National champion trainer Sean Tarry bounced back to form when it counted as his charge Liege stormed to victory in yesterday’s R2 million Sansui Summer Cup over 2000m at Turffontein under the top class big race rider Raymond Danielson.

In his last start in the Victory Moon Stakes Liege ran below par for a yard who have been going through a flat spell.

Yesterday, the soft conditions suited the five-year-old Maine Chance Farms-bred Dynasty gelding and that last start proved to just be a flat run. He broke well and after being up with the pace early was able drop into a good position in midfield on the rail behind a pace, expectedly set by Crowd Pleaser, which always enabled him to stride out nicely. Danielson was patient in the straight and he then burst through down the inside at the 400m mark. He never looked like being caught. The Paul Peter-trained filly Fort Ember stayed on bravely from a handy position to be beaten 2,25 lengths. Coral Fever produced his usual strong finish for third. Geoff Woodruff’s hopes of becoming the first trainer in South Africa to win one of the country’s three major races five times in succession were dashed, but his fancied Pagoda stayed on well for fourth. The fillies Girl On The Run and Orchid Island finished fifth and sixth respectively.

Danielson had never ridden Liege in a race before but felt confident on the way down as the horse felt in great shape.

Liege’s talented full-brother Lance is at stud and this win will add to his pedigree page.

Earlier, in the prestigious Grade 2 Dingaans over 1600m the Alistair Gordon-trained KZN raider Monk’s Hood just held on to win from a pair of outsiders Seerite and Vacquero. Monk’s Hood had tongues wagging around the country when winning his debut over 1200m by 7,5 lengths. Later, he came from a wide draw to run a fine close up fourth in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600m. However, the two concerns were the form of the latter race had not worked out well and he also ran a disappointing third in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1200m last time. However, he proved yesterday turf was his preferred surface. He came from the back half of the field and burst through going like a winner. Anthony Delpech said the Querari gelding had had enough in the final stages, but he just managed to hold on by a head.

By David Thiselton

Snowdance has hardened from 14-10 to 12-10 as confidence in the horse grows prior to her first Grade 1 test in Saturday’s World Sports Betting Fillies Guineas.

Justin Snaith, bidding for his fifth win in the Kenilworth classic, reported on Saturday that Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount is in good shape, saying: “She is doing very well and her gallop was impressive. We still have a week to go but so far I couldn’t be happier with her.”

Magical Wonderland, who has over four lengths to make up on last month’s Western Cape Fillies Championship form, is second favourite at 11-2 and the sponsor’s other prices are 10-1 Rose In Bloom, 12-1 Lady In Black, Love Supreme, 14-1 Via Seattle, Silver Thursday, 16-1 Too Phat To Fly, 25-1 and upwards others.

Snaith also has the favourite in the WSB Cape Merchants with Sergeant Hardy on 9-2 while last year’s winner Search Party is 5-1 to emulate Tevez by winning the ultra-competitive handicap in successive seasons. Tevez, fifth 12 months ago, is a 28-1 chance this time

In the WSB Green Point last year’s winner Legal Eagle (Anton Marcus) heads the market at 13-10 with the main threat expected to come from Piere Strydom’s mount Edict Of Nantes (28-10).

A notable absentee from the Green Point is Last Winter, unbeaten in four starts and at this stage likely to be a leading contender for both the Queen’s Plate and the Sun Met.

Dean Kannemeyer said: “I wasn’t going to run him against those horses in the Green Point. He is rated 106 and all he has won is three minor races in Durban plus a handicap at Durbanville. Edict Of Nantes was rated only half a kilo higher before that recent progress plate and he won both the Cape Derby and the Daily News!

“But I know I’ve got to put Last Winter to the test one of these days so I will nominate him for the Premier Trophy on 16 December and have a look. He has never been to Kenilworth but I will ask permission to gallop him there on Saturday. He is doing well and I know Anthony Delpech thinks a lot of him.”

