The Gr 1 SANSUI Summer Cup is one of the country’s big three and will have off course punters glued to their armchairs this weekend.

French Navy carries topweight but is known to become electrified the moment he enters the straight and will likely build on his sixth place in the Gr 2 Peermont Emperor’s Charity Mile, in which he produced  a powerful finish from behind. He is a deserving favourite and jumps from a nice draw of eight.

His Sean Tarry-trained Stablemate Halve The Deficit also caught the eye in the Charity Mile when running on strongly from last and this evergreen seven-year-old Right Approach gelding, who deserves a change of luck, is not only down to an attractive merit rating but also has a fair draw of nine.

Dean Kannemeyer has Power King as well as he had him before his Vodacom Durban July victory. He only received three points for that win and has a shout in an overall weaker race from a plum draw of five.

The Irish import Flying The Flag is one of three runners attempting to give Mike de Kock his tenth Summer Cup, but didn’t inspire much confidence in the Charity Mile when staying on steadily. He should improve on the run and rain might help his cause.

Stablemates Ahlaam and The Centenary are the only two fillies in the race and are both 0,5kg under sufferance. Ahlaam is courageous but will find it tough as a front-runner, while The Centenary will relish the course and distance and her running on style makes her one of the race’s dark horses.

Judicial disappointed in his seasonal reappearance in the Gr 2 Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m, but trainer Tyrone Zackey is an expert in peaking his charges and this enigmatic sort showed his class when finishing third in the Summer Cup last year.

Trainer Geoff Woodruff’s expertise in peaking them is illustrated by his yard having the first three past the post two years ago and the first two last year. He doesn’t have as strong a hand this year. Master Sabina, runner up two years ago, will be having his second run after a layoff of a year. Deo Juvente is held in high regard and qualified by winning the Victory Moon in impressive style, but Anton Marcus has chosen to rather waste to make the weight of 53kg for St. Tropez. The Captain’s Tune plugged on from a handy position in the Charity Mile for seventh and is now drawn in pole, but has a slight stamina doubt on pedigree.

The St. John Gray-trained Yer-Maan won Zimbabwe’s biggest race, the Castle Tankard over this trip, and will be hoping for a strong pace, but looks a touch high in the weights.

Mac De Lago is capable of a strong finish and, being conditioned by the astute trainer Weiho Marwing, should be cherry ripe. Weichong Marwing will give him a chance of overcoming his tough draw.

The Stuart Pettigrew-trained Easy Lover was finishing strongly for second in the Victory Moon over 1800m, suggesting he will get this trip, and his style is suited to the Standside course.

MLJet has put his disappointing three-year-old season behind him and finished a fine second in the Charity Mile. His full-brother Augusta National has won over 1800m, so he can’t be discounted from draw two.

Ultimate Dollar, one of two runners for Justin Snaith,  will likely relish the course and distance as he takes a long time to wind up into his sizeable stride and he was another who caught the eye running on strongly in the Charity Mile. If anybody can nullify his 19 draw it is Piere Strydom.

Stablemate Dynamic is the forgotten horse of the race, as he was fancied for the July before failing to make the final field. He produced a strong finish when a close second in the Gr 1 Cape Derby as a three-year-old, so will appreciate the step up to this trip after staying on steadily in the Charity Mile.

Disco Al, one of two runners for Joey Ramsden, is an honest type who is coming off a good preparation over 1800m at Turffontein and on paper he has a fair chance at the weights. He finished last a year ago but has had a better preparation this time.

Stablemate St. Tropez has a big shout despite a wide draw as he looks capable of rising above his current merit rating and will relish the tough course and distance.

The Erico Verdonese Diesel Jet won in facile fashion from the front over 1800m last time out but will unlikely be given an easy lead here and is eight points higher in the merit ratings.

The Gavin van Zyl-trained Platinum Jet is 2,5kg under sufferance, but earned his place with a good third in the Victory Moon. He has only had eight starts for three wins, so is unexposed and could surprise.

St. Tropez is the selection to beat Ultimate Dollar, French Navy, Halve The Deficit, Dynamic and The Centenary.

By David Thiselton

Paul Lafferty makes Toreador colt Unbelievable Chad a “massive” runner in Saturday’s Gr 2 Investec Dingaans over 1600m at Turffontein, a race in which the Summerveld yard’s colt Harry’s Son finished second last year.

Swimming legend Chad Le Clos and his ebullient father Bert will be at Turffontein along with the rest of the syndicate of owners to cheer the handsome bay on.

Lafferty said, “Piere Strydom didn’t know the horse before the Graham Beck Stakes and the horse grabbed the bit and took off with him. Striker said afterwards he is still a big baby and has a lot of improving to do and if ridden more patiently he would have done much better. He added that you can’t go up the Turffontein hill like that and still place but this horse did still place (finished a 3,6 length fourth to Muwaary).”

