard
Montien (5G) 120 Piet Botha
Without Question (5G) 120 Justin Snaith
Red Palace (4F) 119 Candice Bass-Robinson
Zapatillas (6G) 119 Brett Crawford
Frances Ethel (4F) 118 Brett Crawford
Hluhluwe (4G) 118 Justin Snaith
Pacaya (6G) 118 Justin Snaith
Saartjie (5M) 118 Andre Nel
Billy Bowlegs (5G) 117 Brett Crawford
Master Redoute (6G) 117 Andre Nel
Silver Sanctuary (4F) 116 Mike de Kock
Triple Time (5G) 112 Justin Snaith
William Iron Arm (4G) 112 Dean Kannemeyer
Cape Eagle (7G) 110 Andre Nel
Eight On Eighteen (3C) 110 Justin Snaith
Future Swing (5G) 110 Justin Snaith
Baratheon (6G) 106 Piet Botha
Get Impressed (4G) 106 Justin Snaith
Greaterix (3C) 105 Mike de Kock
Heather’s Boy (3C) 96 Mike de Kock