A field of 16 horses will face the starter for the 163rd renewal of the Cape Town Met at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, 25 January.
A field of 16 horses will face the starter for the 163rd renewal of the Cape Town Met at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, 25 January. Image: Cape Racing

Home » Cape Town Met PREDICTIONS: Here’s who will WIN

Cape Town Met PREDICTIONS: Here’s who will WIN

A field of 16 horses will face the starter for the 163rd renewal of the Cape Town Met at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, 25 January.

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24-01-25 18:51
A field of 16 horses will face the starter for the 163rd renewal of the Cape Town Met at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, 25 January.
A field of 16 horses will face the starter for the 163rd renewal of the Cape Town Met at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, 25 January. Image: Cape Racing

A field of 16 horses will face the starter for the 163rd renewal of the R5 million Grade 1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, 25 January.

The race will be run over 2 000m.

Bookmark The South African website for all the build-up to the 2025 Cape Town Met.

The winner of the race will pocket R2 968 750 with the runner-up taking home R950 000.

Third place is worth R475 000, fourth R237 500 while fifth will earn R118 750.

The race in the eighth (of 12) on the day and is due off at 16:05.

Previous winners

In what looks all set to be a vintage renewal of the flagship race that started life as the Metropolitan Mile in 1883, a nationally representative field of 15 colts and geldings, and a lone filly in Dean Kannemeyer’s Red Palace – who pulled a pole position gate – will bid for glory and a chapter in the history books of the South African turf.

South African champion trainer Justin Snaith boasts five of the Met runners in his bid to win the big race for the third consecutive year, and the fourth time overall after Oh Susanna did so in 2017.

Snaith is one of five of the 10 trainers in the 2025 renewal who have won the Met before, and he is joined by Vaughan Marshall, Brett Crawford (now in partnership with son James), as well as raiders Sean Tarry and Alec Laird, who have raised the trophy in the past.

Six of the jockeys riding in this year’s Met have won the race previously, including Grant van Niekerk and Richard Fourie who again team up with Justin Snaith.

Gavin Lerena, JP van der Merwe, Aldo Domeyer and Piere Strydom are the other past winners.

Late withdrawal

As reported by The South African website, trainer Dean Kannemeyer has withdrawn Green With Envy from the 2025 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met.

The reason given was ‘lame near fore’.

Hollywoodbets had the colt priced up at 5/1 at time of scratching, suggesting he would’ve been a big runner, leaving the field considerably weaker.

Green With Envy had drawn the No 9 gate and was due to be ridden by Craig Zackey.

Kannemeyer still has one other horse in the race, Red Palace, who drew Gate 1 and will have have Gavin Lerena aboard.

Latest betting

According to the Hollywoodbets website, Justin Snaith-trained Eight On Eighteen is the narrow favourite ahead of Oriental Charm from the Brett and James Crawford yard.

See It Again for trainer Michael Roberts, and Red Palace from the Kannemeyer stable, are next best according to the bookies.

Prediction

  1. Eight on Eighteen
  2. Oriental Charm
  3. Future Swing

Draw for the 2025 Cape Town Met

DrawHorseWeightMerit ratingJockeyTrainer
1Red Palace57119Gavin LerenaDean Kannemeyer
2Al Muthana (AUS)60116Gareth WrightRicky Maingard
3Oriental Charm59.5125JP van der MerweBrett Crawford/James Crawford
4Future Swing60114Grant van NiekerkJustin Snaith
5Atticus Finch60121Raymond DanielsonAlec Laird
6Litigation60113Muzi YeniSean Tarry
7Royal Aussie60124Kabelo MatsunyaneJustin Snaith
8Pacaya60116Rachel VennikerJustin Snaith
9Green With Envy – SCRATCHED59.5127Craig ZackeyDean Kannemeyer
10Eight On Eighteen54115Richard FourieJustin Snaith
11Magic Verse59.5114Aldo DomeyerJustin Snaith
12See It Again60131Piere StrydomMichael Roberts
13Baratheon60106Tristan GoddenPiet Botha
14Master Redoute60117Serino MoodleyAndre Nel
15Montien60129Corne OrfferPiet Botha
16Rascallion60122Sean VealeVaughan Marshall
17Zapatillas60119Luyolo MxothwaBrett Crawford/James Crawford

ADDITIONAL INFO

Gates open at 10:00 on the day and the festivities continue until 22:00.

There will be 12 races on the day.

The fashion theme for 2025 is ‘Couture Unleashed.’

No one under 18 is allowed at the event.

Are you a horse racing enthusiast?

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