Search
where the horse is always the hero
Article Item
Posted 2026-01-20 18:09:50  
Met Field of 11 Announced

This year’s Cape Town Met will see just 11 runners go to post, a far cry from the days when the race could stop the city.

Out-of-province interest was limited, with only three horses travelling in, leaving the majority of the field made up of local Cape runners. That means familiar faces will once again do battle over the 2000m, and there’s plenty of intrigue among the contenders. The likes of Sail The Seas, Garrix, and The Real Prince are all proper milers and back to challenge the 2000m.

Cosmic Speed, trained by Sean Tarry and ridden by Gavin Lerena, will also be one to milers to watch after a strong run earlier in 'The Championships' season. Weight-for-age conditions level the playing field and there’s still plenty of class in the lineup. Meanwhile, the international bloodlines of Johannesburg raider, The Equator, are in the field. He was supplemented at great cost for the event.

German jockey Rene Piechulek is back on board after finishing fourth on him last time, is now looking to turn that effort into a winning performance at a distance he is more suited to. With experience and local knowledge on his side, he’ll be hoping to give the horse a strong ride and make it a memorable day for connections.

The Cape Town Met might not be as huge as it once was as a spectacle, but with talent like this on show, it promises plenty of action and a thrilling race for fans at the track.

Cape Town Met (Gr 1)

2000m | R5,000,000 | Weight-for-Age | No Allowances

No Horse Weight MR Jockey Trainer
1 Cosmic Speed 59.5 124 Gavin Lerena Sean Tarry
2 Eight On Eighteen 59.5 129 Richard Fourie Justin Snaith
3 Sail The Seas 59.5 127 Muzi Yeni Justin Snaith
4 Gladatorian 60.0 127 Sean Veale Stuart Ferrie
5 Garrix 59.5 123 Keagan de Melo Piet / Elbert Steyn
6 The Real Prince 60.0 128 Craig Zackey Dean Kannemeyer
7 Legal Counsel 59.5 116 Aldo Domeyer Justin Snaith
8 Native Ruler 59.5 119 J P van der Merwe Justin Snaith
9 The Equator (IRE) 60.0 117 TBA Tony Peter
10 See It Again 60.0 127 Andrew Fortune Justin Snaith
11 Okavango 59.5 120 Callan Murray Justin Snaith

Prize Money:
1st R2,968,750 | 2nd R950,000 | 3rd R475,000 | 4th R237,500 | 5th R118,750 | RCIS R250,000

Image,close finish of the King's Plate
Rate:
Email link to a friend | Printable Version
  • South Africa
    Displaying 10 ResultsSee All
    the cape met in context: elite racing holding its ground as the base contracts1 days ago

    Over the past nine seasons, South African racing has undergone a clear and measurable contraction. F...

    View | Add Comment
    snow pilot retires to stud with classic credentials2 days ago

    Snow Pilot will begin his next chapter as a breeding stallion carrying one of the most valuable endo...

    View | Add Comment
    4racing rolls out incentives to lure visiting stables for the championships4 days ago

    4Racing has unveiled a comprehensive Raiding Trainer Incentive Programme designed to attract visitin...

    View | Add Comment
    the candyman brings the cape met back to life - for this year anyway5 days ago

    For a race that has spent the post-Covid years searching for relevance, the 2026 Cape Met finally fo...

    View | Add Comment
    quid pro quo injured! 7 days ago

      The Team Valor-owned dual Grade 1 winner QUID PRO QUO, currently based in Dubai for an inter...

    View | Add Comment
    cape met fallout — and the racing that still matters2026-01-21

    The noise around the Cape Town Met has been impossible to ignore. What should have been a build-up d...

    View | Add Comment
    kotzen's woodhill racing passes the torch to varsfontein stud, moves to milnerton 2026-01-20

    After more than two decades at the heart of South African racing, the Woodhill Racing team has confi...

    View | Add Comment
    digital age (ire): international grade 1 winner with first yearlings selling this year2026-01-20

    Digital Age (IRE) brings proven international Grade 1 class to stud, having entered stud in 2024, an...

    View | Add Comment
    danon scorpion set for south african stud duty as japanese class heads south2026-01-17

    Forever Young’s emphatic victory in last month’s Breeders’ Cup Classic once again ...

    View | Add Comment
    mick goss remembers megan romeyn2026-01-17

    The KwaZulu-Natal breeding community is mourning the loss of Megan Romeyn, who passed away following...

    View | Add Comment