Horse of the Year Variety Club and Cape Derby winner Jackson look set to renew rivalry in the R2.5 million J & B Met at Kenilworth in February.

The pair top a list of 31 high class entries for the Western Cape’s premier event to be run on February 2.

Jackson is rated two points inferior to Variety Club but may the popular pick if both run in the G1 Met over 2000m.

The Joey Ramsden-trained Variety Club is considered the best horse in the country with good cause as he has won 11 of his 16 races, including eight Graded events and has earned R2.58 million in stakes.

He has shown no ill effects from suffering a nose bleed when he won the G1 Gold Challenge at Clairwood in June, winning both his starts this season including the Green Point Stakes where he confirmed the form of the KZN Guineas in beating Jackson by nearly the same margin.

However there is a doubt about Variety Club is as good over 2000m and many reckon Jackson will be his superior over that distance, remembering that he beat his arch rival by two lengths over the trip in the Cape Derby on Met Day this year.

Jackson went on to win the G1 Daily News 2000 but then failed in the Durban July from a wide draw behind Pomodoro and has been placed in both runs this season behind Variety Club.

Also among the first entries are Durban July winner Pomodoro, SA Classic winner Slumdogmillionaire and Betting World Derby and Champions Cup winner Master Plan.

Pomodoro has run only once since his Durban July triumph and in an 1160m race at Turffontein in which he showed loads to class to win by a narrow margin.

One horse many racing fans will be looking forward to seeing again is Gavin van Zyl’s stable-star Slumdogmillionaire, who has not raced since beating Pomodoro by a head in the SA Classic but is due to have a preparatory run for the Met this month.

Trainer Joey Ramsden has also nominated last Sunday’s Selangor Cup winner King Of Pain, one of only two three-year-olds among the initial list, the other being Guineas Trial winner Love Struck from the Paul Lafferty yard.

Dennis Drier has entered Betting World 1900 winner Beach Beauty, unlucky behind Igugu in last season’s race, and SA Fillies Classic winner Bambina Stripes.

The Brett Crawford-trained Thunder Dance and Dubai Gina out of the Vaughan Marshall yard are the only other females on the initial list.

Marshall has also nominated his former Eastern Cape and Schweppes 2200 winner Tribal Dance while champion trainer Mike de Kock has only nominated beaten Summer Cup favourite Mujaarib although his contingent may ll swell as there are still two further opportunities for entries.

First supplementary entries are due on Wednesday, 19 December, with a final chance for entry on Monday, 14 January 2013.

ENTRIES FOR THE R2.5 MILLION J&B MET

VARIETY CLUB Joey Ramsden
JACKSON Brett Crawford
BRAVURA Joey Ramsden
BEACH BEAUTY Dennis Drier
POMODORO Sean Tarry
RUN FOR IT Justin Snaith
SLUMDOGMILLIONAIRE Gavin van Zyl
CASTLETHORPE Mike Bass
MASTER PLAN Greg Ennion
TRIBAL DANCE Vaughan Marshall
CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD Justin Snaith
ENGLISH GARDEN Mike Bass
IN WRITING Dean Kannemeyer
KING OF PAIN Joey Ramsden
TAIPAN Dean Kannemeyer
BLACK WING Brett Crawford
FABIANI Glen Kotzen
GOLD ONYX Sean Tarry
ICE MACHINE Garth Puller
BULSARA Gavin van Zyl
CASK S H Page
DUBAI GINA Vaughan Marshall
ASTRO NEWS Brian Wiid
THUNDER DANCE Brett Crawford
HILL FIFTY FOUR Vaughan Marshall
LOVE STRUCK Paul Lafferty
MUJAARIB Mike de Kock
MYSTIC MOON Darryl Hodgson
BAMBINA STRIPES Dennis Drier
JET EXPLORER Justin Snaith
HAMMIE’S DYNASTY Mike Bass