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Cape Town - A final field of 13 horses will line up for the R3 million Grade 1 Sun Met to be run at weight-for-age over 2 000m on Saturday, February 1 at Kenilworth racecourse.
According to the Sporting Post website, all of the expected top contenders will line up after seven horses were scratched on Monday.
There were no surprises among the jockey engagements, bar the attendance of international rider Ryan Moore, who will partner last year's winner, Rainbow Bridge, for trainer Eric Sands.
Moore has a total of four rides on the day, including Spring Break (CTS 1200 for Sean Tarry), Invisible (CTS 1600 for Tarry) and Gold Cup winner Dynasty’s Blossom for Brett Crawford in the Grade 2 Western Cape Stayers.
Tote favourite Hawwaam drew barrier gate 12 when the draws were announced on Tuesday afternoon at the GrandWest Hotel.
Hawwaam’s big-race rider Anton Marcus told the Sporting Post website that the 12 gate ‘gives me options’.
Sun Met chairperson Hassen Adams, a past winning Met owner, confirmed his support for racing and said that sponsors were ‘like dinosaurs’, but that Sun International was looking forward to a long association with the Cape flagship feature.
Racing Association CEO Larry Wainstein was also present and called the Met ‘the race of South Africa’. He said racing was going through times, but was resilient and reminded all those assembled that ‘no one person was bigger than the game’.
Given the size of the field and the fair nature of the Kenilworth track, none of the draws allotted are likely to cause undue sleepless nights for the connections looking to win one of South Africa’s most prestigious races.
Rainbow Bridge pulled a 5 gate.
Sun Met field:
(under horse, draw, weight, merit rating, jockey, trainer)
1. 11 - Do It Again - 60 - 136 - Richard Fourie - Justin Snaith
2. 5 - Rainbow Bridge - 60 - 134 - Ryan Moore - Eric Sands
3. 9 - Vardy - 60 - 134 - Craig Zackey - Adam Marcus
4. 12 - Hawwaam - 60 - 131 - Anton Marcus - Mike de Kock
5. 13 - One World - 60 - 130 - MJ Byleveld - Vaughan Marshall
6. 3 - Twist Of Fate - 60 - 129 - Aldo Domeyer - Adam Marcus
7. 4 - Head Honcho - 60 - 126 - Piere Strydom - Andre Nel
8. 6 - Undercover Agent - 60 - 124 - Corne Orffer - Brett Crawford
9. 2 - Bunker Hunt - 60 - 122 - Bernard Fayd’Herbe - Justin Snaith
10. 1 - Eyes Wide Open - 60 - 118 - Warren Kennedy - Glen Kotzen
11. 10 - Pack Leader - 60 - 116 - Morne Winnaar - Glen Kotzen
12. 8 - Roy Had Enough (AUS) - 60 - 115 - Sean Veale - Frank Robinson - SCRATCHED
13. 14 - Majestic Mozart - 60 - 107 - Keagan de Melo - Candice Bass-Robinson
14. 7 - More Magic - 60 - 102 - Greg Cheyne - Candice Bass-Robinson
