Record-equalling trainer Geoff Woodruff remembered a Tuesday morning before the 2014 Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup when it was discovered today’s stable hero Master Sabina had pulled a tendon. The big bay’s career hung in the balance.

“Time has healed the wound for all of us,” he reflected. “It healed his injury and it healed our mental wounds, it was devastating for all of us.”

Two years later, last Saturday, the courageous son of Jet Master became the first horse for 25 years to win consecutive renewals of the Summer Cup.

There will be a lot to play for in next year’s Summer Cup. It is believed Woodruff will be attempting to become the first trainer in history to achieve five  successive wins of one of South Africa’s big three, the Durban July, the Met and the Summer Cup, while Master Sabina will be bidding to join the greats Java and Elevation in winning the Summer Cup three years in succession.

Master Sabina will be eight-years-old next year, but Woodruff is optimistic the athletic gelding will still be racing. He said, “He is such a young horse at heart, he was not even tired yesterday (Sunday). He will tell us if he wants to race next year, but at the moment he is sound and well, he loves racing and is very competitive. We will not abuse him and will race him sparingly and pick his goals carefully.”

One destination which will never be on his program again is Cape Town.

Woodruff said, “He hates it there, the slow pace doesn’t suit him and he doesn’t like a left hand turn. He’s good at right-handed Turffontein and Greyville. His worst form is at Kenilworth.” His chief target this season is likely the Premier’s Champions Challenge, to be run on 29 April next year. Woodruff said, “It is for R5 million over his favourite track and trip.”

There was a nerve jangling moment on Saturday when a gap began closing on the resolute Master Sabina due to July winner The Conglomerate hanging inward towards Master Switch. Woodruff said, “You do worry at moments like that, but I could see his little white blaze progressing all the way. He then put his body in the gap, shouldered The Conglomerate and straightened him.” The handsome horse surged through to win by a cosy 1,3 lengths under another brilliant ride by Gavin Lerena. It was Woodruff’s sixth Summer Cup and Lerena’s third.

Woodruff was also pleased with five-year-old Jet Master gelding Master Switch’s 1,6 length third. “He ran up to our hopes, he is a progressive horse with good form, he is a really nice handicapper and we will aim him at the July.” Master Switch had the disadvantage of a wide draw and also broke through the gates at the start.

Woodruff said, “He had to wait for a while and The Conglomerate then threw a tantrum which got him going. They never win after bursting through, the adrenalin gets going to early and it wastes energy. So from that draw it was a helluva good run. He is typical of the tall and leggy Jet Masters. Like Yorker, he is a late four-year-old and five-year-old. In fact he is lighter than Yorker, so has taken even longer.”

The yard could find nothing amiss with Deo Juvente after his disappointing run. Woodruff did not use the officially “very soft” ground as an explanation. He said, “It was warm and by race seven it had dried substantially. I would say the ground for the race was on the good side of yielding. Soft ground would not have suited Master Sabina.”

The yard will stick to shorter trips for their other runner, Master ‘N Commander.

Woodruff had been much confident before this year’s race than last, because the latter was only Master Sabina’s second run after the tendon injury.

He had finished second in the 2013 Summer Cup to stablemate Yorker and they had fancied him strongly two years ago in a race which was eventually won by his Triple Crown-winning stablemate Louis The King.

Horses coming back from tendon injuries often only last two or three runs before the injury reoccurs. The infliction is probably a trainer’s most dreaded nightmare.

It was thus fortunate the yard discovered the injury within an hour of it happening. They iced it and took other precautions before the veterinarian arrived. Consequently there is no core lesion and the tendon is no longer at the forefront of concerns.

The yard had earlier battled with a pectoral muscle injury to Master Sabina.

However, his 27 runs in a four year span speaks of one who has always been given sufficient time to recover from his races and hence his happiness and longevity.

Meanwhile, Woodruff has another powerful string to his bow in Saturday’s Investec Dingaans winner Singapore Sling.

