Cape Town’s greatest race hits the turf today

Equine champions are few and far between anywhere, but South African racing is blessed with four of them right now and they’re all in the line-up for this 2 000m contest – five-year-olds Do It Again and Rainbow Bridge and year-younger warriors Vardy and Hawwaam.

That sets the stage for an epic and enthralling equine war, in which the pace, jockeyship and luck will be critical.

The margin for error will be zero and that’s why Eric Sands, who trains third-favourite Rainbow Bridge, has controversially sought out three-time British champion jockey Ryan Moore to partner his charge.

Tote betting operator TAB has turned up the excitement of the day to maximum volume with two mega carryovers.

The Kenilworth Pick 6 boasts a R4 million add-in that is set to yield a total pool not far short of R20 million, while the Quartet pool on the Met starts with a R1 million carryover and should top R8 million.

There are also Jackpot, Trifecta and Pick 3 carryovers to fuel interest on one of the biggest betting days of the year in SA. Rainbow Bridge, winner of half his 14 starts and never further back than fourth, arrived on the scene at just the right moment to win the Met a year ago and must fight out the finish again.

But fast-finishing runner-up Do It Again was too far behind that day and turned the tables on Rainbow Bridge in the Durban July five months later.

Trainer Justin Snaith’s charge seems slightly superior to Rainbow Bridge, but now two new formidable foes take the stage in Vardy and current favourite Hawwaam, who has his last race here before heading overseas.

Vardy announced he’s a champion with a decisive victory in the Queen’s Plate recently, when Rainbow Bridge, Hawwaam and Do It Again were further back.

But now Vardy must travel 400m further for the first time and you can draw a line through Do It Again and Hawwaam’s Queen’s Plate runs.

Do It Again was not fit enough to do himself justice and a 25-minute delay to the start took care of Hawwaam.

This excitable colt should be a different proposition tomorrow if he keeps his cool, although his current odds of around 2/1 hardly look attractive.

One World looks the pick of the balance. Most pundits expect him to find 2 000m too far, but on pedigree there’s a chance he may improve over this distance.

Twelve races will be run at Kenilworth with the Met (Race 9) due off at 5.10pm.

Catch the day’s racing live on Tellytrack (channel 239) or the Met on SS10 from 4.45pm.

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