David Thiselton

THE WSB Summer Cup final field was announced yesterday and the spate of scratchings beforehand meant only one horse had to be eliminated.  

The final field panellists elected current form as the chief determining factor and made the brave decision to eliminate the former Summer Cup winner Tilbury Fort, who has not made the frame in any of his last dozen runs.

The weights were all dragged up as the topweight at the beginning of the week, Queen Supreme, has been redirected to the Grade 2 lpi Tombe Challenge. 

The new joint topweights are the Sean Tarry-trained 120 merit rated pair Zilzaal and Tierra Del Fuego.

Summer Pudding has to carry 59kg. The highest weight carried to victory by a female in the Summer Cup is 58kg by Empress Club in 1992 and Dancewiththedevil in 2011.

Summer Pudding also has to jump from draw 18 and faces males for the first time, so despite being unbeaten in eight starts her 18/10 odds do not look to be good value. She will attempt to give both Paul Peter and Warren Kennedy their first Summer Cup wins.

Pack Leader has a plum draw of four and carries 54,5kg. He appears to have blossomed in the yard of Alec Laird, who won the Summer Cup with Malteme in 2006. Even if he hasn’t improved his Sun Met seventh place is good enough form to win this race. He will be ridden by 2012 winning rider S’Manga Khumalo.  

Charles will attempt to give Mike de Kock a tenth Summer Cup victory, although this year is also the tenth anniversary of the great trainer’s last victory in this race with Flirtation in 2010. Charles’ two best runs to date have been a neck second in the Grade 1 Cape Derby last year and a 0,75 length second in the Grade 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile in his second start on the Highveld last time out. Last year’s Cape Derby field has been called sub-standard, even by De Kock who won it with Atyaab, but interestingly the Vodacom Durban July winner Belgarion as well as the Charity Mile winner Hudoo Magic and the Grade 2 Drill Hall Stakes winner Bunker Hunt all came out of that race. Charles will be ridden by Callan Murray from draw eleven.

Cornish Pomodoro at 16/1 is the shortest priced of the quintet of runners from the yard of Sean Tarry, who is going for a fourth Summer Cup victory in succession. This horse looks to have come into his own since gelding so is a contender from draw 12 under the 2018 winning jockey Lyle Hewitson.

Zillzaal ran a cracking 1,95 length fifth in the Charity Mie, considering it was his first start since winning last year’s Summer Cup. He jumps from barrier position 15, the exact same draw as last year. A jockey is yet to be declared although a conspicuous absentee from the declared riders is Anton Marcus.    

Tierra Del Fuego is drawn 14 and will be ridden by three-times Summer Cup-winning jockey Gavin Lerena. His Grade 1 Champions Challenge 5,30 length third to Hawwaam gives him a shout.

The improving Tarry-trained Tree Tumbo, who finished fourth in the Charity Mile, is drawn seven and Calvin Habib rides.

Tarry’s filly Victoria Paige was dropped three points after failing to win the Victory Moon when well weighted but she sneaks into the handicap with the minimum 52kg off her 105 merit rating. However, Serino Moodley will have to overcome draw 20.

Tony Rivalland’s Tristful should be cherry ripe and is drawn in pole carrying 56kg so has a shout under in form Diego De Gouveia over a trip he has proven he gets.

Crown Towers has a nice draw of nine and carries 57.5kg. He will also enjoy the course and distance and Richard Fourie rides.

Astrix still has a better draw than he had in both last year’s SA Classic and the recent Victory Moon, so with better cover than he had in those races he might stay the trip and will be a contender if he does.

Victory Moon winner Christopher Robin has a plum draw of two and this tough progressive sort, who carries 54kg, will be ridden by last year’s winning rider Dennis Schwarz.

The Charity Mile third-placed Youcanthurrylove is the dark horse considering he gave Got The Greenlight a fright when a 0,85 length third in the SA Classic and now carries 55,5kg from a good draw of five.