He said, “He pleasantly surprised us. I was happy with his run in the Graham Beck, but he was still very green. When I saw him hitting the front on Saturday and not stopping I knew we had a top quality horse. He had been playing the fool with us. He had always felt top quality, but we had never seen it.”

The bare form shows the Philanthropist gelding improving from seventh in a MR 68 Handicap in his second career start, to winning a Gr 2 against some of best three-year-olds in the country two runs later. However, Woodruff pointed out he had been absolutely T-boned at the start of that second run and then impeded at the 300m mark.

“Gavin Lerena (who rode fourth placed Doosra) said this morning the Dingaans was a very strong field,” he revealed.

Singapore Sling, being a gelding, does not need to chase black type success. Stakes accumulation will be his aim.

Woodruff thus intends running him in the R1 million Cape Guineas on December 17 partly to see whether he will be suited to the course and distance ahead of his chief target, the $US500,000 CTS 1600 on Sun Met day.

By David Thiselton

Our Destiny, beaten only by Silver Mountain in last season’s Cape Fillies Guineas, looks good for the Macsteel Graduation Plate at Kenilworth tomorrow.

Richard Fourie’s mount ran a cracker to take third on her return in the Laisserfaire 18 days ago and she has 4.5kg (nearly four lengths) in hand on adjusted merit ratings.

“My old mentor Ralph Rixon is a part-owner and he told me ‘You have got to run her in a graduation – her merit rating is too high,’”says Glen Kotzen who has also put the filly in Saturday week’s Southern Cross. “That comes a week too soon but, if she wins this, we would have to consider it.”

Kotzen also runs the hat-trick seeking Miss Malbec and Trip To India who finished sixth in the Laisserfaire after coming from some way back, although she is now 3kg worse with Our Destiny. “She definitely has a chance and so does Miss Malbec who is working exceptionally well,” adds the Woodhill trainer.

Live Life, only ninth in the Laisserfaire, is 5.5kg worse with Our Destiny but it might not be wise to judge her on that run as she got very stirred up in the pens.

However the biggest danger is almost certainly La Revere who won first time and was then third in the Debutante despite being slowly away. She looks potentially much better than an 80 rating and it could be significant that Dennis Drier has booked Anthony Delpech.

Indeed she opened 2-1 favourite on Monday with World Sports Betting but since then Our Destiny has shortened to the same price from an opening 5-2. Live Life and Miss Malbec are both on 3-1 while Trip To India is the outsider of the party at 11-2.

Delpech comes for three rides and Piere Strydom for seven including Cape Derby winner It’s My Turn who runs for the first time since his Durban July fourth in the Market Toyota Culemborg Allowance Plate. “He chipped a fetlock in that race and he has only had one grass gallop since,” cautions Justin Snaith. “He is being aimed at the Sun Met, this is a prep race and he will be given a chance.”

He opened at 28-10 and, a little surprisingly perhaps, has since shortened slightly to 5-2. Snaith has booked Delpech for 7-2 chance Star Chestnut (“he has raced a lot but I think he has the form”) and also runs 7-1 shot Krambambuli (Bantam) and 12-1 outsider Heartland (Dillon ) – ‘He is not settling in his races so I want to see him settle this time and then run on nicely.”

Surprisingly the only other trainer with a runner is Brett Crawford who trains across the road from Snaith at Philippi. Not a single Milnerton horse in the line-up.

Midnite Zone (11-2) comes out top on adjusted ratings but the vote goes to 2-1 favourite Whisky Baron who was second to Marinaresco in the Winter Guineas and Classic and made a winning return five weeks ago.

Michael Clower

Quick Brown Fox, the only unbeaten runner in Saturday’s World Sports Betting Fillies Guineas, came in for further support yesterday. The sponsors opened her at 8-1 and she is now fourth favourite at 6-1.

But she has never been further than 1 200m and neither her trainer nor her jockey know how good she actually is even though they both rate her highly.

