Best bet for the Met

Cape Town - The connections of the favourite for this year’s J&B Met must be extremely nervous today.

Will their racehorse Jackson bring his A game to the course or will he decide to take a day off?

If you think it cannot happen that equine performers take days off, you should have been at Greyville last year.

The hot shot favourite seemed to have the July at his mercy. But Jackson broke the hearts of his stable when he trotted around the course and when in the home straight made no attempt to accelerate and had nothing to offer.

Although all kinds of excuses were offered the conclusion was that he just had a bad day.

Six months later the scenario is once again the same. Jackson is the favourite and deservedly so.

His build up has been immaculate and his task has been made easier by the scratching of his closest rivals like potential superstar Variety Club and the fancied In Writing.

Anyone involved in the racing industry will tell you that these animals develop bad habits which can be difficult to rectify.

Did Jackson merely take a dislike to Greyville racecourse last year and will he be fine at Kenilworth today? But what if he dislikes big crowds?

I prefer the chances of the more reliable Pomodoro.

The Durban filly Beach Beauty has been receiving quiet support and trainer Dennis Drier is confident Beauty will add to the record of fillies in this race.

Several others have a good chance of taking the big prize if Jackson does not come to the party.

It all depends on whether Lord Jackson got up on the right side of the bed this morning.

BEST BETS (TO WIN)

Race 3: Barbosa

Race 6: Cape Town Noir

OTHER GOOD BETS

(take wins and places)

Race 7: Hammies Hooker

Race 8 (Met): Jackson

Race 10: Hammies Dynasty

PLACE BETS

Race 6: Ze Kaiser