Fourie has one over his rivals

Jockey Richard Fourie believes Do It Again is a special horse and the son of Twice Over will prove it in the R5-million Sun Met celebrated with G.H.MUMM over 2000m at Kenilworth tomorrow.

In the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Do It Again beat most of the opposition he will face in this race and we know he is even better over this sort of distance.

The handicappers were very impressed with his victory over Soqrat and raised his merit rating to 125, making him the highest rated horse in the country.

Last year he won the Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July over 2200m at Greyville in Durban, which is a handicap, but as the Sun Met is run under weight-for age terms, he is weighted to beat them all again.

Jockey Richard Fourie is full of praise for this four-year-old and he rates Do It Again among the three best horses he has ridden. “He has earned his rating,” said Fourie.

“He’s a very special horse and he deserves to be favourite. “There is something about him; he has the ‘X factor’.

He is forever improving and you probably will only see the best of him when he is five-years-old.”He also rates his biggest danger as Oh Susanna, the filly who won it last year.

As a three-year-old she came into the race with just 51.5kg on her back and that made her hard to stop.

This time she carries 57kg so it will be a lot tougher. She has improved since then but she will find Do It Again a tough nut to crack.

In her favour she has a top jockey in Bernard Fayd’Herbe.

What is interesting is that trainer Justin Snaith, who has four runners in the race, trains both Do It Again and Oh Susanna and he is on record stating whoever beats the filly, will win the race.

This will be Legal Eagle’s fourth attempt to win this race and at the age of seven, it is not getting any easier.

In his defence, for the last three years one horse has come into the race very well weighted and that horse has gone on to win.

In his first two attmpts Legal Eagle finished second while last year he ran fourth, although beaten just 1.65 lengths.

There is no horse racing off a light weight this time and that could work in Legal Eagle’s favour.

This will be the first time champion jockey Lyle Hewitson will take the ride.Legal Eagle is a winner of 15 races and was unbeaten in 10 out of 10 races over 1600m.

However, that ended in the Queen’s Plate where he finished fourth.

Anton Marcus had ridden him in almost all of his races to that point but after that race Marcus jumped ship and picked up the ride on Rainbow Bridge who had finished ahead of Legal Eagle in the Queen’s Plate.

Rainbow Bridge won his first five races in style but was then beaten by Legal Eagle in the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes and again by Do It Again in the Queen’s Plate.

On that last run it is hard to see him reversing the placings with Do It Again, even with Marcus up.

This will be his first race beyond 1600m so perhaps he could improve over the extra 400m.

Head Honcho is not well weighted but he has won six of his last seven races. He is sure to stay the trip and it would come as no surprise to see him run into the placings.

Eyes Wide Open is another who should run a big race.

He is a two-time Grade 1 winner including last year’s Cape Derby among them.

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