Greg Cheyne said: “She had always shown us a lot and we were very impressed with her maiden win. It was after that race that Brett Crawford told me we would have a go at the Fillies Guineas if she won the next time – which she did.

“She has an incredible stride and that is her biggest attribute but she does it all so effortlessly and she can really quicken. I am happy with the extra distance – she is not a speed merchant and she is so switched off – but she is still an unknown quantity. Although she is in at the deep end she has made great improvement since her first run.”

Crawford, who won the 2005 Cape Fillies Guineas with Bad Girl Runs, added: “We were always hoping with her and it was a good start when she won on debut, even more so when she won again. If she hadn’t won that day I wouldn’t have run her on Saturday but from a one draw we are taking our chance. She has a lot of speed in her pedigree but I think she will like the extra distance.”

By Michael Clower

The Vaal Inside track stages a low key eight race meeting tomorrow, following the heady excitement at Turffontein on Saturday, and low draws will be favourable by trends.

The highest rated race on the card is an intriguing MR 89 Handicap over 1400m.

Danza is a talented sort, but tends to over race in trips beyond 1200m. Last time he appreciated a fast pace over this trip and went close to upsetting the classy Brazuca. He was well drawn that day, but from a tough draw in this race his best chance, under Gavin Lerena, would appear to be to go to the front.

The progressive three-year-old Refuge ran on from last in his last start over course and distance and got up under Piere Strydom. He is only three points higher now and has a nice galloping weight of 53kg with high-flying S’Manga Khumalo up. He has a high draw, but there looks to be a lot of pace in the race, so he should have an opportunity to find cover.

Trading Profit beat the like of Judicial and French Navy once in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1800m. He prefers further but ran 6,1 lengths behind Kangaroo Jack over 1450m in the Jo’burg Spring Challenge this season when receiving just 1kg and a repeat of that run off a merit rating now down to 85 will see him finishing thereabouts.

Life Is Good is a robust son of Var, who impressed when winning his maiden over 1200m at Scottsville in August. The form of that race has worked out well and with trainer Neil Bruss now overseas he has joined the Mike Azzie yard. However, he has the highest draw in the eight horse field.

Another former Bruss inmate Go Direct makes his seasonal reappearance for the Geoff Woodruff yard. On the Gold Cup day he only just failed to win the Listed Darley Arabian from start to finish over 1600m on the Greyville poly. He would prefer further, but running fresh could be a threat here from the pole position draw and he might make life tough for Danza by attempting to set the pace.

Imperial Gold has a plum low draw and should be able to sit in behind the pacemakers if the race pans out as predicted. However, this horse has not lived up to expectations, one reason being he just doesn’t seem to go through with his efforts. Off his current 79 merit rating he is battling to get his nose in front, although a 1,5kg up should help.

The second is an intriguing maiden over 1700m. Just Cruised In stayed on over 1600m last time from a tricky draw and now has pole position. Piere Strydom remains aboard and he likely recommended the blinkers which are now on. If they bring any improvement the Just As Well gelding could be the one to beat.

Pilou is a colt by Western Winter, whose stamina range is quite difficult to predict because he is a full-brother to both Bichette and Viva Maria, the first a sprint-miler and the second the 4,5 length start to finish winner of the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000. On debut Pilou ran on strongly over 1200m, but in his second start moved up well over 1450 before staying on only at one pace. However, the latter was understandable as he came from a high draw and he now has a good draw. The prediction is he will stay and overall his form looks just about the strongest here, so he should go close.

Military Award caught the eye in his penultimate start over 1400m when staying on strongly, but then over raced when beaten by Pilou among others over 1450m last time. He is by the miler Brave Tin Soldier out of a Jet Master mare who won twice over a mile, so should stay the trip. He now has a better draw, so if he settles will be a big runner.

