Cape Town Met: 17 horses to face the starter

A final field of 17 horses will face the starter for the 163rd renewal of the R5 million Grade 1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, 25 January.

The race will be contested over 2 000m.

Bookmark The South African website for all the build-up to the 2025 Cape Town Met.

The field was unveiled at a glittering event at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Wednesday evening, where the barrier gate positions were drawn under the supervision of the National Horseracing Authority.

Previous winners

According to Sporting Post, in what looks all set to be a vintage renewal of the flagship race that started life as the Metropolitan Mile in 1883, a nationally representative field of 16 colts and geldings, and a lone filly in Dean Kannemeyer’s Red Palace – who pulled a pole position gate – will bid for glory and a chapter in the history books of the South African turf.

South African champion trainer Justin Snaith boasts five of the Met runners in his bid to win the big race for the third consecutive year, and the fourth time overall after Oh Susanna did so in 2017.

Snaith is one of five of the 10 trainers in the 2025 renewal who have won the Met before, and he is joined by Vaughan Marshall, Brett Crawford (now in partnership with son James), as well as raiders Sean Tarry and Alec Laird, who have raised the trophy in the past.

Six of the jockeys riding in this year’s Met have won the race previously, including Grant van Niekerk and Richard Fourie who again team up with Justin Snaith.

Gavin Lerena, JP van der Merwe, Aldo Domeyer and Piere Strydom are the other past winners.

Prize money

The winner of the race will pocket R2 968 750 with the runner-up taking home R950 000.

Third place is worth R475 000, fourth R237 500 while fifth will earn R118 750.

The race in the eighth (of 12) on the day and is due off at 16:05.

Early betting

According to the Hollywoodbets website, Oriental Charm from the Brett and James Crawford yard, is the early narrow favourite ahead of the Justin Snaith-trained Eight On Eighteen.

Green With Envy and See It Again are the joint next best fancied runners.

Draw for the 2024 Cape Town Met

Draw	Horse	Weight	Merit rating	Jockey	Trainer
1	Red Palace	57	119	Gavin Lerena	Dean Kannemeyer
2	Al Muthana (AUS)	60	116	Gareth Wright	Ricky Maingard
3	Oriental Charm	59.5	125	JP van der Merwe	Brett Crawford/James Crawford
4	Future Swing	60	114	Grant van Niekerk	Justin Snaith
5	Atticus Finch	60	121	Raymond Danielson	Alec Laird
6	Litigation	60	113	Muzi Yeni	Sean Tarry
7	Royal Aussie	60	124	Kabelo Matsunyane	Justin Snaith
8	Pacaya	60	116	Rachel Venniker	Justin Snaith
9	Green With Envy	59.5	127	Craig Zackey	Dean Kannemeyer
10	Eight On Eighteen	54	115	Richard Fourie	Justin Snaith
11	Magic Verse	59.5	114	Aldo Domeyer	Justin Snaith
12	See It Again	60	131	Piere Strydom	Michael Roberts
13	Baratheon	60	106	Tristan Godden	Piet Botha
14	Master Redoute	60	117	Serino Moodley	Andre Nel
15	Montien	60	129	Corne Orffer	Piet Botha
16	Rascallion	60	122	Sean Veale	Vaughan Marshall
17	Zapatillas	60	119	Luyolo Mxothwa	Brett Crawford/James Crawford

ADDITIONAL INFO

Gates open at 10:00 on the day and the festivities continue until 22:00.

There will be 12 races on the day.

The fashion theme for 2025 is ‘Couture Unleashed.’

No one under 18 is allowed at the event.

Are you a horse racing enthusiast?

Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1

Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp for the latest news.