J&B Met: An all-round hot contest

Based on the quality of the entries, this year’s J&B Met promises to be one of the most hotly contested in many years.

The R2.5 million race will be run over 2 000 metres at Kenilworth racecourse in Cape Town on Saturday January 30.

And The Citizen is giving its readers the chance to win a dream weekend to watch this year’s J&B Met. The prize for two people includes flights, accommodation, meals, betting and clothing vouchers, VIP hospitality at the races and cash.

In the field we have last year’s winner and current Horse Of The Year, Futura, the last two Durban July champions in Legislate and Power King, last year’s Summer Cup winner Master Sabina, the highest rated runner in the country Legal Eagle and the current Champion Three-Year-Old French Navy.

Add to that the best two fillies in the land – Same Jurisdiction and Smart Call – and this year’s Grade 1 race could end up being the most competitive Met of all time.

Legal Eagle, winner of the SA Derby and Jubilee Handicap, started as favourite for last year’s Durban July but he suffered interference during the running of the race and could only manage fifth place, although he was a mere 2.50 lengths behind the winner.

He currently has a merit rating of 120, one point more than Futura who finished 0.25 lengths in front of him in the Durban July. The J&B Met is a conditions race and not a handicap which means horses are allocated weights according to their age, sex and performances in graded races.

Fillies and mares get a 2.5kg sex allowance. The weights for the race will be released on Monday and the final field and barrier positions for this year’s event will be announced the following week, on Monday January 18.

The connections of the winning horse will receive R1.425 million, the runner-up R500 000, the third horse R250 000 and the fourth-placed runner will earn R125 000.

Stakes are paid all the way to 10th place for which the connections will get R25 000.