Seven Patriots is by speed influence Soft Falling Rain but he, like his dam, has won over 1800m so he might stay the trip although he looks held by Christopher Robin on Victory Moon Stakes form. 

Divine Odyssey is an old warrior who only finished 12th carrying 52,5kg last year and now has to carry 58.5kg.

Running Brave can never be discounted over this trip and will likely attempt to get to the front from draw ten carrying 57kg.

Dance Class is the worst weighted runner, being 3,5kg under sufferance and she has to overcome draw 13.

Last year’s SA Derby winner Hero’s Honour is drawn 16 and carries 55kg.

Last year’s Cape Derby winner Atyaab, now trained by the irrepressible Port Elizabeth-based Zietsman Oosthuizen, is drawn 17 and carries 57.5kg.

Riverstown is another dark horse  as he is untried over the distance and has some class, although he does have to overcome a draw of 19. He is by Byword, who won over this trip, out of a Fastnet Rock mare whose third dam is an own sprinter to European champion sprinter Last Tycoon. However, there is also some stamina in the female line including an Irish Oaks runner up.  

Andrew  Harrison

I must admit to having a soft spot for Mount Anderson but he has let me down more often than not. But he gets one last nod when he lines up in the fourth at Hollywoodbets Greyville tomorrow, the first leg of the Pick 6 on a nine-race card.

Dean Kannemeyer’s runner has been banging on the door of late, close-up second at his last two, and it should open for him here as he reverts to what may be his optimum trip.

Born To Perform has also been a touch disappointing of late but has a plum draw here over what may prove to be his best trip as he has been trying further in useful company without much success. Petra is a smart mare and won well for Robbie Hill last time out. She takes on males over an extra furlong but should be competitive. Dark horse is Baby Shooz. He shows heaps of promise but has not been out since February. He has a wide draw and may be one for the notebook.

In the next leg, Gavin van Zyl sends out the progressive gelding Donald Macdonald who has yet to miss a cheque in five starts. He has been lumped with fair weight to carry against stronger but still looks capable. Karoo Lark has come down steadily in the ratings but cheek pieces for the first time saw big improvement. He had shown promise early in his career and may only now be realising his potential. Sunny Bill Du-toy has been dropping in the ratings and has his first run for his new stable. He is another that showed promise early in his career and a change of scenery could bring the best out in him.  Of the balance Silver Fox Dog has a light weight and looks promising. His last start was way too short.

The sixth is a tricky fillies and mares handicap but Sea Venture has run two smart races on the poly over a similar distance and from a pole position draw should make a fist of it for her second win. Lady Lu is lightly raced but was a little disappointing last run after her smart local debut. The blinkers come off and she could prove to be the biggest threat. Guadeloupe has had two hard races over shorter. She comes from an in-form yard and the step up in trip could suit.

In the seventh, Kayson looks progressive but takes on some smart older horses. Peter Muscutt’s runner was a narrow winner last time out but has only had four starts and still improving. Letaba seldom runs a poor race and has been in good form of late as he has improved in blinkers and should be right there. So Var found something like his best form last run when switched to the poly. He is an old campaigner and the synthetic surface probably suits. The same can be said of Di Mazzio who is always dangerous but does look better over the shorter trip although one cannot discount his chances with a 4kg claimer up.

Muscutt could have a quick double as he sends of Hugs Accepted for the eighth.

She came from the clouds to shed her maiden. Donovan Dillon was impressed, “this is a proper horse” and she certainly looks smart. She jumps from a much better draw and with Jabu Jacobs claiming 2.5 kg she can go in again. Magicallee comes from a very much inform stable but has another poor draw. But she has been in good form of late and is in with a big shout along with Wildy In Love who was caught late when making good improvement last run and a repeat should see her right up there alongside Magicallee.

