Summerveld trainers have a few chances of success at the Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup meeting at Turffontein on Saturday.

Gareth van Zyl said a line could be drawn through Summer Cup contender No Worries last run in the Gr 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile, as not much had gone right for him in the running. The seven-year-old Kahal gedling has been doing well since then at the Van Zyl Turffontein-based satellite yard under the care of Gareth’s brother Chesney.

Gareth felt he had a shout at the weights, running off a merit rating of 105 with 55,5kg on his back. History backs him up as he ran a 5,25 length sixth two years ago carrying topweight of 60kg off a 111 merit rating. He is drawn ten with regular pilot Warren Kennedy aboard.

Dennis Drier spoke earlier this week of the “magnificent” condition Summer Cup contender Punta Arenas is in, so he will have his supporters from a good draw of five under Keagan de Melo.

Mark Dixon runs the four-year-old Muhtafal filly Isingamoya in the Gr 3 Magnolia Handicap over 1160m and hopes the forecast rain does not mean her number one draw will be unfavourable. He said about the 94 merit rated horse, “She is exceptionally well going into the race and has had a good prep. I wouldn’t be going if I didn’t think she had a good chance. We are up against a very good three-year-old (Green Pepper), but she will give her a run for her money.”

Kumaran Naidoo runs the four-year-old Rebel King filly Deep Down Rebel in the same race. She is 3,5kg under sufferance off her 79 merit rating and is also 4,5kg worse off with Isingamoya despite being beaten 0,5 lengths by the latter over 1200m last time out.

Naidoo said, “She has a stiff task, but is very, very well. She has been to Turffontein once before and travelled well on that occasion.” Naidoo has kept apprentice Tristan Godden aboard, despite not being able to claim his normal 1,5kg, as he knows the horse well.

Alistair Gordon runs the long-striding Captain Al gelding My Pal Al in the Gr 2 Investec Dingaans over 1600m and his assistant trainer Nicolette Roscoe said, ”He is doing fine and we have been happy with his work. We didn’t think he would get in off his 80 merit rating, but he did so we are going to take our chances as we think highly of him and didn’t want to give up that pole position draw. He might be green first time at the track, but he should enjoy its galloping nature and the long straight as he takes time to get going.” Marco van Rensburg rides him for the second time in succession.

Gavin van Zyl runs two horses, Odd Rob and Estimation, in the Gr 3 Racing Association Handicap over 3200m and said, “Odd Rob is a nice, big strong horse, he has ability and if he reproduces his last run, he must have a chance.” The five-year-old Mambo In Seattle gelding received 1,5kg from The Elmo Effect last time over 2450m and lost by 0,25 lengths. He is now 0,5kg better off and is drawn well in six again with Muzi Yeni remaining aboard.

Distorted Humor four-year-old filly Estimation was 3,6 length behind Odd Rob last time, but is now 1kg better off and Van Zyl also expected the fitting of blinkers to make a difference. “She looks to be competitive,” he said. Stable jockey Warren Kennedy remains aboard. The form of the last race the Van Zyl pair took part in has worked out well as 1,05 length fourth-placed Smart Mart came out and won in Cape Town.

Mike Miller runs the four-year-old Warm White Night gelding Executive Power in the Gr 2 The Citizen Merchants over 1160m, where he is 1kg under sufferance off his 97 merit rating. He has won two of his last three starts over this trip, including one in slightly soft going. He should acquit himself well under Alec Forbes from draw five of eleven 11, but he does face a top class field.

By David Thiselton

Craven stormed into the Cape Guineas picture with a most convincing return to form in the Place Your Bets Handicap at Kenilworth yesterday despite drifting right in the closing stages.

Richard Fourie rode the 18-10 shot differently this time, saving him for a strong run in the straight to hit the front a furlong out and beat Dancer by two and a half lengths.

