Previously Gr1 winners carried penalties.
The 2000m contest, the Capes flagship race is expected to attract South Africas best, with berths available for 20 runners. It was won by the Australian-bred Whisky Baron at its inaugural running and the last under the old weight conditions.
Entries for the Met close at 11h00 on Wednesday 29 November 2017.
Other key dates:
First Supplementary Entries Close at 11h00 on Tuesday 12 December 2017
Final Supplementary Entries Close at 11h00 on Monday 8 January 2018
Weights will be published on Monday 8 January 2018
Final Declarations are due by 11h00 on Monday 15 January
Announcement of the Final Field will be made on Monday 15 January 2018
Barrier Draws to be made at an event on Wednesday 17 January 2018
The compulsory public gallops will be held on Thursday 18 January 2018

Turffontein Inside has a nine race meeting tomorrow and plenty of good horses are turning out as the big Highveld features approach.

The first leg of the PA sees the Mike de Kock-trained Naafer clashing with the Gavin van Zyl-trained Vicomte and others. Naafer was unlucky in the Grade 2 Golden Horseshoe at Greyville last time out and earlier finished a four length second to his brilliant stablemate Mustaaqeem in the Grade 1 SA Nursery. Anthony Delpech was up in the latter race and gets the ride again from a fair draw of five over the 1000m trip. Vicomte is an eye-catching gelding by Var, who was green on debut and when the penny dropped his long stride was impressive. The horse he mowed down, Darkest Hour, went on to beat the classy Sir David Baird over 1400m, so he looks to be better than his 78 merit rating suggests. Whorly Whorly is well held by Naafer, but could place. Alfolk has some class and a lot of pace, but has to contend with a wide draw and top weight. Pillaroftheearth has struck as one who could develop into a top division sprinter. The first-timer filly Some Song is by Oratorio out of a half-sister to Natural Selection, who dead-heated for fourth with Pocket Power in the 2007 Vodacom Durban July, just 0,45 lengths behind the winner. She has a featherweight and a good draw so should not be ignored.

Later, in a classy conditions plate over 1600m, Tahini should not be ignored. She won a conditions plate over course and distance a year ago, despite returning from a layoff and being considerably under sufferance. Her odds that day were 35/1 but she proved it was no fluke in March this year when winning a Pinnacle Stakes event over the same course and distance by four lengths at odds of 5/1. Those have been her only two starts over course and distance and like last year she is returning from a layoff again. However, the selection to win is Bi Pot, simply due to her being so well treated at the weights. Geoff Woodruff is aiming this Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic runner up at the Summer Cup and holds her in high regard. She is 0,5kg better off with Wind Chill tomorrow on official merit ratings and is at least 4kg better off with the rest of the field. Wind Chill will be improving being by Silvano, but this SA Oaks winner would likely prefer a touch further, so Tahini is chosen to finish second. The classy topweight Fort Ember will be dangerous as a representative of the very much in form Paul Peter yard and Intergalactic is a classy distance suited sort making her comeback.

The following race is a MR 91 Handicap where Social Order is chosen as the best bet of the day, although Sean Tarry is a little bit concerned about his suitability to the Inside track. This four-year-old Count Dubois gelding was travelling well throughout in the Grand Heritage over 1475m last time out but encountered severe traffic problems at a crucial stage. When he finally saw daylight he flew home for a 3,8 length fifth. He will enjoy the step up in trip and has a nice draw of five with S’Manga Khumalo now taking over the ride. Elevated was beaten 2,9 lengths by Social Order in the Grand Heritage and they face each other on the same terms. However, he had no cover the whole way in that race and before that was a comfortable winner over Saturday’s course and distance. This well regarded sort wears first time blinkers and will be attempting to qualify for the Charity Mile and Summer Cup, so Anthony Delpech has his work cut out from a wide draw. The topweight Unagi can be forgiven his last two runs and from pole position over his favourite course and distance will also be a big runner.

In race two over 1200m the first-timer Australian-bred Shufoog is most interesting being by Grade 1-winning sprinter Star Witness out of a multiple stakes-winning sprinter.

In race five over 2000m, Ali Bon Dubai looks to have been under rated by the handicapper and can use his fine turn of foot to make it a course and distance double and a career hattrick.

In the following race End Game makes little appeal at first sight, especially from a wide draw. However, this Silvano filly is well treated on her best form and should be running on strongly under Piere Strydom if bouncing back to her best.

By David Thiselton

Billy Prestage’s good stayer built up a huge lead in last month’s Settlers Trophy and romped home over five lengths clear. Many of the rival trainers have since made it clear that they think their jockeys were caught napping by Wes Marwing’s opportunism but the fact that his mount took more than two seconds off the course record suggests there was no fluke about the performance.