In the final leg of the Pick 6, Iron Henry makes his local debut after showing some fair Cape form. He is lightly raced and if he takes to the poly he could be the one to beat. Glory And Sunshine has the worst of the draw but came in for longshot betting support last start and seems set for good improvement. Darkest Dawn came in for good market support last start but made no show. He could be worth giving another chance.

David Thiselton

THE Sean Tarry-trained Captain Al filly Victoria Paige has everything in her favour in the Grade 3 Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday.

The race is run under merit rated band conditions plus penalties for Grade 1 and Grade 2 wins and females are given a 2,5kg allowance.

Victoria Paige thus comes in 2kg better off than any other horse and 2,5kg better off than any of the males in the race.

Furthermore, she was unlucky in the Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile last time out. She became very unsettled a second or so before the starter hit the button and was tardily away. In the straight she was making good resolute progress when she was squeezed out badly and this might have cost her a cheque. She now steps up to her probable optimum trip and carries just 51.5kg from a plum draw of three. Tarry confirmed that she had been doing well at home and labelled her a big runner.

His other runner Tilbury Fort is the best weighted male in the field but returns from a 112 day layoff. Tarry said this would be a preparation run for the seven-year-old ahead of the Summer Cup, which he won two years ago, but he pointed out he runs well fresh. The jockey who gets on best with him, Lyle Hewitson, is aboard, while the accomplished Chase Maujean rides Victoria Paige.

Christopher Robin is the second worst weighted horse in the field, being 7,5kg out with Victoria Paige, but he has always struck as one who was capable of further progression as a four-year-old and he now has his third run after a layoff. In his first two runs this season he finished second to the useful Category Four and second to Seven Patriots, both over this trip. He is 1kg better off with Seven Patriots for a 4,25 length beating on their last meeting. However, in their previous meeting Christopher Robin beat Seven Patriots by 0,75 lengths on the same equal weight terms as here.

The Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Seven Patriots was given an easy lead in his last run, when going on to win comfortably, but that is unlikely to happen here because firstly he has a wide draw and secondly his stablemate Orpheus is in the field. However, he did win fluently that day though and is a contender.

Orpheus is a big horse so should be cherry ripe in his third run after a layoff. From pole position and carrying a nice galloping weight of 54kg he is going to be dangerous in his favourite front-running role.

The topweight is Green Haze and he will need to step up considerably from his Charity Mile run when not making much progress from last. 

Astrix has the class to win this. In his only try at the trip he was caught wide from draw 16 of 16 in the Grade 1 SA Classic and not surprisingly faded at the business end. He has another wide draw but will now be ridden by Warren Kennedy, whose skill in placing horses is not matched by many in this country. If he does find cover the Vercingetorix gelding could stay the trip and will be a big runner despite being 4,5kg under sufferance with Victoria Paige.

Imperial Ruby is 3kg under sufferance with Victoria Paige and would prefer further. 

Glider Pilot was in good form earlier this season but has not run since March and at the beginning of the season did not do well in two runs following a layoff. 

Dark Moon Rising did not make any impression when trying to run on from last against Seven Patriots last time and finished 14 lengths back. The blinkers come on to help him bounce back but he is hard to fancy. 

Snow Palace ran a fair race in her penultimate start over 2000m and also ran a good fourth in the Gold Bracelet on Gold Cup day. However, she has a tricky draw, especially for one who likes to be handy or lead, and her lacklustre last run over 2400m puts a bit of a cloud over her. 

Dance Class is 8kg under sufferance with Victoria Paige and although she has progressed nicely this season her last two defeats off her current 92 rating suggests she might not be capable of improving by that much in just one race. 

Victoria Paige is selected to beat Christopher Robin with Orpheus next best and they could be followed home by Seven Patriots Tibury Fort and Astrix.   

David Thiselton

THE first race at Turffontein on Wednesday over 1450m was won by the Sean Tarry-trained Eagle Alley, who is by Silvano out of Magnolia Lane, a full-sister to the legendary Yeats.

The latter won the Ascot Gold Cup four times in succession.

