J&B Met draws finalised

THE draw for the R2.5m, Grade 1, J & B Met (2000m) at Kenilworth  on 28 January was held at the course on Thursday with South Africa’s Horse Of The Year Igugu drawing perfectly in barrier seven, writes LIESL KING, who snapped a few photos at the function.

The mare likes to race handy and Mike de Kock, who has had a multitude of wide draws Cape features, will be well pleased.

Igugu is preparing for her fifth Grade 1 race after winning four of her previous outings including the 2011 Durban July over 2200m, as a three-year-old against older horses. Stable jockey Anthony Delpech rides and she will be carrying 57kg under the race conditions.

Jehan Malherbe drew Igugu on behalf of Mike de Kock. That smile says it all!

The Joey Ramsden trained top-weight Bravura, with 60kg; drew wide at barrier 12 for Anton Marcus, as did the Mike Bass trained Chesalon who was the final horse to be called and only barrier 16 was left for the Grade 2 Premier Trophy winner.

Chesalon carries 57.5kg under Karis Teetan. All is not lost for Chesalon in the opinion of major owner Hassen Adams, who commented after his own colt Gimmethegreenlight drew well at eight, that last year his runner Past Master won the Met from barrier 15. (headline photo)

Gimmethegreenlight, trained by Justin Snaith, carries 54kg, 1kg less than in his last start victory in the Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate over 1600m on 7 January.  It will, however, be the three-year-old’s first race over 2000m. Piere Strydom continues his association with the colt after their Queen’s Plate win.

The two four-year-old mares Emerald Cove, with 57kg, and Beach Beauty, with 55kg, both drew well in barriers one and five respectively. With Igugu expected to set the early pace, they have the right draws to slot in behind her. Felix Coetzee will be on Emerald Cove, while regularly jockey, Alec Forbes, will partner Beach Beauty.

Denis Drier, trainer of Beach Beauty, said after the draw that the mare was in fine form and that her half-length second to Thunder Dance in the Grade 1 TBA Paddock Stakes over 1800m on January 7^th did not reflect her ability due to the slow pace of that race.

Tales of Bravery: MJ Byleveld, Roy and Mrs Eckstein, Vaughan Marshall.

Tales Of Bravery was another whose Met ambitions were not helped with his barrier draw of 15.  The Vaughan Marshall trained and MJ Byleveld ridden five-year-old will carry 58kg. Third to Gimmethegreenlight in the Queen’s Plate where they carried 60kg and 55kg respectively, the weight difference closes to 4kg for the Met.

Sc# Draw Horse Mass MR  B A T Jockey Trainer

1-12  BRAVURA 60.0 113  B A A Marcus Joey Ramsden
2-11 THE APACHE 59.5 114  A R Danielson Gavin van Zyl
3-15 TALES OF BRAVERY 58.0 113  A M Byleveld VMarshall
4-  2  ILSANPIETRO 58.0 111 C A W Marwing Mike de Kock
5-  3  LION IN WINTER 58.0 109 A G Hatt Joey Ramsden
6-  9   SMANJEMANJE 58.0 108 A *G v Niekerk Tyrone Zackey
7-  6  CASK 58.0 107 A G Wrogemann Stephen Page
8-14  FABIANI 58.0 107 A S Cormack Glen Kotzen
9 -13  SUPER STORM 58.0 104 (104)  A Karl Neisius Mike Bass
10-16 CHESALON 57.5 110 (109) A Karis  Teetan Mike Bass
11- 4  RUN FOR IT 57.5 106 (105) 0 A B Fayd’Herbe J Snaith
12- 7   IGUGU 57.0 117 (116)  A Anthony Delpech Mike de Kock
13- 1  EMERALD COVE 57.0 106 A Felix Coetzee Justin Snaith
14- 5  BEACH BEAUTY 55.0 108 A Alec Forbes Dennis Drier
15- 8  GIMMETHEGREENLIGHT 54.0 117  A P Strydom J Snaith
16-10 ASTRO NEWS 52.0 107  A Richard Fourie Greg Ennion

Couplings: (1,5) (4,12) (9,10) (11,13,15)