By Adnaan Mohamed
See It Again cantered straight into racing folklore, completing a redemption arc as dramatic as a last-furlong swoop from the clouds when he won the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met (Gr 1) over 2000m on Saturday, 31 January 2026.
The 6-year-old, sent off a confident 5/2, travelled like a horse rediscovering his old rhythm. When jockey Andrew Fortune angled him into daylight in the straight, See It Again lengthened stride with the smooth authority of a champion finally back in tune. He held the relentless late surge of 33/1 outsider Legal Counsel by three-quarters of a length, with The Real Prince flashing briefly from the rear before flattening out into third. Okavango, who had dictated a muddling tempo, boxed on gamely for fourth.
It was a training masterclass from Justin Snaith, who saddled the first, second and fourth, underlining his dominance on a day when his yard fired like a well-oiled starting gate. The runner-up was ridden by Aldo Domeyer, Fortune’s son. It was a poignant subplot in a race rich with narrative.
For See It Again, this victory snapped a 454-day win drought. Once brilliant at three and four, the son of Twice Over had been written off after behavioural issues at the gates blunted his spark. Critics had labelled him “past it”. Snaith disagreed.
The trainer credited the calmer environment at his Philippi base and the work of behaviourist Malan du Toit for helping reset the horse’s mindset. The signs were already there: gritty third-place finishes in the Green Point Stakes (Gr 2) and L’Ormarins King’s Plate hinted that the engine was humming again.
Fortune, who nicknamed him “Champy”, had been feeling it too. Working the horse daily, he forged a bond built on trust and patience, virtues Fortune himself had to relearn. The veteran jockey’s comeback is as remarkable as the horse’s. After battling addiction, weight issues, suspensions and rejection, he once admitted at his lowest ebb that “no one wanted me.”
Now re-admitted in his late 50s, Fortune is riding like a man reborn. His handling of See It Again was cool, balanced and perfectly judged from the hands of a jockey who knows both the cost of mistakes and the value of second chances.
Owner Mr N Jonsson added another chapter to his own fairytale, landing a fourth consecutive Cape Town Met with four different horses, Jet Dark (2023), Double Superlative (2024), Eight on Eighteen (2025) and now See It Again. He called it “an impossible dream.”
Fortune doubled up earlier when steering Double Grand Slam to victory in the Majorca Stakes (Gr 1) over 1600m. From a wide draw, he read the lack of pace, slid into a stalking role and struck early up the stand-side rail. The mare, a ten-time winner, held off Rainbow Lorikeet by a neck, once again edging out son Aldo in a family photo finish.
Elsewhere on the card, Star Major sprang a 33/1 surprise in the Politician Stakes (Gr 3), patiently ridden by Luyulo Mxothwa to deny Fortune and favourite Happy Verse. Ahead of the Facts crushed the Western Cape Stayers (Gr 3) by three lengths despite a hefty weight turnaround, while Time for Love rediscovered her best to win the Summer Fling Stakes (Gr 3) at 25/1.
A Symphony of Style
High fashion, elite racing and social culture converged in spectacular harmony under the 2026 theme Symphony of Style. Off the track, fashionistas and celebrities enjoyed unrivalled views of the day’s thrills, including the Best Dressed competition and a performance by the Amaballet’s Amavengers, a high-energy dance troupe whose choreography blended classical ballet, Amapiano rhythms, and street dance elements, centring on visual spectacle and musical synergy.
Nina van Dina took first place in the Best Interpretation of the Theme Symphony of Style, Beaia Kgokong from Johannesburg was awarded the Style Icon award, while Sheara Murphy won the Designers’ Choice award, and Best Dressed Crew award went to Kevin Ellis and Tracey Maltman who interpreted the theme to perfection. Ellis and Maltman previously won the Best Dressed Crew award in 2007. All winners walked away with bumper prizes, including a Fieldbar Mini Bar, bottle of Johnnie Walker, R3,000 in sports betting vouchers and more.
But the day belonged to See It Again, a horse once off the bridle of belief, now back in full gallop, reminding the racing world that champions, like jockeys, sometimes just need the reins loosened to fly again.
For more information on the line-up of upcoming events, visit www.racecoast.co.za.