Also missing from the Green Point line-up is Horizon, third in the Daily News and beaten little more than half a length when sixth in the July. He will run in the Premier and has the Met as his big objective.

In the meantime last year’s winner Jo’s Bond and the 2016 Cape Fillies Guineas heroine Just Sensual head the 22 nominations for the SW Security Solutions Southern Cross Stakes on Saturday week.

By Michael Clower

There were angry scenes at Kenilworth on Saturday when Tote punters found they could not get paid from race two onwards.

One tackled me saying: “You speak to the Tote people – you might get more sense out of them than I can,” while another had to be restrained from tearing up a winning ticket in a show of public protest.

The problem stemmed from the decision to include the Sansui Summer Cup in the Kenilworth card – not unusual with such big public-interest races – but when Turffontein was postponed for 24 hours the Tote’s main computer blew a fuse and refused to sanction Kenilworth payouts.

Phumelela betting boss Vee Moodley said yesterday: “You can’t hold on to people’s money like that but our IT engineers had to get the software provider to assist and it was not until 7.00pm that things were finalised.”

The situation at Kenilworth would have been much worse but for Tote manager Cheryl Schuler who explained to her irate customers: “I am ringing Phumelela every 15 minutes but they can’t give me a time when we will be able to pay so I am going through the floors explaining the problem to people.”

This was not good enough for one racegoer who demanded: “They should make an announcement to explain all this. Stan Elley should say something over the public address.”

Ms Schuler, surely next in line for Phumelela’s beyond-the-call-of-duty award, promptly went off to organise this but it was commentator Rouvaun Smit, not the Tellytrack presenter, whose voice came over the airwaves ten minutes later to say “The technicians are frantically trying to solve the problem.”

Payouts can now be obtained on presentation of winning tickets at any Tote office, off-course as well as on-course, while Moodley yesterday was full of praise for the uncomplaining (well, mostly) manner in which professionals and public alike put up with the repeated changes to race off-times.

One who definitely wasn’t complaining was Richard Fourie who celebrated his 32^nd birthday by booting home a quick-fire treble on The Sun Also Rises, Franking and The Slade.

– Vase, who flopped when 2-1 second favourite on Wednesday, was found to be lame the following day while 6-10 failure Sand And Sea was diagnosed with a severe upper respiratory infection after running way below form the previous Saturday.

GOLD CIRCLE

“I would rather have had Witchcraft in the race but she didn’t get in,” were some telling words from Champion Trainer Sean Tarry after Liege put one over all of the more fancied runners in yesterday’s Gr1 Sansui Summer Cup, postponed because of rain from Saturday.

“We were disappointed in his Victory Moon run but could find nothing wrong …. so it was possibly just a flat run,” commented Tarry post-race.

Liege, largely disappointing earlier in his career after promising much and more importantly fluffing his lines in the Victory Moon, put that all behind him yesterday. Raymond Danielson, who has more than once done justice when picking up the Tarry stable crumbs, always had his mount well placed and timed his run to perfection in spite of some doubts. “I thought I had gone a little bit too early but he kept going.”

The win heralded a return to form for Tarry who has been experiencing a rare lean spell of late.

All the big guns failed to fire with the minor placings filled by rank outsiders Fort Ember and Coral Fever with luke-warm favourite Pagoda in fourth, the quartet paying over R247k.

Alistair Gordon, who has trained his far share of champions in his time, has been short of a ‘big horse’ for some years now but Monks Hood broke the drought when putting the Highveld’s best to the sword in the Gr2 Investec Dingaans.

Anthony Delpech gave Monks Hood an impeccable ride, tracking the pace from well back but giving his mount a clear run at the wire. It was close at the end, “he’d had enough,” confirmed Delpech, but it was good enough to hold a hard-charging Seerite.

With the majority of the current racing season still to come it is still early days but Johan Janse van Vuuren’s gelding The Thinker put his name on the board for Equus honours with a smashing victory in the Gr2 World Sports Betting Merchants.

