Hot racing and couture at a scorching Met

Steamy weather was matched by summery fashion and hot betting as the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met meeting got rolling at Kenilworth.

Punters piled into the day’s Pick 6 exotic wager, swelling the pool to more than R12-million – well beyond the R10-million predicted.

Flamboyant frocks in bright white glinted in the blazing sun; outfits in reds, pinks and oranges seemed to add to the heat and humidity of the day and the fiery on-course action.

It all combined to make the Cape Town Met one of the best, in terms of vibe and atmosphere, seen by Kenilworth veterans in many a long year. The dressing of the venue by the sponsors, World Sports Betting and others, turned the 163rd running of the great race into something special.

Snaith the main man

It was certainly special for South Africa’s champion trainer Justin Snaith, who got things off to a stunning start, winning four of the first six races on the card.

However, the horse Snaith had considered his best bet on the day, Double Grand Slam, was narrowly beaten in a thrilling finish to Race 2, the Grade 1 Maine Chance Farms Majorca Stakes.

Glan Kotzen-trained, 5-1 shot Rascova got the judge’s verdict on evidence of the photo, with Double Grand Slam (7-10) probably doing too much by racing wide around the bend of the 1800m trip.

Snaith bagged Race 1 with 4-1 chance Wild Wild Green, who outsprinted his juvenile stablemate Clair De Lune, who started at 13-10. Then it was the Snaith Show as Mucho Dinero, Let It Be Said and I’m So Pritti all trotted up.

The latter started at 25-1, blowing out many thousands of Pick 6 bettors. Part-owner Greg Bortz might be as popular figure as the man behind the great revival of Cape Town horse racing, but he might have got a bit of a frosty reception after this shocking result!