“A bad draw is a bad draw, what else can I say,” was Joey Ramsden’s forlorn comment after The Conglomerate was left out at 18 for last season’s Gr1 Vodacom Durban July.

However, all the cards fell his way in the race and under a superb ride from Piere Strydom that earned him ride of Champions Season, The Conglomerate finally broke prolific owners Markus and Ingrid’s Jooste’s duck in the race.

It was a case of more of the same for The Conglomerate for the Gr1 Sansui Summer Cup when the draw was done in Johannesburg yesterday.

Not quite out with the washing at 15 and with a much longer straight to negotiate, it was not all bad news for The Conglomerate who lines up with 20 other rivals in the R2 million race to be run over 2000m at Turffontein on Saturday week, November 26.

The Conglomerate missed the season-ending Gr1 Champions Cup with a mind to the Summer Cup and he has improved each time in his two Highveld build-up runs. He should be spot-on come Saturday week.

Mac de Lago, third behind The Conglomerate in the July, meets his rival on the same terms and although Weiho Marwing is unhappy with his current merit rating, he will have been more than happy with gate three.

Geoff Woodruff has an outstanding record in this race, having won it for the past two years and last year’s winner Master Sabina drew well at 6 with the much-fancied Deo Juvente in at 8 with Anton Marcus aboard. However, Marcus’s choice of rides was restricted as it was obvious that Strydom would have first call on The Conglomerate while he will have had to amputate a leg and possibly more to make the weight on Master ‘N Commander and St Tropez.

Sean Tarry-trained Liege, second in last Saturday’s Gr2 Victory Moon stakes behind Bezanova, has drawn a touch wide at 12 although he is likely to have come on nicely from his warm-up run and champion trainer Tarry has his horses in mustard form.

KZN raiders are also in evidence with Duncan Howells saddling Saratoga Dancer, runner-up in the Gr2 Charity Mile, and Ten Gun Salute while Gareth van Zyl sends out his first Gr1 runner under his own name in No Worries.

Saratoga Dancer fared best of the Howells runners in the Charity Mile, runner-up to New Predator, but although he finished fifth, beaten a length in the 2200m July, the tough Turffontein 2000m remains a concern from a 12 gate.

Ten Gun Salute did not get the best of passages in the Charity Mile, but having shed his maiden over 2400m, next Saturday’s trip should hold no fears. He has a plum draw and it’s just a matter of whether he is good enough to match this field that is possibly the biggest question mark over his chances.

Veteran No Worries has done the Van Zyl yard and owner Brian Burnard proud. The chestnut never runs a bad race and he has prepped nicely for this event. He also has a handy galloping weight courtesy of Mac de Lago and there will be many a sentimental bet struck.

Turffontein  2,000,000  2000m  17:10   Gr1 SANSUI SUMMER CUP
Sc# Horse                                            Mass MR Draw   BAT       Jockey                         Trainer
1  MAC DE LAGO                              60.0  114   3           AT         W Marwing         Weiho Marwing
2  PUNTA ARENAS                          58.0  110   5            A          K de Melo           Dennis Drier
3  DEO JUVENTE                               56.0  106   8            A          A Marcus             Geoff Woodruff
4  MASTER SABINA                         56.0  106   6            AT        G Lerena              Geoff Woodruff
5  THE CONGLOMERATE               56.0  106  15           AT        P Strydom           Joey Ramsden
6  JUDICIAL                                        55.5  105   2            A          K Zechner            Tyrone Zackey
7  NO WORRIES                                55.5  105  10        BAT        W Kennedy        Gareth van Zyl
8  SARATOGA DANCER                  55.0  104  13           A          C Zackey              Duncan Howells
9  JUXTAPOSE                                   54.0  103   7            A          C Maujean          Stanley Ferreira
10  LIEGE                                              53.5  102 12            AT        S Khumalo           Sean Tarry
11  ROMANY PRINCE                      53.5  102  14           A          *L Hewitson       Ormond Ferraris
12  TEN GUN SALUTE                      53.5  102    9          AT         G van Niekerk   Duncan Howells
13  MASTER SWITCH                      53.5  101  18          AT         A Delpech           Geoff Woodruff
14  SAMURAI BLADE                      52.5  100   4           AT         M Yeni                  Sean Tarry
15  STONEHENGE                             52.5   99  16           AT         J P v’d Merwe    Sean Tarry
16  MOGOK MASTER                      52.0   99  11         BAT        M V’Rensburg   Joe Soma
17  MASTER ‘N COMMANDER     52.0   97  17           A           A Forbes              Geoff Woodruff
18  ST TROPEZ                                    52.0   97   1            AT         *C Murray           Joey Ramsden
19  IRISH PRIDE                                  52.0   95  20           A           R Simons              Johan Janse van Vuuren
20  BANKABLE TEDDY                      52.0   91  19          BA          R Danielson        Brian Wiid