Favourite Naafer always looked to be going well and was the horse to beat approaching the final furlong as the Australian import pulled clear. However, Donovan Mansour produced The Thinker with a smartly timed finish to nail the favourite and win going away.

Run away maiden winner San Fermin and favourite for the Gr3 Fillies Mile was travelling like a winner approaching the final two furlongs but folded like a wet newspaper under pressure as Folk Dance stamped herself as one of the best of her current generation as Gavin Lerena punched her clear to win comfortably from Aurelia Cotta and long-time leader Cashel Palace.

By Andrew Harrison

Geoff Woodruff can make history at Turffontein tomorrow by winning the Sansui Summer Cup for the fifth time in succession.

His six-year-old gelding Master Switch can make it a third successive Summer Cup and a fourth overall for the late great sire Jet Master.

Master Switch finished third last year from draw 17 under Piere Strydom and this year jumps from draw 16 with Strydom up again. He is off the same merit rating of 101 and carries a nice galloping weight. Master Switch’s Durban form can be ignored as Greyville does not suit him. His penultimate run in Johannesburg was below par and he returned a bit sore. However, he really caught the eye last time out when staying on strongly for third in the Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m.

His stablemate Pagoda is well weighted on his Grade 1 SA Derby runner up form and ran on eye-catchingly well from last in a 1950m event last time out.

Master Switch has good gate speed which will help them overcome his draw. Pagoda needed a good draw and landed a fair one.

Triple Crown hero Abashiri looks to be coming back to his best after a deserved holiday. He is well weighted on his best form and his excellent turn of foot will afford the jockey the option of dropping him out from a wide draw.

Liege looked to have turned the corner when running an eye-catching preparation over 1600m in his second run after gelding. However, he then ran a flat race in the Victory Moon. The champion yard has been a bit flat lately, but if Liege is at his best he will be a big runner. He finished fourth last year and is off a three point lower merit rating and now has a plum draw too.

SA Oaks winner Wind Chill will be improving in the typical fashion of a Silvano filly and she impressed in her preparation event over 2000m. She is drawn in pole.

Champion stayer Hermoso Mundo would prefer further, but this galloping track suits him.

Crowd Pleaser has developed into a fine front runner and can’t be ignored.

Orchid Island stayed on well for fourth in the Victory Moon and this Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic winner represents the flying Mike de Kock yard.

Brazuca and French Navy are both course and distance suited and well weighted on their best form.

Social Order is quite unexposed and should be staying on. He is the dark horse.

Master Sabina goes for his third Summer Cup in a row but has not run since  the Vodacom Durban July.

Big Bear will be a tough nut to crack in the Grade 2 Investec Dingaans. This bull of a horse has a deceptive turn of foot. He will appreciate the step up to 1600m and relaxes well in the running, which will help him overcome a wide draw. Pietro Mascagni impressed on debut when getting up over 1160m and the form has been franked. This classy sort will relish the step up in trip and is well drawn. Alwahsh, unbeaten in two sprints, hasn’t run for 88 days. He won easing up last time and although his sire Sepoy was a sprinter there is stamina in the female line. Alshibaa is unbeaten in two and showed a fine turn of foot over this trip last time. He has plenty of scope. Like A Panther would prefer further, but is classy and will be running on resolutely. The improving Vacquero is the dark horse as he will love this galloping 1600m.

The Grade 2 Ipi Tombe Stakes looks to be at the mercy of Nother Russia at first sight. However, Bella Sonata was unusually headstrong last time and if bouncing back will be a threat. Guns And Roses will love the track and trip and she and the SA Fillies Classic runner up Bi Pot bring the Woodruff factor. Secret Star has a good turn of foot and is interesting stepped up to this trip. Sylvan On Fire is still on the up.

In the Grade 2 Merchants, The Thinker and Rivarine caught the eye last time and are the exacta selection, despite The Thinker officially being under sufferance.

The Grade 3 Fillies MiIe sees the ultra-impressive debut winner San Fermin clashing with the classy Folk Dance. However, Witch Of The West is progressive and could also have a say.

By David Thiselton