After a tough race that brought up her fourth Gr1 success, reigning SA Horse Of The Year Summer Pudding has come out of her superb victory in Saturday’s HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes at Turffontein well.
Her trainer Paul Peter, who has moved into second slot on the SA Champion Trainer table and within R1,8 million of pacesetter Justin Snaith, is along with the Cape Champion and Eastern Cape-based Alan Greeff, one of only a trio of conditioners to have saddled over a century of winners this term.
Summer Pudding wins well on Saturday (Pic – JC Photos)
Speaking to the Sporting Post on Monday evening, Peter said that the ‘tough and laid-back lady’ had taken, what was a hard race, well.
“The trip was on the short side for her, so Warren (Kennedy) had to keep at her and use her more than usual. But she’s a champion – and champions cope with challenges,” added the top trainer, who is bidding for his first Vodacom Durban July victory this year.
On the prospects of the likelihood of a three-cornered showdown between Summer Pudding, Joey Soma star Got The Greenlight, and Mike de Kock’s SA Triple Crown hero Malmoos in the Gr1 Premier’s Champions Challenge on 1 May, Paul was cautious.
Top team – Paul Peter, Summer Pudding and Warren Kennedy (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
“I need to chat to Jess and Steven (Jell) about that race. I’m inclined to go with skipping it. It’s just a fortnight between the two Gr1’s, and she did have a hard race over the mile on Saturday, as I already said.”
- Supplementary entries for the 1 May contest close at 09h00 on Friday 23 April.
- Declarations are due by 11h00 on Monday 26 April.
Summer Pudding will definitely be in the Vodacom Durban July entries list which is to be announced on Wednesday at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
It is possible that her next start could even be on the East Coast.
Summer Pudding won her only KZN start with a breathtaking late dash to win the Gr1 Woolavington 2000 in July last year.
On a seperate question, Paul Peter was unable to confirm the news that Summer Pudding’s regular pilot and reigning SA Champion jockey, Warren Kennedy, is considering an overseas move.
The Sporting Post has learnt from various sources that Kennedy could be headed for either Australia, New Zealand, or even Hong Kong. Efforts to contact him were unsuccessful.
