Snaith’s Met Day runners enjoy a morning at the beach
Ken Nicol
The Snaith stable hosted a preSun Met beach party on Friday morning when clients and media were invited to Sunrise Beach near Muizenberg as their more prominent runners on the big day enjoyed some R&R.
These Friday visits to the beach are a fixture on the stable roster, but as they rolled off the float the first thing you noticed were the prominent and professional looking saddle cloths with each horse’s name prominently displayed.
Bernard Fayd’Herbe took Cot Campbell, Grant Van Niekerk Oh Susanna: Val De Vie polo professional Rob Hampson was on Sergeant Hardy, Kenilworth raceday manager Theresa Esplin rode Master’s Spirit, while Met hopeful African Night Sky was ridden by stable patriarch Chris Snaith.
The horses loved coming to the seaside and frolicked happily, apart from a brief moment of concern when Oh Susanna spooked momentarily from the white backdrop being used by the film crew of one of the models on site.
Old pro Krambambuli was swiftly roped in as a replacement and lapped up the attention as he posed happily, as if born to the role.
Afterwards the horses went home and the spectators decamped to nearby historic venue Casa Labia for a hearty breakfast surrounded by priceless original artworks. The restaurant there, Cucina Labia, is managed by Oscar Foulkes and his team at Dish Food and Social. Sergeant Hardy lines up in Saturday’s Cape Flying Championship for Oscar and his mother Veronica.
Betting World’s odds for the Grade 1 races on Met Day:
R5-million Sun Met celebrated with G.H. MUMM: 9-2 Legal Eagle, Marinaresco; 15-2 Oh Susanna, Last Winter; 9-1 Copper Force, Cascapedia, African Night Sky; 12-1 Gold Standard; 16-1 Captain America; 25-1 Heavenly Blue; 28-1 Sail South, Horizon; 33-1 Nother Russia, Nightingale; 45-1 Krambambuli; 50-1 Coral Fever, Elusive Silva, Nebula; 66-1 Safe Harbour; 75-1 Silicone Valley
R1-million Betting World Cape Flying Championship: 7-2 Naafer; 9-2 Trip To Heaven; 5-1 Sergeant Hardy; 7-1 Bold Respect; 10-1 Alfolk; 12-1 Graduation Day, Tevez, Always In Charge; 14-1 Search Party; 16-1 Jo’s Bond; 25-1 Attenborough, La Favourari, Live Life; 40-1 Sommerlied, Brutal Force, Olympian; 50-1 Talktothestars, Percival.
R1-million Investec Cape Derby: 28-10 Tap O Noth; 33-10 Eyes Wide Open; 7-2 White River; 11-2 Like A Panther; 8-1 Fresnaye; 9-1 Do It Again, Pack Leader; 28-1 Spring Man; 33-1 Kimberley Star; 40-1 Steel Rose, The Sun Also Rises, Visigoth, Silver Coin, Opera Royal; 50-1 What A Joker.
R1-million Klawervlei Majorca Stakes: 17-100 Snowdance; 8-1 Just Sensual; 12-1 Gimme Six; 16-1 Silvan Star; 25-1 Star Express, Goodtime Gal, Rose In Bloom; 40-1 Premier Dance, Rockin Russian, Seattle Gold; 50-1 Final Judgement; 66-1 Beataboutthebush, Louisiana.