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.