Inn A Million stayed on quite well from a wide draw on debut in the R250,000 maiden on Charity Mile day over 1600m and with expected improvement could also be right there from a fair draw. Speed Monitor is quite a talented sort, but tends to over race. A wide draw therefore does not augur well, but he can’t be ignored because he settled well under Raymond Danielson last time out and the latter remains aboard.

The Pick 6 is tough, but a banker must be found somewhere. Captain Chips races in the sixth for trainer Alec Laird, a MR 71 Handicap over 1400m, where he has a manageable draw of seven. He has found little extra when thereabouts over 1600m in his last two, so he should appreciate the step down to a trip where he has hard knocking handicap form and a win in the maidens. Furthermore, he has come down two points in the merit ratings for the two 1600m runs.

Penstock in the last is another possibility for a banker as he has been lowered to a competitive merit rating and is dropped back to a probable more suitable trip of 2000m. He has a plum draw too. Malinga and Skynight also make some appeal in that event.

Punters could get off to a good start with Devadip in the first over 2000m, as he was only beaten last time over 1800m by a horse who was thought good enough to be in Saturday’s Dingaans. He will likely relish the step up in trip too, being by Captain Al and a half-brother to the middle distance-to-staying type Estimation.

By David Thiselton

Geoff Woodruff’s fourth consecutive victory in the Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup on Saturday might have pundits pouring through the record books, because at first sight he looks likely to have become one of an elite trio.

Five-times SA champion trainer Woodruff, the former SA champion jockey Gavin Lerena, owner and breeder Michael de Broglio, and the seven-year-old gelding Master Sabina, combined on Saturday to win Johannesburg’s most prestigious race for the second year in succession.

Two reigning champions, Sean Tarry and S’Manga Khumalo, both had days to remember too, with five and four winners respectively, while the late great seven-times SA champion sire Jet Master had another couple of accolades added to his CV.

The Summer Cup is considered one of South African racing’s big three along with the Vodacom Durban July and the Sun Met. Woodruff looks to have joined only two other trainers in achieving four successive wins of any one of these races, unless a search through the archives reveals something other.

Trainer Fred Murray won the July four times in succession between 1910 and 1913, while the recently retired trainer Mike Bass won the Met four-times in succession between 2007 and 2010. Murray did it with four different horses, Bass did it with two horses and Woodruff three. Both Bass and Woodruff owe a lot to Jet Master for the achievement.

The Bass-trained Jet Master gelding Pocket Power won three successive Mets. The following year his full-sister and stablemate River Jetez upset him when he was going for a fourth successive win.

Remarkably two of the Woodruff horses involved in his four-in-a-row Summer Cup streak are also by Jet Master.

Jet Master gelding Yorker got the Woodruff roll going by winning it in 2013. Black Minnaloushe colt Louis The King won it for him in 2014.

Then on Saturday, Jet Master gelding Master Sabina became the first horse to win consecutive Summer Cups since the Jean Heming-trained filly Roland’s Song achieved the feat 25 years ago.

It remains to seen whether Master Sabina will attempt to emulate the greats Java and Elevation, who both won the big race three years in succession.

What makes Woodruff’s Summer Cup dominance even more remarkable is that in 2013 he filled the trifecta, plus fifth place, and he filled the exacta positions in both 2014 and 2015.

Master Sabina finished second to Yorker in 2013 to give Jet Master the exacta. Jet Master nearly achieved the feat again this year as his son Master Switch, also trained by Woodruff, finished third.

The Joey Ramsden-trained The Conglomerate finished second on Saturday and was thus denied becoming the first horse to win the July and the Summer Cup in the same year since the Woodruff-trained El Picha achieved the feat in 1999.

Woodruff has now won the Summer Cup six times and Lerena three times.

Earlier, Woodruff’s Drakenstein Stud-bred Philanthropist gelding, Singapore Sling, threw the three-year-old division wide open by beating a quality field in the Gr 2 Investec Dingaans, which included a powerful trio of Mike de Kock-trained horses. Of the latter Heavenly Blue in second place caught the eye as one who will make a massive impact in the classics.

By David Thiselton