Filly was a gutsy Cup runner-up.
Olivia’s Way, 40-1 runner-up in Saturday’s Betway Summer Cup, is one of the noteworthy first entries for the 2026 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met to be run at Kenilworth on 31 January.
The four-year-old filly, trained on the Highveld by veteran Roy Magner, came within half a length of winning South African racing’s richest prize at Turffontein on Saturday – losing out to 100-1 shock winner Mocha Blend, another filly, trained by Durban’s Frank Robinson.
Mocha Blend was not among the early Met candidates unveiled by Race Coast last week, but her connections have plenty of opportunity to supplement her into the R5-million Grade 1 contest, with first supps due on 17 December and final supps on 12 January.
The deadline for declarations is 20 January, after which the final field will be announced and the barrier draw made.
Apart from Olivia’s Way, the only Summer Cup participants nominated for the Met are Sean Tarry-trained Legend Of Arthur (who finished eighth) and James Crawford’s Otto Luyken (16th).
Well-backed Summer Cup runners like The Equator, King Pelles, Royal Victory and Atticus Finch are notable absentees from Cape Town’s biggest horse race.
An interesting name on the list is See It Again, Michael Roberts’s hapless charge, who was scratched from the Summer Cup after refusing to load in both his preparatory races in Durban ahead of the trip to Joburg.
A Cape Derby winner, See It Again has twice finished fourth in the Met – and placed in the Durban July – after unlucky passages.
Race Coast also released the names of first entries or the 2026 L’Ormarins King’s Plate to be run at Kenilworth three weeks before the Met – and they are almost a carbon copy of the Met hopefuls.
Some careful planning and difficult decisions lie ahead for owners and trainers.
FIRST ENTRIES
L’Ormarins King’s Plate:
(draw, name, trainer MR)
25 Cosmic Speed Sean Tarry 126
1 Dave The King Mike / Mathew de Kock 128
15 Eight On Eighteen Justin Snaith 129
24 Fire Attack Alec Laird 126
16 Garrix Piet / Elbert Steyn 118
2 Gimmie Rules Dean Kannemeyer 102
17 Gladatorian Stuart Ferrie 127
12 Good For You Glen Kotzen 110
5 Great Plains Justin Snaith 122
7 Happy Verse Justin Snaith 103
20 His Majesty (IRE) Vaughan Marshall 109
3 Jan Van Goyen Mike / Mathew de Kock 118
22 Jet Force Des A McLachlan 93
11 La Pulga Candice Bass 96
21 Legal Counsel Justin Snaith 112
13 Legend Of Arthur Sean Tarry 117
23 Mon Petit Cherie James Crawford 120
9 Questioning Vaughan Marshall 123
8 Red Palace Dean Kannemeyer 119
10 Sail The Seas Justin Snaith 127
18 See It Again Michael Roberts 125
6 Snow Pilot Justin Snaith 125
4 Sugar Mountain Candice Bass 123
14 The Real Prince Dean Kannemeyer 126
19 Vapour Trail Vaughan Marshall 107
WSB Cape Town Met:
0 Cosmic Speed Sean Tarry 126
0 Dave The King Mike / Mathew de Kock 128
0 Eight On Eighteen Justin Snaith 129
0 Fire Attack Alec Laird 126
0 Garrix Piet / Elbert Steyn 118
0 Gimmie Rules Dean Kannemeyer 102
0 Gladatorian Stuart Ferrie 127
0 Happy Verse Justin Snaith 103
0 Holding Thumbs Glen Kotzen 113
0 La Pulga Candice Bass 96
0 Legal Counsel Justin Snaith 112
0 Legend Of Arthur Sean Tarry 117
0 Magic Verse Justin Snaith 113
0 Master Redoute Andre Nel 115
0 Native Ruler Justin Snaith 119
0 Okavango Justin Snaith 120
0 Olivia’s Way Roy Magner 112
0 Otto Luyken James Crawford 116
0 Red Palace Dean Kannemeyer 119
0 Regulation Justin Snaith 99
0 Sail The Seas Justin Snaith 127
0 See It Again Michael Roberts 125
0 Sugar Mountain Candice Bass 123
0 The Real Prince Dean Kannemeyer 126
0 Zeitz Andre Nel 101