Andrew Fortune watched the Graham Beck and phoned for the ride in the Dingaans. Lafferty and Fortune have discussed the race and Fortune has passed on the message to the connections that he would be “a jockey strike.”

Lafferty is confident the colt will not repeat his antics and said, “He is not a stupid horse. He had never seen Turffontein and was fresh, so just bolted. He is a very laid back horse and there is no ways he will be boring to the front again.”

Fortune’s fine hands and excellent positioning of a horse will make him a perfectly suitable jockey for the horse too.

Lafferty was not concerned about his wide draw of ten and said, “We will cover him up.”

Unbelievable Chad will travel at midnight on Friday.

Lafferty regards the likely favourite, Lineker, as well as Noah From Goa as the horses to beat, but as always has respect for the whole field.

Ironically, Lafferty was the initial buyer of Star Witness colt Lineker, picking him out at an Australia Sale on behalf of Mcihael Leaf for Aus $50,000.

Leaf then decided to put him on the Bloodstock South Africa Ready To Run Sale, with the idea that it would either qualify him for the expensive Sales race or might fetch a big price.

Bloodstock agent John Freeman approached him at the Sale saying he really liked the colt, so would be attempting to buy him for the Justin Snaith yard, and asked whether he would he be interested in taking a share if they secured him.

The colt went for R1,1 million and ultimately Leaf ended owning the whole horse again.

Lafferty, Leaf and Freeman’s intuition was spot on as Lineker won last month’s R2,015,000 BSA Ready To Run Cup.

Another interesting aspect to Saturday’s Dingaans is that rejuvenated sire Toreador will have no fewer than four runners in the twelve horse field and two of the other three, Bull Valley and Rikitikitana, will have just as much confidence behind them as Unbelievable Chad has.

In further Lafferty yard news, Harry’s Son is doing exceptionally well under the care of assistant trainer Roy Waugh at Epsom in the UK and will be departing for Dubai at the end of the first week of December together with the yard’s other Dubai Carnival campaigner Royal Navy Ship. Followers of Harry’s Son can catch up with his progress on www.laffertyracing.co.za

By David Thiselton

Leading South African jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe is set to have his first ride in Britain at Wolverhampton on Friday when he partners Cold As Ice in the £19,000 32Red Fillies Conditions Stakes.

The seven-furlong (1400m) Tapeta contest is a Fast-Track Qualifier for the £150,000 32Red.com All-Weather Fillies’ & Mares’ Championships Conditions Stakes over the same distance on Polytrack at Lingfield Park on Good Friday, March 25.

Fayd’Herbe has partnered some of South Africa’s best horses since he started riding in 1996, including three-time champion Pocket Power and J J The Jet Plane, on whom he won the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan, Dubai, in 2011.

He heads to Wolverhampton to ride South African import Cold As Ice, who also makes her UK debut for Newmarket trainer William Haggas.

The four-year-old filly has won five of her seven starts, which have all been at Kenilworth, including a pair of impressive Gr2 victories. She was beaten a short-head on her latest appearance in the Gr1 Majorca Stakes over a mile in January.

Haggas said: “Bernard has a contract with the owners (Kathy Finch and Bridget Kieswetter) in South Africa and they asked if he could come over. He rode Cold As Ice on Tuesday morning and seemed very happy with her.

“I think it is his first ride in the UK and it will be an interesting experience for him. He has ridden all over the world and is a top-class jockey.

“Cold As Ice came to us in July and I didn’t want to spend the winter doing nothing with her, so the owners and I decided to give her a go on the All-Weather and this seemed the obvious route to go.

“She should be fit enough to run a good race. Obviously, it is a Fast-Track Qualifier so we are hoping to get qualification out of the way but she might keep running on the All-Weather. We will see how we go on Friday first and then decide.”

A field of nine for the 32Red Fillies Conditions Stakes also features Lamar, who has already qualified for All-Weather Championships Finals Day following a game victory in the Listed 32Red/ebfstallions.com Fleur de Lys Fillies’ Stakes at Lingfield Park on October 29.

Marco Botti has declared Italian Listed winner Kyllachy Queen and Fleur de Lys Fillies’ Stakes sixth Alfajer, while Invoke who was seventh behind Lamar at Lingfield Park, is also set to line up.

The third All-Weather Championships run from Thursday, October 29, 2015 and culminate with All-Weather Championships Finals Day on Good Friday, March 25, 2016, at Lingfield Park. The seven races on All-Weather Championships Finals Day are worth a total of £1.1 million.

– racenews.co.uk

Arabian Beat and Abashiri will be making their seasonal reappearances at the big Turffontein meeting on Saturday.

Their respective trainers had divergent opinions on the chances of the two top class Gr 1 performers.

