The Tyrone Zackey-trained soldier Judicial’s Sansui Summer Cup participation hangs in the balance after he cast himself (rolled) in his box earlier in the week and banged one of his legs.

Zackey said on Wednesday it remained to be seen whether the swelling would come down in time for him to run, but added, “I will be the happiest man in the world if he is able to start, but won’t be cross if he doesn’t because he’s been so good to us. I worry about the horse and there are a lot of other races, we don’t want to hurt him.”

Zackey said the six-year-old gelding by Miesque’s Approval, who finished a three length third and a 1,1 length fourth in the last two running of the Summer Cup respectively, had been “bursting out of his skin”.

“He ran a good race in the Victory Moon with that weight and it was maybe because he was so well that he rolled in his box.”

Judicial has a plum draw of two, as opposed to his draws of 13 and 20 in the last two renewals of the big race. Karl Zechner, who rode him to third two years ago, knows him well and is aboard again.

Zackey’s only other runner on the day is Front Rank, who runs in the tenth race, a MR 95 Handicap over 1600m. Zackey said nothing could be found wrong with the consistent five-year-old Mogok gelding after his disappointing run two weeks ago over 1800m at Turffontein. That was in fact the first time he had been tried beyond a mile.

He has won over Saturday’s course and distance before and has a plum draw of three with Zechner up. Betting World have priced him up at 11/2 in the ten horse field. Zackey said, “He has been working very well and is a good each-way bet.”

By David Thiselton

Captain’s Flame attempts to make it four in a row in the McNaughtans Handicap at Kenilworth tomorrow as she continues her so far-relentless progress towards the Paddock Stakes.

“I am giving her two prep runs and this is the first of them,” says Andre Nel who has also earmarked the Jet Master on December 17 for his progressive four-year-old who faces a stiff task under top weight – even though the handicappers only raised her half a kilo for her Diana win.

She won that Durbanville Grade 3 with authority with Aldo Domeyer saluting the crowd as he began pulling her up approaching the line. She was certainly value for more than the official three-quarters of a length, particularly as it was her first race for four and a half months.

“She was pretty ready for that,” recalls her trainer who provides one of the biggest threats in Quine who is on a hat-trick. Can Captain’s Flame beat this one? “It will be tough but I think she can,” answers Nel who is targeting the Victress Stakes with Sihle Cele’s mount.

However Goodtime Gal, unlucky when second in the Diana and now 2kg better, could be a different proposition. “She was baulked early in the straight and she couldn’t get a clear run. I think it cost her the race,” recalls Mike Robinson’s wife Louella. The rerun confirms this view. It’s also worth pointing out that her rider couldn’t claim that day so she is effectively 4.5kg better with the top weight.

She has since chased home Sail and The Secret Is Out, and Richard Fourie (31 today) is in inspired form.

Miss Marker is, in theory at any rate, the best handicapped of all the Diana runners. She was fourth, only 1.3 lengths behind the winner, and is a huge 6g better. But she had the smoothest of passages that day and it was her third run of the season.

You can make some sort of a case for Jane S Piddy and Moonlight ‘N Roses  but it is Harlem Shake’s first outing for four months. Captain’s Flame keeps doing it, she is a class act and she gets the vote.

The sahorseracing computer says she will beat Goodtime Gal a head with Quine a neck away third and Jane S Piddy a well-beaten fourth.

The computer predicts a surprise in the Scout Paints Conditions Plate (race two) with victory going to Adorada who has little chance on adjusted ratings despite last time’s third to In Limine over this 1 800m.

There is precious little between Fear Not and Icy Fire on Final Fling running although that was in the soft. Icy Fire had much the better reappearance run and, with both Brett Crawford and Greg Cheyne doing so well, she gets the vote.

Loadshedder looks good in the first after two promising outings. “We think he is a miler but he is still pretty inexperienced so I am giving him one more run up the straight,” says Nel. “The form is standing up well.”

By Michael Clower

Warren Lenferna chats to James Rich about Duncan Howells runners [Nov 25 to Nov 27]

 

 

 

Gavin Lerena and the Geoff Woodruff-trained Master Sabina will attempt to retain the Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup together at Turffontein on Saturday and the high-flying jockey believed the seven-year-old gelding was going in with a better preparation than he had last year.

