July-Met ‘double’? Bring it on, say Kommetdieding gang

Only special racehorses win both the Durban July and the Cape Town Met. Kommetdieding is already a bit special – having nailed the first leg of the job, not to mention being the most popular nag in South Africa – and is set to graduate to true legend status at Kenilworth on Saturday.

The last July-Met winner was Igugu in 2012. Before that it was Pocket Power in 2009, London News in 1997 and Politician in 1979. A tough school.

It’s hard not to side with Kommetdieding for the 2022 WSB Met – because of his hot form and because he is such a quintessentially Cape Town horse and would be a most appropriate champion of the city’s venerable horse race, which was first run in 1883.

Racing might be a hard game, where money does the talking, but it is also riddled with sentimentality and there won’t be a dry eye in the land if the brave colt with an unglamorous background can pull it off.

The four-year-old, trained by Harold Crawford and his daughter Michelle Rix and ridden by Gavin Lerena, is joint favourite in early betting for the weight-for-age Grade 1 contest over 2000m. He and recent Queen’s Plate winner Jet Dark top the boards at 7-2, with Linebacker and Double Superlative just below at 9-2.

So, no-one will be stepping back just because Kommetdieding has a rags-to-riches story and an amusing name plucked from Cape Flats slang by his amiable and humble owner Ashwin Reynolds, the first person of colour to have owned a July winner.

After his Durban July heroics, which was his fifth win in seven starts over a year, Kommetdieding was given a nice four-month holiday. His return to the track was in the Cape Mile in November, a race short of optimum in which he was buffeted about a bit and finished third.

Then it was the Queen’s Plate three weeks ago, another 1600m event in which he sauntered along at the back of the field until the final stretch, where he accelerated smartly to grab second spot behind Jet Dark.

The Met is essentially Kommetdieding’s peak run and he is sure to be giving it his all from the No 1 gate. There’s nothing not to like.

Jet Dark’s Queen’s Plate performance was pretty impressive, it has to be said, but this assignment is over a trip he’s never tried before. His sire, Trippi, is known more for his sprint influence, while grandad Jet Master was a great miler.

Similar stamina uncertainty hovers over Double Superlative, though his sire, Twice Over, has staying credentials. The three-year-old has looked progressive thus far, but he hasn’t quite been there and got the badges yet.

Linebacker disappointed in the Queen’s Plate and hasn’t quite shown the sparkle he did last term.

Perhaps the biggest threat to Kommetdieding comes from the only female in the race, super-smart filly Marina, from the Candice Bass-Robinson stable.

She has been prepared to a T and, with a small gender weight pull, could spring a surprise.

As always, and particularly at Kenilworth where the notorious “Cape Crawl” has dashed the chances of many a good horse in a big race, the pace of the race will be crucial to the outcome.

Mercifully, we have an out-and-out frontrunner in the line-up: Rockin’ Ringo. If this 90-1 shot can string them out from the jump, we’ll not begrudge him a minor money slot at the line.

SELECTIONS

Kenilworth Saturday

1: 4 Eleodoro, 6 Peut Etre Moi, 5 I’m In Love, 7 Everglades

2: 1 Steinbeck, 8 Gentleman Joe, 2 Navy Strength, 7 Futurismo

3: 6 Transact, 7 Baltimore Jack, 9 Fighter, 8 Bonanza

4: 1 Russian Rock, 2 Silver Operator, 4 Warrior, 3 Speed Machine

5: 2 Street Outlaw, 3 Certainly, 7 Cliff Top, 1 Cruise Control

6: 3 Universal, 6 Pacaya, 1 Zapitillas, 9 I Want It All

7: 4 Real Gone Kid, 1 Rio Querari, 7 Captain Fontane, 14 Sound Of Warning

8: 1 Captain’s Ransom, 8 Chansonette, 4 She’s A Keeper, 2 Zarina

9: 5 Kommetdieding, 10 Marina, 4 Jet Dark, 1 Do It Again

10: 9 Sparkling Water, 1 Doublemint, 7 One Way Traffic, 5 Sudden Star

11: 2 Han Solo, 8 Surjay, 1 Izapha, 3 Paper Trail

12: 8 Lillybelle, 7 Adderbury Lake, 5 Island Treasure, 2 Forries Forever

Pick 6: 1,2,3,4 x 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,11 x 1,2,3,6,9 x 1,4 x 1 x 1,4,5,6,10,11 (R2160)

PA: 6,7 x 1,2 x 1,2,3,7 x 3,6 x 4 x 1 x 4,5,10 (R96)

Turffontein Sunday

Best: Race 8 No 2 Magnum P I

Value: Race 6 No 4 Saragon