Arabian Beat, a three-year-olds Black Minnaloushe colt who only just failed from a wide draw in the Gr 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m at Greyville in his last start, runs in the Gr 2 AmTote  Merchants over the 1160m, course and distance of his Gr 1 SA Nursery victory. Dominic Zaki said he would be close to his peak and added, “His preparation has gone smoothly and I give him a big chance with that low weight.” He carries only 53kg off his 110 merit rating in the handicap event and regular pilot Craig Zackey is aboard from a nice middle draw of 10.

The long-striding Abashiri, a three-year-olds gelding by Go Deputy, has tremendous scope and should love the 1600m course and distance of the Investec Dingaans. However, Mike Azzie cautioned, “He hasn’t run because there was nothing suitable on the program for him, but has had gallops and we have him as fit as we possibly can. However, there is nothing like one run under the belt, so I’m approaching the race with caution.” Abashiri jumps from a tough draw of 12. On the plus side the ever-professional Anton Marcus is aboard.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Arabian Beat (Nkosi Hlophe)

The pool for Saturday’s Pick 6 for the Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup meeting at Turffontein is expected to reach R5 million after the injection of a R1,5 million carryover. All six legs are Graded Stakes events.

The first leg is the Gr 2 AmTote Merchants over 1160m. Races 1 and 3 on the card are over the same distance and punters should watch for any draw bias.

Copper Parade prefers fast ground so rain will affect his chances. The eight-year-old won the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m less than two years ago and in that race got the fast pace  which allowed him to free wheel at his high cruising speed before using his devastating turn of foot. He will certainly get a fast pace in this big field sprint and has dropped to a 101 merit rating from 116, as well as being drawn on what is usually the right side, so if in the mood could go close.

Doing It For Dan was raised four points for his easy last win but trainer Louis Goosen has a knack of extracting continual improvement from his classy sprinters. Trip To Heaven’s last run can be ignored as he was slow away and rushed and he is capable of carrying top weight to victory. Tiger Territory was desperately unlucky last time out when cruising in behind horses with nowhere to go, so is potentially well handicapped. The scopey Arabian Beat won the Gr 1 Nursery and despite a layoff of nearly five months trainer Dominic Zaki reckoned he would be close to his peak and gave him a “big chance with that low weight”. Brutal Force has improved with gelding. Toro Rosso loves to gallop and is dropped back in trip. Al Don Cumarco is an impressive specimen and Gavin Lerena will suit him. Whiteline Fever, Aurum Pot and Amazing Strike are three others that could be considered.

The fifth race is the Gr 3 Joshua Doore/Russells Fillies Mile and the classy and progressive Madame Dubois should love the course and distance and is a potential banker from pole position despite having to give the field 1kg. The improving Joan Ranger could be a threat being 1kg better off with Madame Dubois for a neck beating in the Starling Stakes over 1400m, but there is a reversal in draw fortunes. Sapsan is the only danger to the front two on current form, although the gigantic Persian Rug could do better if the ground is soft and Shaama might bounce back to form having her third run after a rest.

The sixth is the Gr 2 Investec Dingaans over 1600m and the impressive Noah From Goa is a possible banker as he should relish the step up in trip. Unbelievable Chad ran away with the rider last time but is usually a relaxed type and is now familiar with the course. So if able to tuck in from a wide draw his big stride will carry him close. Bull Valley should be cherry-ripe for this his target race. New Predator won his maiden impressively over course and distance and the form has worked out well. Long-striding Abashiri is top class and should be suited to the standside track, but this is his first start of the season, as there was nothing suitable for him, and although the yard have him as fit as possible trainer Mike Azzie added, “There is nothing like one run under the belt, so I’m approaching the race with caution.” Lineker has class and should just about stay the trip. Rikitikitana has caught the eye on occasion.

The seventh is the Sansui Summer Cup and will be reviewed tomorrow.

The eighth is the Gr 2 Bradlows/Morkels Ipi Tombe Challenge over 1600m. Trophy Wife will have come on from her last start and over her probable favourite course and distance is the third of the possible bankers. Smart Call needed her last start over 1400m and will appreciate the step up in trip but does have to give 2kg to most of the field including Trophy Wife. Bichette beat Smart Call  comfortably in her last start over 1450m and is now 1kg better off, but is not certain to enjoy the step up in trip. Love To Sail might prove to be suited to this trip. Featherfoot should be coming into her own being by Silvano but has a tough task at the weights.

The ninth race is the Gauteng Racing Association Handicap over 3200m. Weiho Marwing has a superb record in staying races at Turffontein and Fulcrum and Cool Chardonnay both look to be out-and-out stayers and should be involved. The classy topweight Storm Warning should finish on top of Fulcrum. J’s Outsider has to be included too, as the winner of the Gold Bowl over course and distance. Wild Ash is a big filly with some class and plenty of stamina. Savage Wind can never be ignored.

By David Thiselton