Trainer Sean Tarry, winner of four of the last five Summer Cups, has the best and the worst of the draws for Saturday’s Gr1 Betway Summer Cup over 2000m at Turffontein.
Nineteen runners have been carded to go to post for the Betway Summer Cup. Runners from the stables of three trainers dominate the field. Mike de Kock has four runners as does Johan Janse van Vuuren while Sean Tarry has five.
Sparkling Water – a popular choice to go very close on Saturday (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
There is no doubt De Kock has the strongest hand with Sparkling Water, Safe Passage, Aragosta and MK’s Pride as the first trio occupy the first three spots on the betting boards.
De Kock has engaged four top jockeys to ride his runners with S’manga Khumalo aboard Sparkling Water, Muzi Yeni on Safe Passage, Richard Fourie has Aragosta and Randall Simons rides MK’s Pride
De Kock will be looking for his 10th Betway Summer Cup winner but has not been victorious since Flirtation’s victory in 2010.
1st R1500000, 2nd R500000, 3rd R250000, 4th R125000, 5th R62500, 6th R31250, 7th R18750, 8th R12500
BETWAY SUMMER CUP (Grade 1)
Handicap
WFA: 3yrs-8kgs 4yrs-0.5kgs
No Apprentice Allowance
| 1 | 3 | William Robertson | 60 | 125 | HA | Marco V’Rensburg | Corne Spies | |
| 2 | 11 | Astrix | 60 | 124 | BA | Juan Paul v’d Merwe | J A Janse van Vuuren | |
| 3 | 6 | Mk’s Pride | 59 | 122 | A | Randall Simons | Mike de Kock | |
| 4 | 5 | Sparkling Water | 59 | 122 | A | S’manga Khumalo | Mike de Kock | |
| 5 | 10 | Safe Passage | 58.5 | 122 | A | Muzi Yeni | Mike de Kock | |
| 6 | 7 | Puerto Manzano (ARG) | 58 | 120 | BA | Keagan de Melo | J A Janse van Vuuren | |
| 7 | 12 | Nebraas | 57 | 118 | BA | Piere Strydom | Sean Tarry | |
| 8 | 15 | Aragosta | 55.5 | 116 | A | Richard Fourie | Mike de Kock | |
| 9 | 17 | Red Saxon | 55.5 | 116 | A | Julius Mariba | Joe Soma | |
| 10 | 18 | Second Base | 55.5 | 115 | BAe | Gavin Lerena | J A Janse van Vuuren | |
| 11 | 4 | Zillzaal | 55 | 114 | T A | Luyolo Mxothwa | Sean Tarry | |
| 12 | 9 | Divine Odyssey | 54 | 111 | BA | Chase Maujean | J A Janse van Vuuren | |
| 13 | 13 | Light Of The Moon | 54 | 110 | T A | Diego De Gouveia | B Botes / Y Vosloo | |
| 14 | 19 | Pyromaniac | 54 | 108 | T A | Calvin Habib | Sean Tarry | |
| 15 | 1 | Shango | 54 | 108 | TBA | #Rachel Venniker | Sean Tarry | |
| 16 | 8 | Super Silvano | 54 | 108 | A | Kabelo Matsunyane | Brett Crawford | |
| 17 | 2 | Litigation | 54 | 107 | T A | *Philasande Mxoli | Sean Tarry | |
| 18 | 14 | Jaimala | 54 | 101 | A | Ryan Munger | Ashley Fortune | |
| 19 | 16 | Raiseahallelujah | 54 | 99 | A | Raymond Danielson | Candice Dawson | |
| Same Trainer | ||||||||
| (2,6,10,12) (3,4,5,8) (7,11,14,15,17) | ||||||||
In recent years Tarry has been the most successful trainer, having won four of the last five Summer Cups and was also successful in 2009 with Aslan.
Watch the replay of last yea’s Gauteng Summer Cup:
Included in his quintet is 2019 winner Zillzaal. He also has Victory Moon Stakes champion Litigation, Nebraas, Pyromaniac and Shango.
Flashback to Summer Cup 2021 glory – Tarry Racing assistant Thabiso Nako, Shandre Hoffmann-Habib, Calvin Habib & Sean Tarry savour the momen (Pic- JC Photos)
In a remarkable sequence of events, two of Tarry’s five runners were the first and last to be allocated a starting gate when the draw for the Betway Summer Cup was done at a Melrose Arch in Johannesburg on Monday evening – and they drew gates 1 and 19 respectively.
Tarry pulled the first number after it was determined that the draw would start with Shango, and duly pulled the number one gate for this six-year-old son of Captain Of All.
Stable companion Pyromaniac was the last to be allocated a starting gate and with all the numbers already drawn except 19, there was no reason for anybody to gasp when it was revealed that this four-year-old Silvano gelding would jump from Commissioner Street.
Tarry, together with trainers Mike de Kock and Johan Janse van Vuuren, dominate the Betway Summer Cup, saddling 13 of the carded 19 runners, with De Kock and Janse van Vuuren on four each and Tarry with five.
“What can you do? It’s all part of the game,” said Tarry about drawing both the inside and outside gates.
“We’ve had good winners from good and bad draws. Who knows, it’s just a matter of how they go on the day, how the pace is, and that the jockeys don’t lose their minds. It’s all important and plays a part.
“We’ve got some good draws, but some of the horses can’t use the draw because they might not have the early speed.
“But the draws do cement a few plans we may have had tactics wise.”
Tarry is also adamant that the draw is not that important, especially over the course and distance.
“Listen, you can overcome any draw over 2000m at Turffontein, I have no doubt about that.
“If the horse is right, it can win from anywhere over this course and distance.
“We’re just happy to be part of the event.”
De Kock is equally pleased with the outcome of the draw.
De Kock’s SA Derby winner Aragosta (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
“I’m happy,” said De Kock, “especially for Aragosta to be on the outside. I think he’s a better horse on the outside, especially in a big field.
“For the rest of my runners, the draws are absolutely perfect.
“Look, it always helps to have a good draw so that you don’t have to rethink things, but in terms of their style of racing and the planning, I’m happy with where they all drew.”
Janse van Vuuren was also more than pleased with the outcome of the draw.
“My main horse, Puerto Manzano, got the best draw at seven and I’m very happy with that.
“We can probably get him four or five lengths off the pace from there and that’s exactly where we want him.
“Astrix drawn 11 is not the end of the world.
“Divine Odyssey is an old man. Drawn nine is ideal for him.
“Second Base doesn’t have much gate speed. He has the worst draw of all my horses, but if I had to pick one for a bad draw, it would have been Second Base.
Second Base – no gate speed (Pic – JC Photos)
“All things considered, I’m happy. It could have been better, but it could have been a lot worse.”
A Pick 6 megapool with a carryover of R2 million is likely to result in a pool of R10 million.
The quartet maxipool on the feature gets boosted by R500 000, with a likely pool of R2 million.
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