Tarry said afterwards about the Klawervlei Stud-bred Bernard Kantor and Chris van Niekerk-owned three-year-old colt, “We felt a bit of pressure bringing him out on a track like this, the Inside course, over 1450m. It is definitely a distance way short of his best. We always said the pedigree may be a bit too stout, but if he’s come out and won over 1400m the future bodes well. He could well be an exciting horse. I’ve always said I had some decent three-year-olds but not early three-year-olds and hopefully in the second half of the season we can play catch up with the big guns.”

 Lyle Hewitson was aboard and managed to find the rail in midfield from draw 6. He drove him from a long way out and his resolute finish just got him up in time to beat Manterio by 0,25 lengths and thus convert 22/10 favouritism.

Eagle Alley’s Sadler’s Wells dam, Magnolia Lane, was placed as a three-year-old and has previously produced Torcedor (Fastnet Rock). The latter won two Group 3 staying events in Ireland and the UK and later finished a length third to Stradivarious in the Ascot Gold Cup in 2018 and a half-a-length second to the latter stalwart in the 2018 Goodwood Cup.

Andrew Harrison

SOME smart fillies line up in the Sea Cottage Graduation Plate that heads the card on the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville today, the meeting swopped with Gauteng to accommodate the Two-Year-Old Sale at Gosforth Park.

Top of the list is Justin Snaith’s filly Keep The Lights On. Snaith has recently opened a satellite yard at Summerveld that houses many runners owned by his KZN-based owner Nick Jonsson. Keep The Lights On races in Jonsson’s silks and the one question punters will be asking is if Keep The Lights On is fit enough to win. She boasts some smart form in strong company from the worst draws and is well weighted here.

Her last start was in The Debutante on Gold Cup day where she jumped from the extreme outside gate and only found the top filly Ecstatic Green too strong for her.

Snaith gave her a break after that and she makes what officially amounts to her seasonal debut tomorrow but if not short of a run she should be hard to beat.

The year older Stella Act has done well in strong company but returns from an even longer break. But she does have a touch of class and should be competitive. Golden Slipper winner Love Bomb is another making her seasonal debut but was a touch disappoint at her last start after her previous win in the Golden Slipper. She is the highest rated filly in the race but could find it tough going at the weights. Sav’s Star also returns from a break but has shown promise. She had a tricky draw in feature company last time out but Nathan Kotzen keeps 2.5kg claimer Thabiso Gumede aboard that should see her more competitive at the weights.

Wendy Whitehead has been sending out winners on a regular basis of late and saddles African Sunrise in the Conditional Progress Plate. He is a gelding with his quirks but is more than just useful on his day. He drops in trip but has a good draw and if he brings his A game, he should be difficult to beat.

Should he fail, thinks get trickier. Colour Of My Fate has been consistent in useful company and comes in with a light weight. Williams Land steps up to a more suitable trip and he may just have needed his latest. Anton Marcus has jumped ship from Pearl Of Asia to ride African Sunrise but Robbie Hill’s gelding is no slouch and can do better than his last start.

The fifth is another handicap puzzle for punters but Cherry Road is top class and Gavin van Zyl’s filly has done well from bad draws at her last three. She has a plum draw this time around and can beat the weight. She will face plenty of opposition from Diamondsandpearls who is also smart but may need a touch further to show her best from a wide draw.  Eightfolds Lass has been in good form, her best recent effort over course and distance from a tough draw while Connect Me has not had much luck at recent outings. She has the best of the draw here and can make good improvement.

It takes a lot to make the genial Kom Naidoo lose his sense of humour but apprentice Gumede was on the receiving end after a less than inspiring ride on Fives Wild last time out. Gumede gets a chance to make amends in the last as Naidoo has kept him aboard in another difficult handicap. Five’s Wild has useful form on the poly and seems sure to improve. Jerry The Juggler has his second run for his new stable and the blinkers go on. He was not far back in his first run for the yard. Hammam took on stronger when back to a sprint last outing and his recent form is consistent.