Fourie, although noncommittal about riding the colt in the Guineas, said: “He is still a bit green – that’s why he went right with me after we passed horses – but he is really starting to mature. He would love to go further and the Derby trip would be right up his alley.”

Brett Crawford, watching from Randjiesfontein, added: ”That was a good run and I just hope he has done enough to get into the Guineas – I think he will now go up to a 91 – because I don’t really want to run him again before then.”

Horizon, surprisingly preferred in the market, covered himself in future promise by running on to take third in a manner that shouted out that he needs more ground and could be really in his element over the Derby trip.

Candice Bass-Robinson said: “As he goes further he will improve all the time and in the meantime we have just got to be a little patient.”

Orion Quest warmed up for Saturday week’s Cape Merchants in encouraging style. He lost ground at the start in the All To Come Graduation Plate but ran on well to take a length and a half-second to the useful Attenborough. He will be one of the bottom weights in the R400 000 handicap.

Attenborough, who has run so many good races in defeat but often appeared to run out of steam close home, showed the benefit of waiting tactics with Donovan Dillon keeping him covered up until well inside the 400m mark and not hitting the front till 100m out.

Dillon said: “He is a classy animal and I rate him very highly. The aim was to give him cover – last time we found it but unfortunately it opened up quite early.”

Joey Ramsden confirmed that the colt will stick to sprinting, saying: “He is best ridden patiently.”

The Milnerton trainer added that Table Bay “is absolutely fine” after his Selangor third and said he is still convinced that the reason for the horse’s rather disappointing performance was because many in the field, him included, went too fast.

Sihle Cele, who won the first for Crawford on Stopthinkingofme, has been suspended for a week for causing interference to 15-10 favourite Always In Charge in last Saturday’s Lanzerac Ready To Run. The NHA Inquiry Board ruled that he was not sufficiently clear when shifting inwards on Purple Tractor after a furlong.

Justin Snaith has booked Piere Strydom for Canon Guineas winner Black Arthur in the Green Point Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday week. Snaith won the race with Legislate two years ago.

By Michael Clower

Geoff Woodruff has experienced enough Summer Cup success to know his twin spearhead from four stable runners – Master Sabina and Deo Juvente – can between them provide an unprecedented fourth consecutive triumph for the personable Englishman in the Sansui Summer Cup at Turffontein on Saturday.

The pair fought out a memorable finish to the R2-million race twelve months ago, when Master Sabina won by a long nose. And it is entirely feasible that history could repeat itself at 5.10pm on Saturday, as both are going into battle off what their trainer believes are ideal preparations.

That was not the case last year when Master Sabina went to post a gallop short, but still managed to fend off his younger stablemate under a classic Gavin Lerena ride.

Now the Jet Master gelding is, at seven, the joint second-oldest contender in the 20-runner field.

Woodruff, who landed two Summer Cups out of his original base at the Vaal and is looking for a sixth victory overall in the Grade 1 race, says: “Master Sabina’s preparation has gone much better than last year when we were very unsure of whether we had him fit enough.

“I leant towards Deo Juvente, who was flying, but Master Sabina beat him a short head.”

There has been no repeat of those hiccups this year. “Master Sabina has had four grass gallops and a race at the Vaal, in which he finished second to Master Switch. He’s pleased me in his work, looks very well in his coat and is much closer to his fighting weight.

“He’s what I call a Gary Player seven-year-old. He might be a year older, but Gavin gets on incredibly well with him and he can still be competitive,” said the trainer.

Woodruff has brought Deo Juvente off the injury list and is encouraged by his third placing in the Charity Mile at the beginning of the month.

Of the Trippi gelding he comments: “He sustained a nasty cut to a stifle in Cape Town that was nine inches long. It was a huge setback right before the Met. It explains his poor runs here in the winter, but the Charity Mile was a nice comeback over a trip that’s short of his best.

“We have Anton Marcus in the saddle and for me he is one of the greatest riders this country has produced.

“He said that when I ran Deo over 2000m we would see the best of him and that’s exactly what happened here a year ago.”