Some observers even took the 2 400m record with a pinch of salt, pointing to the improved state of the track, but not many other races have established new records.

Red Peril is the oldest horse in the race and the handicappers have raised his rating by eight points, roughly the equivalent of the five lengths-plus by which he won. But he had been ten lengths clear approaching the furlong mark and he appeared to have been allowed to ease in the closing stages.

However Marwing, the one man in a position to know, says not – “I rode him to the line. I think it was more a case of the others having realised they had to do something about it (the big lead).”

Prestage is optimistic, saying: “I am very happy with him at home and I believe he has an outstanding chance although I don’t think the others will let him get away so easily this time.”

At the TAB forecast 5-2 he looks the best bet but Justin Snaith, bidding for his fourth Woolavington, has two strong contenders in the hat-trick seeking Strathdon and the mare Northern Ballet.

“I think Strathdon shows the more potential. He won his last race very well and he stays well,” is the trainer’s view.

Candice Bass-Robinson is two-handed with Three Balloons, who never really got into it in the Settlers, and Benjan whose 3kg under sufferance gives him a lot to do.

“Benjan stays well and Three Balloons should be competitive,” says Mrs Robinson. “He now has two runs under his belt this season and he still needed it last time.”

Dean Kannemeyer has won more Woolavingtons (seven) than all tomorrow’s rivals put together but Speed Of Africa, despite winning his last two starts, has been off for six months. “I have given him plenty of time – he is backward and immature – but it’s been a long break and I would like to have got one or two gallops into him.”

Mangrove ran well on his reappearance three weeks ago but Greg Ennion has well-founded reservations, explaining: “He is 3kg under sufferance so it’s a big ask. But there aren’t many races for him so we are giving it a go.”

By Michael Clower

There will be more than just apprentice Denis Schwarz riding on Got Your Back when the filly lines up in the Helen Lucre Resourcing Qualified Maiden at Greyville this evening. Dennis Bosch’s charge will be a popular exotic bet banker and looks well capable of snapping a string of runner-up berths.

Only once out of the money in six outings, she was well fancied to shed her maiden over course and distance last time out, but was unfortunate enough to find the frustrating On The Bounce eventually find form and Got Your Back finished up second best for the third time running.

There is not a lot of depth among the opposition with only Arran Isles, another who has been expensive to follow, the most likely threat.

The Huhcor Handicap looks to be a more competitive event where plenty are in with chances. Out My Way is bidding for a fifth victory and should come on from his fourth-place finish behind Al Ciberano. That was the geldings first outing in three months and looks better suited to tonight’s trip.

Three years younger is Suzie’s Soldier who made a smart handicap debut for Doug Campbell finishing two lengths off the vastly more experience Royalsecuritypower. His maiden form has held up quite nicely and you leave him out of calculations at your peril. Marriot, Captain Ellio and Sapphire Petunia are others to consider.

Apprentices take centre stage on the night and Akshay Balloo will have his riding skills tested when he partners Flight Mode in the Campbell’s Cargo Handicap. The gelding is prone to taking a hold and if allowed to get away in the pre-race parade, Balloo could find himself hanging on.

However, Flight Mode has come on nicely at recent starts, finishing a close-up second last time out and looks well capable in this line-up.

Another potential banker on the card is Pure Logic. Dean Kannemeyer was in fine spirits at the launch of the Sun Met in Cape Town on Wednesday night after Last Winter turned in another smashing performance at Durbanville, giving notice that he will be a factor this summer. Assistant Barbara Bardenhorst is likely to be doing the saddling this evening and Pure Logic is back on his favourite surface. He has been up against stronger opposition at recent outings and should feature here.

Among the more obvious dangers are Viking Red, Crime Victim, Icy Avalanche and Cat’s Legacy.

Viking Red was well fancied to snap his run of seconds over course and distance last time out, but arrived on the scene too late to catch surprise winner Ataturk. Frank Robinson will be looking for his charge to go one better.

Crime Victim has been dropping steadily in the ratings and his form has been consistent. The handicappers have dropped him a further three pounds since his last start and he looks competitive off his new mark.

Top weight Cat’s Legacy is lightly raced and will have his supporters. He showed up nicely in some competitive fields last season and was probably in need of the outing at his seasonal debut behind the promising Zen Arcade.

He goes this trip for the first time but should see it out.

Icy Avalanche looked to have come to the end of his career in Port Elizabeth but Tony Nassif is a shrewd judge and the gelding has taken a new lease on life, finishing close-up second in both recent outings. Nassif has engaged poly specialist Anton Marcus for the ride so the inference is obvious.

