Cape Town Met: A game of ‘Spot the Longshot’

The dress theme for Saturday’s 2025 WSB Cape Town Met is ‘Couture Unleashed’. To a non-fashionista that sounds like: “Anything goes, do your worst, let loose the dogs of needlework!”.

With another event on the day, the actual horse race, looking a bit confusing, too, we could describe the punting theme as ‘Tipping Unleashed’.

Outlandish big-race results to go with outlandish outfits are not unknown at the Met, last year’s edition proving the point with 33-1 shot Double Superlative trotting up – unleashing many a double expletive.

Bookmaker odds for this week’s Grade 1, R5-million, 2000m contest look slightly out of whack to a few followers of form, with some runners being dangled at surprisingly good value.

A game of ‘Spot the Shrewdie’ isn’t a bad idea – particularly for players of a R2-million Quartet looking for the inevitable longshot to run into the first four places.

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Strong runners

Putting aside the top four in the betting – Eight On Eighteen (3-1), Oriental Charm (9-2), See It Again (17-2) and Red Palace (9-1) – and quietly ignoring some no-hopers (famous last words), we arrive at six runners with strong credentials for a place in the judges’ frame:

4 – Future Swing (14-1). Champion trainer Justin Snaith has given this five-year-old a slow, careful build-up and he looks well primed. He’s disadvantaged at the weights but has Kenilworth’s street-smart Grant van Niekerk in the irons and a nice draw.

6 – Litigation (35-1). Trainer Sean Tarry’s raider has had two brilliant prep runs in Cape Town, indicating he is back to his best after a spell in the Joburg wilderness. Talented rider Muzi Yeni is always a factor.

7 – Royal Aussie (40-1). He’d prefer a shorter trip, but he was the fastest finisher in the recent King’s Plate and could run into Met money if he finds cover in running and turns on the burners at the death.

11 – Magic Verse (25-1). Maturing and improving as a four-year-old, he was an impressive runner-up in the recent Grade 2 Premier Trophy and has form that compares well with the others on this list.

15 – Montien (14-1). An ultra-consistent galloper from the under-rated Piet Botha yard. He is likely to go to the front from a bad draw and will stay game to the end.

16 – Rascallion (14-1). He also has a wide draw and is also likely to push the pace early on. Bit long in the tooth but has been in the form of his life for many months now.

A whimsical selection from among these ‘roughies’

15 Montien

6 Litigation

16 Rascallion

4 Future Swing

Factoring in the favourites, it could be…

15 Montien

6 Litigation

12 See It Again

10 Eight On Eighteen