Snaith confident Oh Susanna will be a big Sun Met runner

Nicci Garner

Three-year-old Oh Susanna is currently the shortest-priced runner in trainer Justin Snaith’s five-horse Sun Met arsenal and he believes at the weight-for-age conditions she has an outstanding chance of shooting down the big guns in the R5-million race.

The 7-1 third favourite, she is the youngest horse in the race, but carries just 51.5kg and has a good draw at No 6. Jockey Grant van Niekerk has the ability to make full use of both so don’t be too surprised to see her popping out the pack halfway down the straight and leaving her more famous rivals looking like peashooters.

She is going 2000m for the first time but swept away from her rivals in the 1800m Paddock Stakes last time out, with three-year-olds filling the first three places. She was showing no signs of stopping as the finishing post flashed past and will have no trouble with this longer journey.

“We’ve been seeing the same horses again in these big races, so it’s nice to have a breath of fresh air in the form of Oh Susanna,” said Snaith. “She’s doing very well at home and she’s going to be a runner. I wouldn’t be surprise to see her pop up.”

Two other Snaith charges, Copper Force and African Night Sky are both quoted at 9-1 by Betting World.

They finished second and seventh behind big-race favourite Legal Eagle in the Queen’s Plate last time out. Snaith gives both a chance of fighting out the finish.

“African Night Sky is doing very well at home,” he said. “He missed one preparatory race before the Queen’s Plate so came into that one run short. But he’s primed for the Met.

“Everything’s done, he’s ready, and he’ll get a lot closer to those horses who are better at a ‘mile’ because he’s much better at 2000m. In fact, his form only starts at 2000m. He has big-race jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe up and a great draw. I make him a big runner.

“That was a fantastic Queen’s Plate run by Copper Force and he’s come on nicely from that race. He’ll get the 2000m, no problem. If you like Legal Eagle, you have to respect Copper Force.”

Krambambuli and Elusive Silva are quoted at 40-1 and 50-1 respectively, but Snaith says: “This is the most open Met in years, so you’ve got to give them some sort of a chance.

“Krambambuli has had an ideal prep and his last run was super impressive under top weight of 60kg. He’s barely put a hoof wrong in the last year – ignore his Gold Cup run because a horse broke down in front of him and that is the only blotch on his page.”

Since winning the Cape Stayers last Met Day he has won the Highland Night Cup at Greyville, finished joint fourth with Nightingale in the Durban July, seventh in the Gold Cup, third in the Premier Trophy and fifth in the Peninsula Handicap.

“Elusive Silva needed his last run (when ninth in the Peninsula Handicap) and might find the race on the tough side at the weights, but he’s a horse who enjoys 2000m and it’s an open race so I’ve got to give him some sort of a chance.”

He has three runners in the Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m, one of the big supporting features, and many will be banking on Snowdance as their banker in the Pick 6 Megapool.

However, he says, “There’s already a lot of pressure on her in her first feature against older fillies and I don’t need to add more. Grant must just make sure she’s secure and safe.

“That said she’s a top filly and very well. Her workout (yesterday) was very good. Everything’s gone to plan. Grant has been riding her at home and he’s very happy.”

He also has the third favourite in the race, Gimme Six. “She didn’t have the easiest of preparations because the programme was not great for her. But I’ve done everything I can to get her to best. She’s doing well at home and could sneak into the money.”

However, he prefers the chances of Star Express, who is a 25-1 chance. She ran 10th in the Paddock Stakes, “but had a very bad draw and tried to overcome it. She’s back to a good draw here and is a nice backup to Oh Susanna over the ‘mile’.”

He is hoping to have a “particularly good day” and is also expecting big things of second favourite Cot Campbell in the $500,000 CTS 1600.