Those that’ve made the annual pilgrimage will know that the Ready To Run gallops at Summerhill had evolved into a national institution over the first three decades of their existence. The dictates of a lower market have called for a more modest approach, now in the form of what one might term “private” gallops, where the object is to get them filmed for public consumption on television, websites and on social media. The popularity of the gallops among hard core racing people however, meant that there was still a nucleus of professional observers, leading trainers, champion jockeys and dyed-in-the-wool owners and racing fans at Summerhill on Thursday, notwithstanding the sudden change of date on account of a nasty weather alert.

And the horses. Especially the horses, more so as the word leaking from the assembly of various consignors was that this draft, if not the best ever, would at least rival the one that gave racing three Group One-winning sophomores just this past season, Takingthepeace, Hero’s Honour and Brave Mary, not to mention Chesneys van Zyl’s highly regarded Group One runner-up, Railtrip.

While it’s easy to forget just how good the 2016 vintage was, there was a solid body of opinion among the top horsemen in the camp that this was the draft of all drafts, and while predictions can sometimes stray in the world of the racehorse, knowing those gathered and the sheer weight of their experience, as a player you’d want to be paying attention.

Several of them were interviewed after the gallops, and were fairly unanimous in their praise. We won’t spoil the viewing on television for those of you whose curiosity has been aroused, other than to say that once the gallops are live in the public domain on Wednesday, it will be your turn to judge them.

The biggest penalty ever given to a Herbert Power winner all but guarantees Yucatan a run in the race that stops a nation after Racing Victoria’s chief handicapper Greg Carpenter administered a 2.5kg rise for Saturday’s dominant performance.

The new Lexus Melbourne Cup co-favourite, who now has a weight of 54.5kg, moves up to 24 on the order of entry from 55. And with 24 spots up for grabs it would take another runner leapfrogging him on the list, and then every single runner to stand their ground, for him to now miss out.

Carpenter said: “Generally if you’re in the low 30s you get into the field and he’s now number 24. He’s not absolutely guaranteed a start but I would be even more surprised than I was when he won the race on Saturday if he didn’t get into the Melbourne Cup.”

Yucatan had been scheduled to run Saturday’s Stella Artois Caulfield Cup, for which he escapes a penalty, but owner Lloyd Williams has decided to miss the race in order to give the four-year-old more time to recover from the Herbert Power.

Yucatan (racingpost.com)

Speaking before Yucatan’s absence in the Caulfield Cup was revealed, Carpenter said: “The prize for the Herbert Power winner is you get into the Caulfield Cup and you cannot be penalised, so if Yucatan runs he will carry 52kg. What I can do as the handicapper is deliver a penalty to him for the Lexus Melbourne Cup.

“Previous benchmarks at the high end for a penalty for a Herbert Power winner have been 2kg. The way James McDonald put the sword to the horses on Saturday and went well clear in the straight, the margin of a length and a quarter is not really for me. The telling factor was the extraordinarily dominant victory from Yucatan.

“So his penalty will be 2.5 kilos. It is a bigger penalty than has been given to the Herbert Power winner in the last 40 years but I haven’t seen a more impressive winner of the race. The official margin may have been a length and a quarter, but he was six lengths clear at the 100 metre mark until James throttled him down.

“I was surprised as it was a significant step up on his European form in 2018. You have to be realistic, he beat Brimham Rocks and Prince Of Arran, the horses he will have to take on in the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup are significantly better.”

Emotionless out

Charlie Appleby’s Emotionless has been ruled out of the entire Spring Carnival after a scintigraphy scan revealed he has sustained a pelvic stress fracture.

The five-year-old was found lame in his right hind leg after trackwork at Werribee last Saturday and has been on box rest until his Monday scan.

The news is another blow to Appleby, who tragically lost Hamada in a freak accident at Werribee on Saturday and had his other Melbourne Cup hope Cross Counter pick up a cut to his leg on Sunday.

Appleby took the decision to withdraw Emotionless from all races he was nominated for, including this Saturday’s Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup after a scan at the University of Melbourne Equine Centre at Werribee.

