Time To Strike. The Sean Tarry trained Whiteline Fever is set for a big run in the hands of Piere Strydom
The R2 million Gr1 Sansui Summer Cup is one of the great spectacles on our racing calendar.
Described as the toughest 2000m contest in Africa and with trainer Mike De Kock on the brink of his tenth victory in the event, all the elements of history and drama of a great occasion are guaranteed. The capacity field of twenty that lines up shortly before 5pm at Turffontein on Saturday is also one of the most competitive in years.
The final field has been the subject of excited debate for weeks, and as we have become accustomed in racing, it is not without controversy either. The inclusion of the likes of Kum Naidoo’s Gothic from his 40th slot on the informal race log and the alleged kid glove handicapping applied to former SA Derby winner Royal Bencher, are two sideshows that may be better analysed after the race.
Strategy
Saturday’s race will be run on the standside track. The twenty horses will run straight for the first 600m, giving those with high-number draws a chance to avoid being caught wide on the turn. The acid test begins when the runners go into the bend at the 1400m with a tough 12m climb to the entrance to the home straight at the 800m mark. Then it’s straight all the way to the finishing post, allowing those who come from off the pace ample opportunity to get to the leaders. And, as is the norm in the big races, the pace is bound to be on from the go.
Last year’s winner Wagner returns to the scene of his greatest triumph. Interestingly he narrowly beat Shogunnar in that cracker of a contest, and the Gavin Van Zyl gelding only won his second race just a matter of weeks ago in a small field in the Cape. Such is the open nature of the Summer Cup, and it goes to show that anybody can win it on the day.
Double Date
Trainer Joey Soma conceded this week that he was not as confident as he was prior to last year’s race. Wagner’s last run in the Charity Mile is best ignored as he was found to be suffering from a lung infection. As a natural front runner, Wagner will be up there from the break and the astute Soma should not be underestimated as a master tactician, who will no doubt have a plan to register an unlikely double.
Victory Path
Serious Threat. Geoff Woodruff’s progressive Master Sabina takes his next step up the ladder on Saturday
A popular starting point in determining the winner of the Summer Cup means going back a fortnight to the running of the Gr2 Victory Moon Stakes, run over 200m shorter. That race produced a dazzling victory for Sean Tarry’s Tiger’s Retreat, who comes in on Saturday as the stable elect of the big race winning yard’s trio.
In the Victory Moon Stakes Tiger’s Retreat hit the front 500m from home and stayed on strongly to beat Master Sabina by a short head. It was a typically cavalier and probably unintentionally brave ride by Raymond Danielson. It probably proved that Tiger’s Retreat will stay the 2000m.
Master Sabina is a magnificent specimen and is now a half kilo better off with Tiger’s Retreat. It is no secret that Robbie Fradd was disappointed to get beaten in the Victory Moon Stakes, after looking a winner 200m out. Master Sabina now jumps from a good draw and will be at peak fitness in his third run after a rest.
The unknown factor will be Tiger’s Retreat’s potentially enhanced performance, assuming he is ridden more conservatively this time. Technically he could be lengths better than his Victory Moon Stakes performance.
Grey Mare
In third place behind Tiger’s Retreat and Master Sabina was Mike De Kock’s grey mare, Ilha Bela. It would be a glorious achievement were she to repeat the win of 2005 by her brilliant mother, who raced in the same Wilgerbosdrift silks. It would also mark a historic and well deserved tenth win for Mike De Kock. The daughter of Fort Wood is now 1,5kgs better off with the males and could be a different proposition, if ridden closer to the pace from her good draw.
Topweights
Wylie Hal and Whiteline Fever are the joint topweights in this race. Michael Leaf’s Australian bred SA Derby winner comes out of 3yo crop that has often been maligned as quite ordinary.Wyle Hall is also not too favourably weighted and as one example, his former stablemate Gothic, whom he beat narrowly in the Derby is as much as 6,5kgs better off here. On the plus side. Wylie Hall is a lovely strapping fellow who has run with and beaten the best, and while his Charity Mile effort looks quiet, it was not a bad effort.
Sean Tarry looks to have played an ace with the engagement of Piere Strydom for Whiteline Fever. The son of Right Approach has often been the subject of overconfident rides, and coupled with the ongoing uncertainty as to which is his best distance , he now gets the ideal opportunity to clinch a big one.
Described by his trainer as one of the ‘worst handicapped horses in the country’, he was beaten just over 2 lengths in the 2012 Summer Cup last year. While Strydom has to overcome a 14 draw, his biggest concern will be finding himself too far out of his ground in the final 400m.
