The Cape Metropolitan Stakes, currently named the Sun Met (and previously known as the J&B Met), is a Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race run on the turf at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town, South Africa. It is run over 2000m. It was first run in 1883 as the Metropolitan Mile.

It is considered one of the three main feature races in South Africa, alongside the Vodacom Durban July, and the Summer Cup.

Sponsors

J&B Whiskey (part of the Diageo group at the time) were sponsors of the Cape Metropolitan Stakes from 1977 to 2016. The stake pot offered by the company was R40,000, making it a record purse for a race at the time. The race was commonly referred to as the J&B Met during their rein as sponsors.

In 2017 Sun International became sponsors of the race, with it being referred to as the Sun Met.

World Sports Betting (WSB) a South African sports and live games betting site took over sponsorship in 2022 and the race was renamed to the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met. Press release: https://www.sportingpost.co.za/2021/12/met-gets-a-new-sponsor/

Past winners

Listed below are the past winners of the Met.

Edition Year Horse Jockey Trainer 97 1959 Bulbul Colin Palm Cookie Amos 98 1960 Appeal Court 99 1961 Frantic 100 1962 Jerez Stanley Amos Cookie Amos 101 1963 Polar Bear 102 1964 The Giant Colin Palm Cookie Amos 103 1965 Speciality 104 1966 Renounce Duncan Alexander Cookie Amos 105 1967 Ding Dong James Maree 106 1968 107 1969 Peter Beware Terrance Millard 108 1970 Snow Fun Duncan Alexander J Bell 109 1971 Night Off 110 1972 Force Ten 111 1973 Gold Flame Terence D’Arcy 112 1974 Yataghan Bertie Hayden Syd Laird 113 1975 Sledgehammer Michael Roberts Fred Rickaby 114 1976 Gatecrasher Garth Puller Herman Brown 115 1977 Bahadur 116 1978 Politician Bertie Hayden Syd Laird 117 1979 Politician Bertie Hayden Syd Laird 118 1980 Sunshine Man Felix Coetzee Peter Kannemeyer 119 1981 Queen’s Elect 120 1982 Foveros Basil Marcus Herman Brown snr 121 1983 Arctic Cove Terrance Millard 122 1984 Wolf Power Jeff Lloyd Ricky Maingard 123 1985 Charles Fortune Grant Kotzen Michael Airey 124 1986 Wild West Greg Holme Ralph Rixon 125 1987 Model Man Basil Marcus Patrick Lunn 126 1988 Mark Anthony Felix Coetzee Terrance Millard 127 1989 Fearless Streaker Felix Coetzee 128 1990 Jungle Warrior Felix Coetzee Eric Sands 129 1991 Olympic Duel Felix Coetzee Terrance Millard 130 1992 Divine Master Jeff Lloyd Peter Kannemeyer 131 1993 Empress Club Anton Marcus Tony Millard 132 1994 Pas De Quoi Garth Puller Peter Kannemeyer 133 1995 Surfing Home Jeff Lloyd Tony Millard 134 1996 La Fabulous Robbie Fradd Vaughan Marshall 135 1997 London News Douglas Whyte Alec Laird 136 1998 Imperious Sue Anthony Delpech David Payne 137 1999 Horse Chestnut Waichong Marwing Mike de Kock 138 2000 Badger’s Coast Guillermo Figueroa Mike de Kock 139 2001 Bunter Barlow Glen Hatt Mike Bass 140 2002 Polo Classic Barend Vorster Eric Sands 141 2003 Angus Piere Strydom Brett Crawford 142 2004 Yard-Arm Mark Khan Geoff Woodruff 143 2005 Alastor Garth Puller Sean Tarry 144 2006 Zebra Crossing Jeff Lloyd Neil Bruss 145 2007 Pocket Power Jeff Lloyd Mike Bass 146 2008 Pocket Power Bernard Faydherbe Mike Bass 147 2009 Pocket Power Bernard Faydherbe Mike Bass 148 2010 River Jetez Glen Hatt Mike Bass 149 2011 Past Master Gerrit Schlechter Darryl Hodgson 150 2012 Igugu Anthony Delpech Mike de Kock 151 2013 Martial Eagle Aldo Domeyer Yogas Govender 152 2014 Hill Fifty Four Anton Marcus Vaughan Marshall 153 2015 Futura B Fayd'herbe Brett Crawford 154 2016 Smart Call Juan Paul V'd Merwe Alec Laird 155 2017 Whisky Baron Greg Cheyne Brett Crawford 156 2018 Oh Susanna Grant Van Niekerk Justin Snaith 157 2019 Rainbow Bridge Anton Marcus Eric Sands 158 2020 One World MJ Byleveld Vaughan Marshall 159 2021 Rainbow Bridge Luke Ferraris Eric Sands 160 2022 Kommetdieding Gavin Lerena H W Crawford & M Rix 161 2023 Jet Dark Richard Fourie Justin Snaith 162 2024 Double Superlative Daniel Muscutt Justin Snaith 163 2025 Eight On Eighteen Richard Fourie Justin Snaith

References