Futura headed for Cup Trial
The impressive Betting World 1900 Consolation winner Futura will have his next run in the Cup Trial at Clairwood on June 7, thus skipping next Saturday’s R2 million Gr1 Daily News in which his stable companion Captain America is likely to run.
The decision makes plenty of sense but there are inherent risks as it carries no guarantees for inclusion in the final field of the Vodacom Durban July.
The fall of the dice could still decide the mathematics, with three guaranteed qualifying events still to be run.
Those are the Daily News, the Woolavington and the Gold Challenge.
If three ‘new’ names win each of those, the Futura connections and the July panel could end up with a lively debate. But there is little question that he would have to win the Cup Trial.
With a maximum field of only sixteen allowed to run, there could be just two places up for grabs when the panel meets to make the decision, although two qualifiers in Capetown Noir and Legislate, are horses that may have other plans. So there is plenty in the balance.
Brett Crawford has decisions to make
Trainer Brett Crawford told Michael Clower earlier this week: “It is all about doing what is best for Futura. Our objective with him is to get into the Vodacom Durban July off the best possible handicap mark.
“If he were to run well in the Daily News he would go up to around the rating of those that finished near him whereas the Cup Trial is a handicap and so he can only be penalised for what he beats. Therefore it makes a lot more sense to go for that.”
The three-year-old has won all but one of his five starts, most recently last Friday’s Betting World Consolation for which he was raised six points to 91.
That rating is unlikely to be anywhere near enough to get him a run in the July but Gold Circle has two wild card special invitations at its discretion. The Cup Trial is one of the races whose winners are given preferential consideration.
The winners of the following races are guaranteed a spot:
l’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (Gr1) – Kenilworth – 1600m – (Winner: Cape Town Noir)
J&B Met (Gr1) – Kenilworth – 2000m – (Winner: Hill Fifty Four)
Investec Cape Derby (Gr1) – Kenilworth – 2000m – (Winner: Legislate)
SA Classic (Gr1) – Turffontein – 1800m – (Winner: Louis The King)
SA Fillies Classic (Gr1) – Turffontein – 1800m – (Winner: Athina)
SA Derby (Gr1) – Turffontein – 2450m – (Winner: Louis The King)
President’s Champions Challenge (Gr1) – Turffontein – 2000m – (Winner: Yorker)
Daily News 2000 (Gr1) – Greyville – 2000m
Woolavington 2000 (Gr1) – Greyville – 2000m
Rising Sun Gold Challenge (Gr1) – Clairwood – 1600m
Winners of the following four races will enjoy preferential consideration for inclusion in the final field:
Sansui Summer Cup (Gr1) – Turffontein – 2000m – (Winner: Yorker)
Betting World 1900 (Gr2) – Greyville – 1900m – (Winner: Espumanti)
Cup Trial (Gr3) – Clairwood – 1800m
Betting World Jubilee Handicap (Gr3) – 1800m