Yorker and Louis The King preceded Master Sabina as Cup winners for Woodruff, who confesses he loves to target his best horses at the race, more so than any of the other marquee contests on the South African calendar.

He continues: “I always try to get them into the Summer Cup. It’s such a great race day and everyone is up for it. It’s a bit like the Johannesburg Met.”

The Woodruff challenge is completed by Master Switch and Master ‘N Commander. “I’m pleased we have Delpech on Master Switch, who had to win at the Vaal to get into the Cup,” he says.

“He’s a roughie but I’m leaning towards him as the better of these two.

“He’s drawn No 18, which is the same gate as Deo had last year so it’s not impossible. Turffontein is such a fair track. There’s plenty of room and they tend to fan out.

“But when he beat Master Sabina in his prep he was much the more forward.”

Of Master ‘N Commander he observes: “2000m is the absolute ceiling for him and he has to be ridden as a non-stayer, stone cold.

“Last time over 1800m he was trapped three deep and raced much too handily. But, like the other three, he’s thrown a perfect blood count and that’s particularly important at this time of year when viruses lurk and can be contracted no matter what precautions you take.”

Courtesy of TABnews

Craven can earn his Cape Guineas ticket by bouncing back to form in the Place Your Bets Handicap at Kenilworth today.

This colt, bought to race in Hong Kong, has a huge reputation and has started favourite in all three starts but it all went pear-shaped in his first handicap run here four weeks ago. He was odds-on but managed only an expensive and disappointing fifth.

Admittedly he was twice brushed by the winner, Mega Secret. “I think it was more that the race was a bit hard on him,” says Brett Crawford, referring to it being his third run in six weeks. “He is very well and he has been working well.”

Crawford still believes that Richard Fourie’s mount is good enough to take his chance in next month’s classic but obviously he has to win this and he probably has most to fear from Horizon.

This R5.2 million record-breaker has also had his ups and downs. Most disappointing when heavily backed first time, he redeemed himself in convincing fashion over this trip next time even though the form was hardly boosted by runner-up Crompton Court managing only seventh last Saturday.

“Horizon is doing well and working well,” reports Candice Bass-Robinson. “I suppose we have Craven to beat but this will tell us where we are with Horizon.”

Dancer won a mile novice 35 minutes before Horizon scored over the same trip but his time was about half a second slower. However he has some fair form and could win if neither of the big two produce the expected step up in form.

Silver Chalice scored twice over 1 800m before disappointing in a sprint. Eric Sands believes that he will need another run, saying: “We are restricted as to gallops.”

Craven opened 12-10 favourite with World Sports Betting which put Horizon in at 18-10 and Dancer on 28-10. Silver Chalice is a 10-1 chance and Aviemore on 14-1 while the Bass-Robinson second string Rocket Master is the rank outsider of the party at 20-1.

Strictly on the book Crawford should also win the All To Come Graduation Plate with 2-1 shot Orion Quest who has 2kg in hand over Attenborough on adjusted ratings and finished a neck in front of him on these terms when they were second and third behind Always In Charge over a furlong further at the beginning of the month.

However this is Orion Quest’s second run after an injury-induced rest (he had knee surgery) so the alarm bells are ringing. “I’m basically using this as a stepping stone as he is going for the Cape Merchants on Saturday week,” says Brett Crawford.

Attenborough, second to Lanzerac Ready To Run runner-up Sergeant Hardy on his previous start, has a fair bit of speed and is taken to reverse the placings. Significantly he is already favourite at around 15-10.

La Favourari (3-1) also comes into the reckoning after starting favourite and going close against Pillar Of Hercules ( 7-2) over the trip here four weeks ago. The Andre Nel runner is 3kg better.

But don’t overlook 14-1 outsider Horse Guards. Dennis Drier’s colt has no chance on his running in that Always In Charge race but he is a lot better than that and it was his first run for nearly five months.

By Michael Clower