David Thiselton

Trainer Frank Robinson was thrilled with the Betway Summer Cup preparation race victory of Madison Valley at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday and Nathan Kotzen was also pleased with the run of Royal Victory in the same race, but Michael Roberts was left fuming by what looked to be a premature scratching of the favourite for the race, See It Again.

See It Again went three-quarters of the way in and appeared to then back out. The handlers then moved him back towards the gate. When he did not immediately go in the hood was removed. He then circled a few times without the hood. Then, to the astonishment of the racing public, it was announced he had been scratched for refusing to load.

Roberts said, “I went into the inquiry room to watch the replay of the loading. I watched it numerous times and they just never gave the horse a chance. He goes more than three-quarters of the way in and the handler in the front then jumps up to get onto the side railing. They are big fellas and you can see when zooming in on the video that when going up the handler actually pushes against the horse’s head. He has a hood on, so he can’t see and he obviously resents being pushed in the head and half rears and then backs out. Shortly afterwards, Rachel (Venniker) was told the horse was delaying the start and he was scratched. The amazing thing is here you have a race the whole racing fraternity around the country and the punters are waiting to see, because they are hedging their bets for the richest race in the country (the R6 million Betway Summer Cup) and there are four fancied Summer Cup entries running in this race, so people want to see how they progress and the favourite in the race is just ignored by the starter!”

The inconsistency was another point Roberts raised.

He said, “The other day there was a horse who must have been given about five minutes and many chances to go in – we actually commented among ourselves when watching and said, ‘How long are they going to give this horse?’ It surely can’t go on how quietly the other horses are standing. Every horse should be given the same opportunity to load.”

Roberts said the response when pointing out it had appeared to be the fault of one of the handlers that See It Again backed out in the first place was that the starter had been unable to see what was happening in front of the horse.

 He added, “They can’t see it happening, but then they ignore what the jockey tells them!”

Roberts went on to say it had not only been a stepping stone race for the Summer Cup, but once again the punter had suffered because the favourite got taken out and the new favourite then ran unplaced, so it had put a lot of punters out of the exotics.

He continued, “See It Again has been jumping out of his skin and was 10kg over his racing weight and the race would have tightened him up nicely for his next start (a race over the same course and distance on November 7). Rachel galloped him back, but the stampers were already on the course, so she had to stop two furlongs from home, so he only got about a five or six furlong gallop.”

The stipendiary steward report said, “SEE IT AGAIN (R A Venniker) refused to load. Trainer M L Roberts will be advised to reschool this gelding.” Roberts pointed out that the last time this horse had had an issue at the starting stalls was way back in 2022.

He added that more than one of the jockeys had told him his horse had not been given a fair chance, which was unusual for a jockey to say about an opposition runner, and Craig Zackey had even mentioned it in the winner’s interview. Roberts said he also been inundated with messages and phonecalls from around the country from friends and colleagues who had disagreed with the decision made by the starter, who on the day was KZN’s official assistant starter, Sean Leslie.

Roberts concluded, “I might just take See It Again to Greyville for a gallop before November 7, but the horse is well and we will be back!”

Frank Robinson was particularly pleased with the manner of Madison Valley’s victory in which only two backhanders had been required.

He said an agreement to have Craig Zackey on for the Summer Cup and for the build-up races had been made about a month ago.

However, he is now in two minds whether to run him in the Gr 2 Allied-Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile at Turffontein Standside on November 1 or to just go for the Conditions Plate race over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on November 7.

Madison Valley was raised one point to 116 for his win on Sunday and Robinson is weary of getting more points for running well in the Charity Mile.

At present with See It Again and Royal Victory the highest rated entries on 125, Madison Valley will have a nice galloping weight of 55,5kg.

Nathan Kotzen was pleased with Royal Victory’s run despite him finishing a 3,75 length sixth.

He said all he had wanted to see was him running on well in his usual style after being dropped out from a tricky draw of seven. He had done just that under Chad Little, whom Nathan confirmed would be his rider for the Summer Cup.

Royal Victory will also run next in the Conditions Plate event over 1600m on November 7. He pointed out the Pathfork gelding had been in a better space than ever after six sessions with “horse whisperer” Glyn Redgrave.

The Glen Kotzen-trained Summer Cup entry On My Honour ran a fair 2,35 length fourth. He was well in at the weights and some would have expected better, but he should come on a lot for the run.