David Thiselton

CHAMPION filly Anything Goes was found to have only suffered a superficial injury after rolling in her stable shortly before her intended engagement in the Peermont Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup at the end of last month and she might be back for the Grade 2 WSB Ipi Tombe Challenge over a mile on WSB Summer Cup day.

Trainer Stuart Pettigrew said about the country’s highest rated three-year-old filly, “She just took some hair off the whither and it was exactly where the saddle goes, so it is the same sort of thing as having a boil in the mouth and putting the bit in, but there was no injury to either bone or tendon so it was not serious. I will give her a bit of work on the grass and she might then run in the Ipi Tombe but only if I am 100% happy. There are seven races for her in the future and there is no rush.”

The unbeaten daughter of Var does not have a Cape Summer campaign on her itinerary. 

Pettigrew said, “I skipped Cape Town with Surcharge and will do the same with her, so if the Capetonians want to take us on they will have to get off their beach chairs and come up to Jo’burg. There are a number of races for her in Jo’burg and after that we will take her down to KZN for the SA Champions Season.”

Pettigrew is not sure about Anything Goes’ stamina capacity.

He said, “The Thekwini put us off (she only just held on in that Grade 1 mile at Hollywoodbets Greyville from her arch-rival War Of Athena). Before that I was not even worried about 1800m and maybe she was let go a bit early in that race. I will judge her on her mile run at the end of the month, but I think she will get 1800m.”

On pedigree she is by the speed influence Var but her dam Dance Domain is by the stamina influence Parade leader. Dance Domain is a half-sister to Capetown Noir, who was a champion miler who did also win the Grade 1 Cape Derby over 2000m. Anything Goes is a half-sister to the Gimmethegreenlight colt Green Laser, who has twice proved he stays every inch of the tough Turffontein Standside 1800m, first when easily winning the Grade 3 Sea Cottage Stakes and then when finishing a 0,75 length second to Got The Greenlight in the Grade 1 SA Classic.   

However, no matter what distance she is campaigned at, this classy bay is sure to provide plenty more thrills for her ever-growing fan club. 

David Thiselton

THE darling of the SA turf, Summer Pudding, inched closer to the 51 year-old record of Home Guard when cruising to victory at Turffontein Standside yesterday. 

When Home Guard won the Grade 1 SA Guineas at Greyville on June 7 1969 he made it eleven unbeaten runs and Summer Pudding has now won eight out of eight.

The Paul Peter-trained four-year-old Silvano filly was making her first appearance since being named Equus Horse Of The Year of last season and those who had questioned that award will have to eat their words, at least for the time being. 

She was carrying 62kg and giving away lumps of weight to some useful sorts in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1600m, which is on the sharp side for her.

However, she never looked in danger of defeat.

Warren Kennedy placed her second behind a fair pace set by her stable companion Elusive Force. 

There were none of her customary flat spots in the straight and the strongly built bay was soon displaying her big stride as she sauntered to an effortless two length victory from Rouge Allure, to whom she gave 8kg. Mount Laurel, to whom she gave 2kg, was a short-head further away in third.

Her chief market rival Lady Of Steel had earlier been scratched but it was nevertheless a pleasing comeback.

Home Guard lost his unbeaten record in the Durban July and Summer Pudding will tested to the hilt on the last Saturday of this month when running in the Grade 1 WSB Summer Cup, Johannesburg’s biggest race.

On the bright side the weights have already been published for that Turffontein Standside 2000m event and she is due to carry 57kg having been set 56,5kg. This is presuming the current top weight Queen Supreme stands her ground. The original topweight Got The Greenlight has been scratched so Queen Supreme will go up from 59,5kg to 60 kg and the other weights will all be dragged up half-a-kilogram.  

On the downside Summer Pudding is drawn 40 out of the 44 remaining entries.

Summer Pudding is currently 5/2 favourite with the sponsors.