Cherry Ripe
Ormond Ferraris’ Cherry On The Top is one of the best fillies in South Africa, but has a big ask at the weights from her poor draw. She ran disappointingly in the Charity Mile when badly in at weights, and Piere Strydom expressed the opinion after that run that she didn’t feel 100 percent sound. She was found to be lame on the near fore.
The shock Charity Mile winner Royal Zulu Warrior has incurred a hefty penalty which could find him out. The son of Mossman has also been plagued by unsoundness throughout his career, and is not guaranteed to stay the trip. This will be exacerbated if he fails to settle in running.
Travelled
Charles Laird’s Astro News has drawn against the paint and the son of Silvano has his first run back in Gauteng after a stint in PE. Described as one of the ‘most well travelled horses in the country’ Astro News ran a fair fourth in the Summer Cup in 2012, but is worse off at the weights this time round, and looks an optimistic entry at best.
The second of the Ferraris runners is the Muhtafal gelding Knock On Wood, who was soundly beaten last year. There must be a serious question against his prep for Saturday and he is a notoriously poor starter whose prospects won’t be enhanced from his 15 draw.
Tyrone Zackey’s Kahal 7yo Smanjemanje was a shock winner of his last start beating Tiger Play. He may have improved after a wind operation, but has a 19 draw to beat. While he is a gallant tough warrior, who is capable of matching strides with the best on his day, he may be past his best and has plenty of obstacles to overcome.
Awful
Robbie Sage and Colin Bird would have cringed when being allocated a 17 draw for the game Jet Master 4yo filly, Jet Belle. The little galloper lived in the shadows of the Triple Tiara queen Cherry On The Top last season and has a very tough ask at the weights. She won her sprint prep in great style last time though, and must have an outside place chance.
Sean Tarry saddles the coastal specialist Gold Onyx. A battle hardened older former Gr1 winner, he has not had an ideal prep and comes in as an optimist’s choice. His jockey Gavin Lerena has been quite out of sorts of late, and won’t lack for motivation to win the big one.
Gavin Van Zyl saddles the Strike Smartly mare Cherry On The Cake. She looks to have her work cut out from an 18 draw and steps up in class on Saturday.
Highflyer
St John Gray’s Glorious Jet has drawn the widest gate of all, which is such a pity as the son of Jet Master is only just now to starting to realise his early potential. Glorious Jet ran a cracker when a three quarter length second to Royal Zulu Warrior in the Charity Mile and looks to have enjoyed close to a prefect prep. A lot will depend on the pace of the race but he looks handicapped for a big run.
Current weak favourite Yorker is one of four Woodruff runners. Yorker has plenty in his favour and jumps from a good draw with a top jockey in Anton Marcus in the saddle. He was gelded before his last start when running a fair fifth in the Charity Mile and has his second second run after a rest. The biggest question against Yorker is the fact that he has yet to deliver the goods at the higher levels and will be put to the test here.
Favouritism
A controversial talking horse by virtue of perceived favouritism by the handicapper, Alec Laird’s SA Derby dead heater Royal Bencher showed pace in the Victory Moon stakes and has dropped a pound on that run. He has in fact dropped a total of 7 pounds in his last 4 runs and comes in rather well weighted as a result. He will be ridden by Kevin Shea, who rode such a cracker to win the Green Point Stakes last Saturday at Kenilworth.
Kum Naidoo’s Gothic has been labelled a ‘lucky’ horse to get in the race and while winning his third last start, has been rather average recently. He will be ridden by Greg Cheyne, and will be an interesting runner to watch.
Perfect Pair
Geoff Woodruff’s remaining two runners are not without chances. Tellina will be ridden by Glen Hatt and that fact alone gives the 4yo a chance. He has finally been blessed with a half decent draw, but ran poorly in the Charity Mile, and has not had the ideal prep. There are suggestions that he will only show his true worth once he has been gelded.
The Australian bred Killua Castle enjoys the combined benefits of bottomweight, a good draw and the crack lightweight jockey Richard Fourie in the saddle. If he stays, the son of Churchill Downs must have a serious chance of going very close.
Sizzling
All told, the Summer Cup should be a sizzler. More than half the field have serious winning chances, depending on pace, luck in running and their wellbeing on the day. We are going with Sabina Park and Whiteline Fever to fight it out. But that is not a conclusive deduction by any means.
