Trainer Yvette Bremner sends three raiders from Port Elizabeth to Turffontein for the Sansui Summer Cup meeting and all three of them, Copper Parade, Al Don Cumarco and Eros’s Girl, are interesting runners.
The horses leave Fairview today for Johannesburg.
Copper Parade prefers fast ground and will be scratched if there is too much rain, but he should be alright as there is 3mm forecast for tomorrow (Thursday), 10mm for Friday and 10mm for Saturday. The now eight-year-old gelding by Lecture has become a bit cantankerous and Bremner admitted his performance would depend on his mood. However, she added that he had given Anthony Delpech a good feel last time out in an International Jockeys race, a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1000m at Fairview when running on strongly for third, and added Delpech had said he would want to ride him in Johannesburg if not retained for any other ride.
As it happens Delpech will be riding his guv’nor Mikede Kock’s Toro Rosso and instead Karl Zechner is aboard Copper Parade. Bremner also pointed out that Coppeer Parade loves travelling and has always run well away from home. Another plus to his chances is that as a horse with a high cruising speed and an electric turn of foot when at his best, the likely strong pace of the big field Merchants will play into his hands and, furthermore, he has carried 60kg and more in his last 18 runs and now has a featherweight 53kg on his back. The outside part of the straight is often favourable on big Turffonteinrace days so his draw of 18 looks to be another plus. There is no doubting his ability, as he won the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m at this course two seasons ago, downing the like of the brilliant Via Africa. Copper Parade is a potential value each/way bet on the day.
Five-year-old Captain Al gelding Al Don Cumarco will also be a runner, although it remains to be seen whether his low draw of five will have any affect will on his chances. Bremner believes national champion jockey Gavin Lerena will be the perfect rider him and said, “He is a big horse and needs to be balanced, so I think Gavin will have him balanced before he flies. His last win was full of merit.” In that last race, the same one Copper Parade ran in, he didn’t break well from a low draw and sat at the back towards the inside and eventually had to be switched towards the outside of horses to find a run. Just as he was going forward he was sandwiched between two horses, affecting his momentum, but then picked himself up again to win going away under S’Manga Khumalo. The big bay ran in the weight for age Gr 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m at Greyville and interestingly beat Trip To Heaven at level weights as he now receives 3,5kg from him. However, Trip To Heaven, who is defending his crown on Saturday, was coming back from a six month break in The Mercury and has clearly improved since then.
Eros’s Girl, who was rated by former trainer Justin Snaith, is a talented but headstrong sort. The four-year-old Captain Al Filly has only been with Bremner for three weeks and she said she had been “perfectly behaved” so far. However, the yard will still be taking a pony with her up to Johannsburg. Eros’s Girl’s last two wins, both at Fairview, were over 1800m and 2000m respectively. However, she won both of her first two career starts easily over 1200m, at which stage she looked set for big things. Bremner believes she still has the necessary speed to compete in Saturday’s Gr 3 Magnolia Handicap over 1160m. In fact, considering she pulled badly in her last start over 1600m at Kenilworth when finishing 4,55 lengths behind Fear Not in a handicap, the sprint might be what she is looking for. She has also fallen to an attractive merit rating of 87, the first time she has been below 91 in her career. Zechner rides from a draw of 12.
By David Thiselton
Picture: Copper Parade (JC Photos)
