2026 Cape Town Met Final Field - Eight on Eighteen heads six Justin Snaith contenders

Gary Emmerson

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Gary Emmerson 1 hour ago

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Reigning champion Eight on Eighteen leads the 2026 Cape Town Met lineup.
Trainer Justin Snaith fields six out of 11 runners in the race.
The Real Prince and other top contenders promise an exciting race.

Cape Town Met is run on Saturday (Getty Images)

Reigning champion Eight on Eighteen is one of six Justin Snaith runners in an 11-strong line-up for the 2026 Cape Town Met at Kenilworth Racecourse on Saturday, 31 January 2026.

The race has attracted several of South Africa’s highest-rated middle‑distance horses, headlined by defending champion Eight on Eighteen and The Real Prince, fresh from a top‑level mile victory in the King's Plate earlier in the month.

Snaith dominates the contenders with more than half the field, sending out six of the 11 runners as he looks to win the R5 million Grade 1 showpiece for the fourth year running.

Snaith won with Jet Dark (2023), Double Superlative (2024) and Eight on Eighteen (2025) in the last three years.

Cape Town Met Final Field 2026

Draw	Horse	Weight	Jockey	Trainer
1	Cosmic Speed	59.5	Gavin Lerena	Sean Tarry
2	Eight On Eighteen	59.5	Richard Fourie	Justin Snaith
3	Sail The Seas	59.5	Muzi Yeni	Justin Snaith
4	Gladatorian	60.0	Sean Veale	Stuart Ferrie
5	Garrix	59.5	Keagan de Melo	Piet / Elbert Steyn
6	The Real Prince	60.0	Craig Zackey	Dean Kannemeyer
7	Legal Counsel	59.5	Aldo Domeyer	Justin Snaith
8	Native Ruler	59.5	Juan Paul v’d Merwe	Justin Snaith
9	The Equator (IRE)	60.0	Rene Piechulek	Tony Peter
10	See It Again	60.0	Andrew Fortune	Justin Snaith
11	Okavango	59.5	Callan Murray	Justin Snaith

Cape Town Met Runners & Key Contenders

The 11 horse line‑up for the 2026 Cape Town Met features a mix of proven Grade 1 performers and emerging stars. The pick of them is the defending champion Eight on Eighteen.

Eight on Eighteen

The reigning Equus Horse of the Year and 2025 Cape Town Met winner, Eight on Eighteen has drawn in barrier 2 and again represents the powerful Justin Snaith yard as one of six runners for the stable.

The Real Prince

Winner of the 2026 L’Ormarins King’s Plate and the 2025 Hollywoodbets Durban July, The Real Prince is going for a rare treble of South Africa’s premier weight‑for‑age and handicap features.

Sail The Seas

Another of the Justin Snaith string and partnered by Muzi Yeni, Sail The Seas has a strong merit rating that places him among the top contenders if the pace is honest.

Gladatorian

A seasoned campaigner for trainer Stuart Ferrie, Gladatorian brings solid graded‑race form into the Met and can be competitive with Sean Veale up.

Garrix

A lighter‑weighted runner handled by Keagan de Melo, Garrix is a possible pace factor and an upset chance at Kenilworth.

Legal Counsel

Another of the six Snaith runners, Legal Counsel has been progressive over middle distances and is a lively chance ridden by Aldo Domeyer.

Native Ruler

Native Ruler is also from the Snaith operation, with Juan Paul van der Merwe booked to ride. He might have to play for place money behind stablemates.

The Equator

A smart import trained by Tony Peter and ridden by German jockey Rene Piechulek, adding an international flavour.

See It Again

Top‑class performer with Andrew Fortune in the irons and Justin Snaith as trainer, bringing depth to the stable’s challenge.

Okavango

The last of the six Snaith representatives to be ridden by Callan Murray. He is capable of running on strongly if held up off a solid tempo.