He will remain in his stable at Werribee, where Godolphin stable staff and vets will assess his suitability to fly back to Britain over the coming weeks.

– racingpost.com

It is a tricky time of the year for the top trainers hoping to win Johannesburg’s most prestigious race, the GBets Summer Cup, and three-time SA Champion trainer Sean Tarry said his yard’s final team would depend on who was on track in terms of fitness and who would have had the smoothest preparations.

Trainers also have to be mindful of the horses’ merit ratings with the first aim being to have it high enough to get into the race but low enough to be able to win off.

Tarry’s ten entries are not prominent in the betting and he started off with last year’s winner Liege, who is quoted at 25/1 with the sponsor, “He didn’t go in firing last year so probably needs to be prepared in a certain way, and probably wants two easier runs before the Summer Cup, so we are looking at a similar route to last year. If I can get a run into him early he will then go for the Victory Moon or otherwise it will be the Charity Mile and the Victory Moon. He suffered lung issues between last year’s Summer Cup and the July but is now doing well.” Liege won the Summer Cup last year off a 99 merit rating and is now rated 108, which is competitive considering there was an across the board merit rating raise of six points for all horses in March this year.

Liege

The 103 merit-rated Tilbury Fort is a 20/1 shot and Tarry said, “We will probably go for the Charity Mile and then straight into the Summer Cup. He won a really good race in his first run after gelding so looks to go well fresh.”

The 106 merit-rated Social Order, a 35/1 shot, ran a 4,8 length fourth on Saturday in an Asessment Plate carrying 61kg. Tarry said, “He gave away a lot of weight over a distance too short and ran on well.” The Charity Mile and the Victory Moon are options for Social Order, who ran a disappointing 12^th last season but later ran a close third to Coral Fever in the Grade 2 Colorado King Stakes over the same course and distance. He enjoys the long straight and appears to enjoy some cut in the ground.

Tarry said about the 103 merit rated five-year-old mare Safe Harbour, whose last run was a decent 6,35 length fifth in the Champions Challenge over course and distance, “She had a wind operation and has come back very well so the operation seems to have worked. She is a filly who does very well in Cape Town but if we do go for the Summer Cup before going to Cape Town she will have one preparation run first.” She is quoted at 35/1.

Silver God stayed on well on to win the aforementioned Assessment Plate over 1450m on Saturday carrying 57.5kg. He is bred in the purple being by Silvano and a half-brother to Grade 1 winners William Longsword and Real Princess. Tarry said, “He needed the gelding which wasn’t an easy decision considering the pedigree. If you look at his three-year-old campaign he was always thereabouts regardless of the distance, so we don’t know quite what his distance range is. But he definitely needs at least a mile or 1800m.” On Saturday his run built up gradually and he gave the impression he would stay the 2000m. However, he still has a bit to do to get into the Summer Cup as he ran off a mere 93 merit rating on Saturday. He is 35/1 with GBets.

French Navy, who won both the Grade 1 SA Classic and Grade 1 Daily News 2000 as a three-year-old, is now a seven-year-old gelding and Tarry said, “He is an old soldier and hadn’t really had a break so we decided to give Durban a miss. He has come back well but we will need to be careful where to prep him off his 101 merit rating.” He is 55/1.

Bulleting Home is also a seven-year-old and is merit rated 107 and is quoted at 66/1. Tarry said, ”I had been so happy with him but unfortunately he then ran two ordinary races. In the Champions Cup he pulled so that can be ignored and then last time over 1400m on the poly he missed the break, was run off his feet and then stayed on tamely so that was maybe a bit quick for him. The Charity mile might be a nice race for him.”

Warrior’s Rest looks good value at 80/1, although is currently merit rated only 91 so has a lot to still do to get in. Tarry said this big horse had trimmed down a bit since gelding. He continued, “He has got the earlier form and needed gelding. He needed his first run back desperately so it was important to get that run into him. I will nominate him for the Charity Mile and the Assessment Plates will also be good for him as he is only a one-time winner. It was stop-start with him last season, he needed gelding and never got into a rhythm. He is a big boy so I would rather be sure and have an extra run or two but his next run is going to tell us a lot.”

