DAVID THISELTON

THE Darling of the South African turf, Summer Pudding, is doing well at Milnerton in preparation for the Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth on Saturday but trainer Paul Peter admitted the defending champion Queen Supreme was the horse to beat.

He said, “Summer Pudding is fresh and bright and eating well but this will most definitely be her toughest task to date. It is her first run in the Cape and her first time around a left hand turn but she does seem to be taking to the Cape.”

Peter continued, “I am scared of Queen Supreme. She has been very impressive in her last two starts and is perfectly course and distance suited. She is the horse to beat.”

Summer Pudding has a wide draw but this is the norm for her.

Peter said, “It might be a blessing. They have the Cape crawl here so better to be in the open where you can go as quickly as you want rather than boxed in.”

Warren Kennedy, in accordance with the lockdown restrictions, has chosen to ride in the Cape for the month of January especially for this ride.

Pater said, “Warren has sacrificed a lot to be here, he loves this filly. He rode her in a grass gallop last Wednesday. She galloped with Heart Stwings and they both went very well.”

Summer Pudding will be attempting to make it ten out of ten, which will put her just one short of the unbeaten record of eleven set by Homeguard in the late 1960s.

Queen Supreme runs in the same familiar black and yellow colours of the Oppenheimer family, which are officially owned by their Mauritzfontein  Stud farm these day.

Heart Stwings is also in the Paddock Stakes and Peter is hoping for a place.

He said, “She is thriving here in the Cape and ran way above her rating when a half-a-length second in the Victress Stakes last time (same course and distance as the Paddock Stakes). She is a natural handy or front-running type and if she had sat closer to Silvano’s Pride last time she might have even got closer. I am hoping she will run into the money.”