Lerena has a number of other good rides at the meeting and it is no coincidence that the majority of them are for two trainers who were mentored by Woodruff, Johan Janse van Vuuren and Candice Dawson. Lerena said about the latter, “They are both very good trainers, they have done amazingly well, they learnt a lot from Geoff.”

Master Sabina is highly regarded by Lerena. The son of Jet Master was a touch disappointing in both the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and J&B Met subsequent to his Summer Cup win last year, but he ran a cracker in the Vodacom Durban July. Lerena said after the July, “I was forced to take him back early, so was considerably further back than I had wanted to be, but he ran on really well in the straight.” He finished a 3,35 length ninth.

He followed up by running a decent fifth in the Gold Cup over 3200m with topweight. That was the fifth consecutive time he had not made the frame, but on the positive side this allowed the handicapper to drop him three points back to 105, the same merit rating he ran off in last year’s Summer Cup.

He made his seasonal reappearance in a MR 104 Handicap over 1800m at the Vaal on October 25 and made eyecatching progress in the straight to finish a 0,8 length second to his stablemate Master Switch. He was raised one point for the run, but still faces the latter on 1kg better terms.

He carries 56kg in Saturday’s 2000m handicap event off a 106 merit rating, as opposed to 56,5kg off 105 last year, and he jumps from draw six as opposed to draw seven last year.

Lerena said, “He has a fair draw and his prep has gone very well. He had a nice prep run and took the run well. He has been putting up nice work and I am happy with the progress he has made. I think he is in a better place than he was last year. I can’t say I am confident, because it’s a horse race, but he is definitely in with a chance with luck in running.

“I think his stable companion Deo Juvente and also Saratoga Dancer are big runners and we will also have to be careful of the lightweights, there are some strong lightweight gallopers.”

Lerena rides the exciting Janse Van Vuuren-trained Captain Al colt Doosra from a tricky draw of nine in the Gr 2 Investec Dingaans over 1600m and said, “I certainly think he will get the trip. I have been very happy with his work at home, he keeps on improving nicely. Obviously we don’t have the number one draw we had last time, so will need a little bit of luck.”

He rides the equally exciting Australian-bred High Chapparral filly Being Fabulous for the Janse van Vuuren yard in the Gr 3 Fillies Mile. Like Doosra, she possesses a magnificently long stride, but she also has to overcome draw nine. Lerena said, “I would have been more confident with a couple of weeks and another run under the belt, but having said that she a very nice filly and is doing very nicely at home.”

In the Gr 2 Gauteng Tourism Ipi Tombe Challenge over 1600m Lerena rides the Alec Laird-trained Polyphonic, who was well regarded last year as a three-year-old and now looks to be coming into her own. Lerena said, “She is now having her third run after a rest and her last run was brilliant, carrying that big weight it was full of merit (she finished a 2,5 length second in the Gr 3 Yellowwood Handicap over 1800m under Lerena carrying 60kg and giving the winner Girl On The Run 8kg). She has the number one draw too, but it’s competitive, it’s quite open.”

Lerena rides the Paul Peter-trained African Ruler in the Gr 2 Citizen Merchants over 1160m and this consistent four-year-old Trippi gelding’s form speaks for itself, as he has only once failed to finish in the first three in 15 career starts, six of which he has won. His runs include a runner up finish to Equus Champion Sprinter Talktothestars in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville, but he faces the latter on 0,5kg worse terms here despite being defeated 2,25 lengths in the latter race. It is a very strong field and it remains to be seen whether his low draw of three is disadvantageous, which it can be in rain affected going. There is some more rain expected this week, so it might be on the soft side.

Lerena doesn’t know much about the Woodruff first-timer by Captain Al he rides in the first, Whosethebossnow.

In the second over 1160m, he rides the Candice Dawson-trained Ideal World filly Royal Utopia, who appeared to be going backwards on debut, but then suddenly stayed on well. He said, “She is doing ok, she is still quite green, but it’s not a bad formline and she could be in the places.”

He rides the Dawson-trained Prince Of Orange in the last, a MR 95 Handicap over 1600m. This five-year-old Indigo Magic gelding’s victory under Lerena in the Grand Heritage consolation race over 1475m was full of merit as he jumped from a seemingly impossible low draw of three.

Lerena said, “He is not drawn well again (10 in a field of 10), but is feeling fit and will be running on again.”

By David Thiselton

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