Apprentices round off the evening where Ashburton trainers could dominate. Lowan Denyssechen saddles Zilla, who showed up well on her return from a break and Ashton Arries could be defending his lead come the line from Craig Bantam on the Duncan Howells runner Miss Suey who was a close-up third behind stable companion Mythical Magic last time out.

By Andrew Harrison

Three-times national champion trainer Sean Tarry was happy with the runs of Liege and Samurai Blade on Saturday at Turffontein in preparation for the Sansui Summer Cup and also spoke of his other entries for Johannesburg’s biggest race.

Tarry said the free entries into the big race had been “a drawcard” as this allowed trainers to enter in numbers and then see how their preparations went.

Liege has shortened to 20/1 in Betting World’s Summer Cup book after Saturday’s eyecatching three length fifth in a Pinnacle Stakes over 1600m on the Inside track, where he was caught wide without cover the whole way but still managed to stay on well. It was the five-year-old son of Dynasty’s second run as a gelding and first outing since running in the Jubilee Handicap on June 11.

Samurai Blade finished a 4,25 length sixth in Saturday’s race. It was his first run since April and he only faded in the last bit after looking threatening.

Tarry said, “The distance was too short for them and the course doesn’t really suit them but I was pleased with their comeback runs and expect more from both of them on the Standside track over further.”

Tarry said Liege’s preparation for the Vodacom Durban July earlier this year had not gone according to plan and he had eventually pulled him out with a view to preparing him for the Summer Cup.

He continued, “I think the Victory Moon is the right race for him, although I may also consider the Charity Mile. The Victory Moon is four weeks after this last run, so will provide a nice build up. He should give a nice positive performance in his next race, but whichever race it is will be a preparation run for his target race, the Summer Cup.”

Samurai Blade also looks likely to use the Victory Moon as his final preparation run.

Matador Man is the shortest-priced of the Tarry Summer Cup entries at 16/1 with Betting World, but Tarry is not convinced.

He said, “He will have to carry a lot of weight and I am not sure he didn’t raise his game at Greyville. I am not sure he would enjoy 1800m or 2000m at Turffontein as much as he would at Greyville. But I was not too concerned about his first prep run the other day (in the Grade 2 Spring Challenge on Turffontein Inside over 1450m where he was beaten 7,1 lengths by his promising three-year-old stablemate Wonderwall). Before the race I would have been satisfied for him to finish three lengths back, but the track was heavy that day and they were not making up ground on the outside. He would prefer the track a bit firmer and we will now try further, but I will have to be convinced about his Summer Cup chances.”

Matador Man’s running on third in the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m at Greyville suggests he will stay the Summer Cup trip, despite being by Toreador out of the Mogok 1400-1600m type Sahara. The Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile on November 4 looks his ideal next race, although he has drawn wide in 25 out of 35 entries.

French Navy is also likely to run in the Charity Mile as his Summer Cup preparation and Tarry said he would be happy for him to finish five or six lengths back.

Tilbury Fort is off a 97 merit rating and hasn’t run since the Vodacom Durban July, so Tarry said he would have to find a good preparation race for him and take it from there.

Tarry rates the unexposed 86 merit rated Social Order as good enough to run in big handicap races like the Charity Mile and Summer Cup, but added, “It will be difficult to qualify him for the Charity Mile and I am stuck between a rock and a hard place because the Inside Track might not suit him (he runs there on Saturday in a 1600m handicap). But off bottom weight in the Charity Mile and Summer Cup he won’t disgrace himself.”

Social Order, a four-year-old Count Dubois gelding, was the unluckiest horse in the Grand Heritage in just his fourth career start last time out. When he finally saw daylight he finished strongest of all for a 3,8 length fifth.

Tarry said Bold Viking was improving but was not sure he was good enough. “He will be very lucky to qualify.”

He is considering taking Stonehenge to Cape Town as an alternative to the Summer Cup and said, “Older horses often do well down there.”

He said Hyaku’s run on the Greyville poly over 1900m on Gold Cup day had not panned out well, so he had done well to finish a close up fourth, and he was now hoping for a bug run in the Michaelmas from the 87 merit rated six-year-old.

Grade 2 Ipi Tombe Challenge winner Intergalactic is 96 merit rated and Tarry said, “She starts in a conditions Plate on Saturday and we will see how she goes.”

Witchcraft is also in that race and will then run in the Grade 3 Yellowwood Handicap on Charity Mile day.

Tarry pointed out 89 merit rated Tambalang had “run on very nicely” in her last start over 1800m and would also go for the Yellowwood. He added, “She is in a nice space and is having the right preparation races.”

Tarry has had a statistically slower start than in his last two championship-winning seasons, but said, “The game hasn’t started yet. Producing big horses through the season is what it is all about. I have been fortunate to win the last three championships, but the clock starts again on August 1 each season.”

By David Thiselton