Snaith on Met day hopefuls
JUSTIN SNAITH is 22-10 favourite to be the winning trainer in the Saturday’s Sun Met with Candice Bass-Robinson 33-10 and Sean Tarry 4-1.
World Sports Betting’s other prices on this particular bet are 7-1 Mike de Kock, 15-2 Dean Kannemeyer, 10-1 Brett Crawford, 18-1 Glen Kotzen, 55-1 Robbie Sage and 110-1 Glen Puller.
“I liked to hear about that 22-10 but what worries me is that I think I was favourite last year too,” says Snaith whose runners came no closer than seventh 12 months ago and who has yet to win the great race.
This time, though, he sends out a quarter of the field.
Single figures
Krambambuli and Elusive Silva are longshots but Oh Susanna, African Night Sky and Copper Force are all in single figures.
The last-named finished so strongly in the Queen’s Plate that he was beaten less than half a length by Legal Eagle but form students are still scratching their heads because the performance was well above anything he had done before.
“He always had good form but before his previous run (the Green Point) he had a slight injury and I think the medication knocked him back a bit,” Snaith explains. “In fact he was a bit unlucky in the Queen’s Plate.
“The re-run doesn’t really show what happened but Lyle Hewitson said he found trouble twice in the straight.
“Wherever Legal Eagle finishes I reckon Copper Force will either be next to him or in front of him.”
African Night Sky (also on 9-1) is the one the stable has laid out for the race from the start of the season.
“They took away the Jet Master Stakes so he was a run short, and having his second race after a rest, in the Queen’s Plate but being beaten less than three lengths in a hard run race was a good effort.
He will be spot on for Saturday and he is much better over ten furlongs than a mile.”
Oh Susanna is the shortest priced of the Snaith quintet at 7-1 and bids to emulate Smart Call who completed the Paddock-Met double two years ago.
She was beaten over three lengths by Snowdance in the Fillies Guineas but have a look at the re-run before judging her.
She lost several lengths almost immediately by tacking across to the rails from her 13 draw and in the straight she came from miles back whereas Snowdance was perfectly placed throughout.
“Snowdance is very good but Oh Susanna is not too far behind her,” Snaith confirms.
“As time goes on she will get better and better. She has a decent draw and an in-form jockey.
“With only 51.5kg you’ve got to give her some sort of a chance.”
Snowdance
Snowdance is well-nigh unbackable for the Klawervlei Majorca (at odds of anything between 2-9 and 1-6).
“It’s a big concern,” says her trainer who is worried about the filly being got at. We have heightened all the security around her but she is flying and she is now better than when she won the Fillies Guineas.”