A first entry of 42 was received on Wednesday 9 October for the R6 million Betway Gr1 Summer Cup to be run at Turffontein on Saturday 30 November.
The Highveld flagship contest is officially Africa’s richest horse race, and in addition to the bumper stakes pot, each runner’s Groom will also be acknowledged by means a R20 000 cash prize.
Dave The King – SA Horse Of The Year and looking to go a bit further (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Mike de Kock hasn’t saddled a Summer Cup winner since the mare Flirtation won the race under Randall Simons back in 2010, and the veteran clearly means business with seven of the 42 entries, including the SA Horse Of The Year Dave The King, who has won his last two Grade 1’s on the trot.
The son of Global View ran on Summer Cup day in 2023, but finished unplaced in the Gr2 Merchants. Given his recent successes and maturity, he may well take his chances over the 2000m.
Michael Roberts will bid to win his first Summer Cup with stable star See It Again, who could be a whole new ball game on the long Turffontein straight, while Nathan Kotzen’s defending champion Royal Victory will be out to stamp his mark again.
| 0 | Aragosta | Mike de Kock | 113 | |
| 0 | Atarime | Paul Matchett | 97 | |
| 0 | Atticus Finch | Alec Laird | 112 | |
| 0 | Barbaresco | J A Janse van Vuuren | 122 | |
| 0 | Beating Wings | Stuart Pettigrew | 114 | |
| 0 | Cape Eagle | Andre Nel | 110 | |
| 0 | Cousin Casey | Sean Tarry | 125 | |
| 0 | Dave The King | Mike de Kock | 128 | |
| 0 | East Coast | Mike de Kock | 103 | |
| 0 | Flag Man | Gareth van Zyl | 126 | |
| 0 | Frances Ethel | Brett Crawford | 118 | |
| 0 | Future Pearl | Sean Tarry | 118 | |
| 0 | Home Of The Brave | Tyrone Zackey | 101 | |
| 0 | Hotarubi | Sean Tarry | 115 | |
| 0 | Indian Ocean | Lorenzo Karriem | 105 | |
| 0 | Jordan | Sean Tarry | 97 | |
| 0 | Litigation | Sean Tarry | 115 | |
| 0 | Madison Valley | Frank Robinson | 108 | |
| 0 | Main Defender | Tony Peter | 129 | |
| 0 | Marauding Horde | Mike de Kock | 96 | |
| 0 | Meridius | Tony Peter | 115 | |
| 0 | My Soul Mate | Candice Dawson | 111 | |
| 0 | Navajo Nation | Robbie Hill | 106 | |
| 0 | Nebraas | Sean Tarry | 106 | |
| 0 | Pomodoro’s Jet | Brett Crawford | 96 | |
| 0 | Puerto Manzano (ARG) | J A Janse van Vuuren | 123 | |
| 0 | Pure Predator | Fanie Bronkhorst | 119 | |
| 0 | Purple Pitcher | Robyn Klaasen | 123 | |
| 0 | Raiseahallelujah | Candice Dawson | 103 | |
| 0 | Red Maple | Sean Tarry | 108 | |
| 0 | River Romeo | Lorenzo Karriem | 101 | |
| 0 | Royal Victory | Nathan Kotzen | 125 | |
| 0 | Rule By Force | Joe Soma | 105 | |
| 0 | Safe Passage | Mike de Kock | 109 | |
| 0 | See It Again | Michael Roberts | 131 | |
| 0 | Shoemaker | Mike de Kock | 111 | |
| 0 | Silver Sanctuary | Mike de Kock | 116 | |
| 0 | Son Of Raj | Tony Peter | 119 | |
| 0 | The Futurist | Brett Crawford | 104 | |
| 0 | Thunee Playa | Lorenzo Karriem | 88 | |
| 0 | Winchester Mansion | Brett Crawford | 124 | |
| 0 | Zeus | Fabian Habib | 117 | |
| (42) | ||||
The Betway Summer Cup can host a maximum field of 20 and is a compressed handicap, with a spread from topweight of 60kgs to a minimum impost of 54kgs.
The winner will bank a gross R3 450 000, with stakes paid down to tenth (R60 000) place.
Second entries close at 11h00 on Tuesday 5 November, with final entries due by 09h00 on Monday 18 November – on which date the weights will be published.
Declarations are due by 11h00 on Wednesday 20 November. The final field will be embargoed and announced later the same day. The determination of the final field is at the discretion of the NHA in consultation with 4Racing.
4Racing, in consultation with the NHA Handicappers, will publish a series of logs from Tuesday 15 October.
The theme for this year’s edition of the Betway Summer Cup is Silks in The City – where racing heritage meets urban sophistication.
