Huge bettings on the Met

The J&B Met race meeting at Kenilworth Racecourse on Saturday, January 30 is set to generate one of the biggest betting days of the year with a huge Pick 6 pool on the meeting and a Quartet Pool of more than R4 million on the R2.5million Grade 1 race.

The J&B Met is the Cape Town’s premier event of the year and also one of the major races on the local horse-racing calendar.

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.

The TAB Pick 6 pool on Met day will kick off with a R2-million carry-over and the total net pool is set to top R8 million.

There will be 12 races run at the meeting and the Quartet pools on three of them will be boosted by carry-overs, including the Quartet on the Met which will start with a R500 000 carry-over.

TAB betting on the Met will open on Monday, January 25. Antepost betting on the R2.million Met is still totally dominated by Legal Eagle who beat several of his big-race rivals in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.

Legal Eagle, trained by Sean Tarry (who is an SA champion trainer), easily beat Legislate by 1.50 lengths while early Met favourite Futura, could only finish fifth.

Top jockey Pierre Strydom, who gives his views every Saturday in Form Focus, reckons Legal Eagle will be tough to beat but is hopeful his mount, Legislate, and stable companion Futura may be able to improve on their Queen’s Plate performances.

“I was quite pleased with Legislate’s run as he ran a creditable second after a break of many months, but as he has a habit of over-racing, the 2 000m could be more of a problem,” said Strydom.

“In the Queen’s Plate I was asked to teach him to settle and he seemed to be better behaved than in the past. Maybe he will settle even better over 2 000m, which should at least bring him in with a chance.”