He said about 100/1 shot Chariot Of Gold, “The mile was too sharp for her on Saturday, I will look to run her in the Yellowwood or an Assessment Plate, she’s a good filly but her rating (87) is some way off the mark.”

He said about the 100/1 shot Tambalang”, “I always rated her and she got away with a feature win but she lost her sparkle, maybe her program was too busy, and we rested her. She has come the right way and she will run in a Pinnacle or the Yellowwood.”

By David Thiselton

The new board of the Western Province Regional Racing Association has its first scheduled meeting this week.

Chairman Jonathan Snaith said yesterday: “We have many positive and interesting points to discuss – the focus being owners in the Western Cape and how to make their racing experience more enjoyable and exciting.

“The mission of the Racing Association is to protect and support the interests of the sport of horseracing in general and the interests of the owners in particular. It is all quite exciting because we are a youthful board with lots of fresh ideas.”

Snaith stressed that stakes, and their increases, are decided through the national board of the Racing Association and the Racing Trust along with the operators. But he added: “As a board we will make every effort to ensure that the Western Province gets its fair share. This is decided on a percentage split nationally. “

His fellow directors are Green Street Bloodstock supremo Justin Vermaak, Avontuur’s Philip Taberer and Craig Kieswetter of the Highlands/Ridgemont powerhouse.

By Michael Clower

The GBets Summer Cup is just seven weeks away and it is time to start looking for value in the ante-post market.

Silver God has shortened from original odds of 75/1 into 33/1 after his running on victory over 1450m on Saturday in an Assessment Plate. He is a half-brother to Grade 1 winners William Longsword and Real Princess, but being by Silvano should stay the 2000m and he will also be coming into his own as a four-year-old this season. He is trained by the reigning Summer Cup-winning trainer Sean Tarry. He still has to a bit to do to get into the race as he was only merit rated 93 before that last start but he could be an interesting contender if getting in with a low weight.

Silver God (JC Photographics)

A 100/1 shot Tarry horse worth noting is Warrior’s Rest. He is by the champion sprinter What A Winter, but this sire is throwing a few who can stay. Furthermore, Warrior’s Rest is a half-brother to the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 winner Viva Maria. He is a massive horse with a big stride so will need a couple of runs to get to his peak. He finished a 0,6 length fourth to Eyes Wide Open in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes as a two-year-old when leading and staying on. Last season he was only 5,75 lengths back in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 which he went in to off a far from ideal preparation having had a layoff between October and April. He has had one run this season and if he is able to get a couple more good runs in he could be a surprise package.

Nine time-winning Summer Cup trainer Mike de Kock’s long-striding Noble Secret is quoted at between 5 and 7/1 a win and roundabout 13/10 for the first four and for the risk averse this is the one who is probably best to load each-way doubles into as he should grow into his big frame this season and start fulfilling his undoubted talent.

De Kock’s much improved Puget Sound is on 33/1 and has proved he stays the 2000m trip. His merit rating is over 100 now and this blossoming horse will be an interesting contender if getting in with a low weight.

Their stablemate Silver Thursday could be of interest at 67/1 odds. It should be remembered she was only beaten a quarter-of-a-length by Takingthepeace in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and the latter is a Summer Cup 20/1 shot. Furthermore, she is by Silvano so should come into her own this season and should stay the 2000m trip. She is not been seen out this season yet and an entry should be seen for any horse before any ante-post commitments are made.

Geoff Woodruff’s incredible run in the Summer Cup this decade came to an end last season but he can never be ignored in this race. His charge The Rising Legend at 50/1 odds is interesting. This horse is already well known for his good turn of foot and the sustained finish which he produces from last place. He should relish the usual good pace of the Summer Cup and the course and distance which should maximize the effect of this finishing effort. However, he still has a lot to do to get into the big race.

Woodruff’s SA Oaks winner Secret Potion is a big, rangy horse who should come into her own this season. She is 33/1 for the Summer Cup, but is another who is yet to be seen this season.

By David Thiselton