If there is a surprise packet in the Gauteng SANSUI Summer Cup then Zimbabwe champion Yer-Maan could fit that bill and raise a few eyebrows at Turffontein on Saturday.
Imagine the scene with the St John Gray-trained gelding, Horse Of The Year in Zimbabwe in 2014-15, belying the 66-1 odds currently readily available about him with Betting World.
But for that fairy-tale scenario to have even a chance of developing, Gray is adamant the Quinton Riddle-ridden Yer-Maan must enjoy a strong pace from gate to wire, and he is conscious of the fact that in recent Summer Cups those who galloped handily off a slow pace were able to assume their positions at the business end.
St John Gray
Gray, who’s Dancewiththedevil plundered the race in 2011, opined: “My horse will start at long odds, but providing the pace is on from the start he will finish his race off powerfully.”
The trainer is not slow to criticise some of the rides given Yer-Maan in the past but has faith in Riddle, whose family are part of racing folklore in Zim. He added: “We have brought Quinton Riddle down from Borrowdale and he knows the horse well. The key is that this horse needs to be ridden in a specific fashion.
“Hopefully Quinton will ride the necessary race. Providing the pace is on and it doesn’t rain he’ll run well.”
Yer-Maan is a complete roughie with the majority of judges at 66-1 but Gray doesn’t think he is actually too far short in ability of his merit rating of 104.
He went on: “South African pundits have us believe he’s 10 pounds (5kg) inferior but I’m not certain that’s an accurate assessment.
In truth, his actual mark is somewhere between two (1kg) and five pounds (2.5kg) lower.
“Against that he’s an older horse and stronger these days. A lot of mine don’t like to be bustled early and are given an easy time after the start, and unfortunately guys here believe you need to be handy no matter what.
‘‘So if we don’t have a pace and they dawdle on Saturday we might be left a little flat-footed. On the other hand if they go quick and we have a strong pace he could finish off well, just like Dancewiththedevil did.’’
– Neil Morrice for TabNews
