Cape Town Met 2026 Betting Preview & Tips - Why Snaith can make it four in a row in Grade 1

Jon Vine

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Jon Vine 3 hours ago

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Justin Snaith targets Triple Crown victory with Sail The Seas.
A more moderate pace expected at Kenilworth, favoring strong finishers.
Top contenders include Eight On Eighteen, The Real Prince, and See It Again.

The Cape Town Met at Kenilworth. (Getty)

The 2026 Cape Town Met takes place at Kenilworth Racecourse on Saturday, January 31, with trainer Justin Snaith bidding for another win in the Grade 1.

Snaith accounts for six of the 11 runners in Saturday's Cape Town Met as he bids to win the second leg of the Triple Crown for the fourth year running.

Topping the market we find defending champion Eight On Eighteen, who could only finish eighth on his seasonal reappearance in the L'Ormarins King's Plate.

The Real Prince upset Eight On Eighteen to win the Durban July last summer, and Dean Kannemeyer's star produced another shock when landing the King's Plate here at Kenilworth earlier this month.

See It Again was only beaten half-a-length on his first start for Justin Snaith in the King's Plate, and he's been backed to the head of the market for Saturday's feature.

Sail The Seas was also involved in the blanket finish to the King's Plate, and Snaith's third-string will be ridden again by Muzi Yeni. Okavango, Native Ruler and Legal Counsel will also represent the Justin Snaith stable.

Piet and Elbert Steyn will be hoping to see Garrix run better than his tenth-place finish in the King's Plate. Sean Tarry's Cosmic Speed managed to finish fourth at Kenilworth, but might not be suited by this extended trip. Tony Peter's recruit, The Equator completes Saturday's line-up.

2026 Cape Town Met Best Bets

Dave The King set a ridiculous early pace in the King's Plate. Favourite, Jan Van Goyen and Fire Attack sat closest to the front-runner throughout, and they were the last three to cross the line, which shows how poorly the leaders judged their early fractions.

Eight On Eighteen was having his first start of the season that day, and was taken off his feet by the speed of the leaders. Justin Snaith's star was one of the first to come under pressure, and although he could only finish eighth, Richie Fourie's mount wasn't beaten all that far. Snaith will be confident that Eight On Eighteen will improve for his seasonal reappearance, and this step back up in trip should certainly suit.

The Real Prince got the win in that Triple Crown event, edging out Questioning, after the two made strong challenges from well off the pace. SAIL THE SEAS was only beaten half a length back in fourth, but it was a performance full of encouragement from Muzi Yeni's mount.

Knowing his mount is a strong stayer at a mile, Yeni was keen to keep tabs on the leading trio and raced comfortably in fourth throughout. Sail The Seas was angled off the rail with two furlongs to travel and hit the front going well. Sadly, sitting so close to the pace in the early stages caught up with Sail The Seas in the dying strides, as three charging rivals passed him on the run to the line.

This step up in trip may suit the likes of Eight On Eighteen and See It Again better than Sail The Seas, who was beaten on his two starts further than a mile last term. However, Snaith's four-year-old improved with his racing last term, and now seems ready for this step up in distance.

A lack of potential front-runners on Saturday should ensure a steadier early pace than in the King's Plate. Yeni should have no trouble grabbing the rail again from a favourable draw in stall three, which will help him save some valuable ground over this trip.

If Sail The Seas has taken another forward step from his excellent King's Plate effort, he should be bang there once again.