The Cape Town Metropolitan Stakes, also known as the Cape Town Met, takes place annually at Kenilworth Racecourse. It is one of South Africa’s biggest horse racing events, so Easybet put together a guide to betting on it.
Easybet has summarised what you need to know about the history and tradition of the Cape Town Met and how it became one of South Africa’s top horse racing events.
Cape Town Met history
The Cape Metropolitan Stakes is a prestigious Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race held on the turf at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town, South Africa. The race covers 2000 metres and dates back to 1883 when it was the Metropolitan Mile.
It is one of South Africa’s three main horse racing events of the year, alongside the Durban July and the Summer Cup.
As the name suggests, the race was initially a mile.
By 1915, the race was 1800m. Organisers set it at its current distance of 2000m in 1948.
The Metropolitan Handicap took place multiple times per year between 1895 and 1909. In 1901, it was run five times – in March, April, June, October and December.
There was no race in 1914 and 1918 as a result of WW1. The Metropolitan Handicap of 1943 and 1944 was at Milnerton, with Kenilworth a military base during those years.
In 1947, it changed from a November race to a January race annually. That year, Thorium won.
Most Successful Cape Town Met Jockeys, Trainers and Horses
The most successful trainers in Cape Town Met history include Cookie Amos, Terrance Millard, Tony Millard, Peter Kannemeyer, Mike de Kock, Mike Bass, Syd Laird, Alec Laird and Justin Snaith.
Historically, the Kannemeyer, Millard and Laird families were hugely successful in this race.
Jockey Felix Coetzee won the race four times in a row between 1988 and 1991, riding four different horses in a remarkable feat.
Pocket Power and Horse Chestnut were two of the best horses to race at the Cape Town Met.
Horse Chestnut, trained by Mike de Kock, won the 1999 Cape Town Met. This was the year in which it won South African horse racing’s Triple Crown – the Gauteng Guineas, South African Classic and South African Derby.
Pocket Power won the race three times in a row – in 2007, 2008 and 2009 – with Mike Bass as its trainer.
When is the Cape Town Met?
It will take place next on 25 January 2025, with R5 million in prize money at stake. This is an R3 million increase on the previous year’s prize money.
Until then, you can claim our 150% First Deposit Match and bet on other horse racing events with Easybet.
