The Cape Town Met is among the biggest sporting occasions in South Africa and no-one has more of a love affair with the prestigious horse race than Justin Snaith.
For many, the Kenilworth event is just that – a Group 1 horse race taking place in late January or early February each year. However, for Snaith – and others – the Cape Town Met is much more than just being part of the sporting calendar.
One of South Africa’s leading horse racing trainers, Snaith’s love affair with the Cape Town Met - first staged back in 1883 - comes courtesy of four victories, including the last three in a row.
He is the dominant force in the race, a story which started with his breakthrough in 2018 with Oh Susanna, a three-year-old filly who triumphed as the sole youngster in an elite field.
It was another five years before he saddled the winner of the great race again when Jet Dark won in 2023, gaining revenge for an agonising runner-up effort in 2022.
Double Superlative lived up to his name in 2024 to help Snaith go back-to-back in the Cape Town Met before an unlikely hat-trick of wins for the stable was completed in 2025 when Eight on Eighteen raced to victory at Kenilworth.
South Africa's multiple champion trainer might have five Durban July triumphs on his CV, but being based in Cape Town it is the Met that holds the biggest place in his – and his Snaith Racing team’s - heart.
That’s understandable with the team at Snaith Racing based in the Ottery suburb of Cape Town, a stone’s through from neighbouring Kenilworth Racecourse.
2026 Cape Town Met – Snaith Racing Mob-Handed
The 2026 edition of the Group 1 showpiece, which is second in popularity only to the Durban July when it comes to South African horse racing, takes place on Saturday, January 31.
In his bid for a historic fifth win and fourth successive victory, Snaith will have six of the 11 runners including the defending champion Eight on Eighteen. Last year’s winner was named Equus Horse of the Year after becoming a rare three-year-old winner of the Cape Town Met.
Joining him in this year’s line-up will be stablemates See It Again, Sail The Seas, Legal Counsel, Native Ruler and Okavango to give Snaith a huge chance of that fourth straight win in the R5 million showpiece over 2000m.
The odds, as detailed by leading South African sports site Bets.co.za, are firmly stacked in Snaith’s favour of success.
2026 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met
Once again, the WSB Cape Town Met will blend top-tier racing, fashion, and live entertainment under the "Symphony of Style" theme this year.
The iconic event will draw locals together at Kenilworth Racecourse for a vibrant celebration of Cape Town's spirit.
It is a huge boost to the city's economy through tourism, betting and hospitality with tens of thousands of racegoers expected to be part of the occasion at the end of January.
