Set For Summer. Triple Tiara winner Cherry On The Top is at the top of the Summer Cup log.
Last season’s champion three-year-old filly Cherry on the Top heads the merit log for the R2-million Sansui Summer Cup to be run over 2000m at Turffontein on Saturday 30 November.
The log, which has been compiled by Patrick Davis and Vee Moodley of Phumelela and the National Horseracing Authority (NHA) panel of handicappers, is intended to give owners and trainers of Summer Cup entries an indication of which horses are likely to be chosen to participate in Joburg’s race of the year.
“The log is purely a guideline to tell stakeholders where they stand with their horses currently,” stressed Davis, who is Phumelela’s horseracing executive.
“The first 20 we have put in order notionally, while the next 10 (from 21 to 30) we have identified as on the cusp. But we have placed these in alphabetical order and not in order of preference at this stage,” Davis added.
“Where horses have obvious question marks about current wellbeing due to lengthy absences from the track – The Hangman and Ilsanpietro are examples – or distance suitability (example Royal Zulu Warrior), these horses have been excluded from the top 20 at this stage and placed in the 21-to-30 bracket.
“This is to encourage their connections to race these horses in the next few weeks in an attempt to dispel fitness or distance suitability doubts,” Davis added.
Merit ratings will form the foundation of the selection of the final field for the Summer Cup, but not in instances where there are doubts about a horse’s ability to run to its rating on the big day. The final field will be selected by the NHA panel of handicappers in terms of the race conditions.
The merit log will be updated on 23 October and again on 6 November – dates that follow some of the key trial races.
Second entries for the Grade 1 Sansui Summer Cup are on 4 November and weights will be published the same day. Final entries and declarations are on 18 November and the final field will be announced the following day, when the draw for starting-gate positions will take place.
Six other graded races will be run on Sansui Summer Cup day including the R500,000 Dingaans, the first major test of the season for three-year-olds.
The Sansui Summer Cup merit log is:
|
Log 9/10 |
Age |
Sex |
Horse |
MR |
Trainer |
|
1 |
4 |
F | CHERRY ON THE TOP |
118 |
Ormond Ferraris |
|
2 |
6 |
G | RUN FOR IT |
117 |
Justin Snaith |
|
3 |
4 |
F | DO YOU REMEMBER |
116 |
Geoff Woodruff |
|
4 |
4 |
C | WYLIE HALL (AUS) |
113 |
Weiho Marwing |
|
5 |
6 |
G | KNOCK ON WOOD |
113 |
Ormond Ferraris |
|
7 |
4 |
F | JET BELLE |
111 |
Robbie Sage |
|
8 |
4 |
C | TELLINA |
109 |
Geoff Woodruff |
|
9 |
4 |
G | ROCK COCKTAIL (AUS |
111 |
Mike de Kock |
|
10 |
6 |
H | JET JAMBOREE |
113 |
Dominic Zaki |
|
11 |
4 |
G | GOTHIC |
106 |
Kumaran Naidoo |
|
12 |
5 |
G | ASTRO NEWS |
113 |
Charles Laird |
|
13 |
6 |
M | CHERRY ON THE CAKE |
109 |
Gavin van Zyl |
|
14 |
6 |
G | GOLD ONYX (NZ) |
110 |
Sean Tarry |
|
15 |
4 |
F | ESPUMANTI (GB) |
111 |
Mike de Kock |
|
16 |
5 |
M | ILHA BELA |
104 |
Mike de Kock |
|
17 |
5 |
G | WAGNER |
105 |
Joe Soma |
|
18 |
5 |
H | POTALA PALACE |
108 |
Mike Azzie |
|
19 |
4 |
G | LOVE STRUCK |
106 |
Charles Laird |
|
20 |
6 |
G | MASAI WARRIOR |
107 |
Mike Azzie |
|
|
4 |
G | GITIANO |
104 |
Alec Laird |
|
|
5 |
G | GLORIOUS JET |
104 |
St John Gray |
|
|
7 |
G | ILSANPIETRO (BRZ) |
111 |
Mike de Kock |
|
|
4 |
G | PATRIOTIC REBEL |
106 |
Mike de Kock |
|
|
6 |
G | ROMAN WALL |
105 |
Sean Tarry |
|
|
5 |
G | ROYAL BENCHER |
113 |
Alec Laird |
|
|
7 |
G | ROYAL ZULU WARRIOR |
110 |
Kumaran Naidoo |
|
|
6 |
G | S’IL VOUS PLAIT |
105 |
Ormond Ferraris |
|
|
4 |
G | THE HANGMAN |
109 |
Sean Tarry |
|
|
4 |
C | WAR HORSE |
102 |
Corne Spies |
|
|
4 |
C | YORKER |
108 |
Geoff Woodruff |
|
|
7 |
G | CAPTAIN’S WILD |
108 |
Mike de Kock |
|
|
7 |
G | SMANJEMANJE |
107 |
Tyrone Zackey |
|
|
5 |
G | STRAW MARKET |
103 |
Ormond Ferraris |
|
|
5 |
G | BARACAH |
102 |
Sean Tarry |
|
|
4 |
G | KILLUA CASTLE (AUS |
102 |
Geoff Woodruff |
|
|
5 |
G | TIGER’S RETREAT |
102 |
Sean Tarry |
|
|
4 |
G | DUAL ASSET |
101 |
Ormond Ferraris |
|
|
5 |
G | RED FORT |
101 |
Geoff Woodruff |
|
|
4 |
G | SABADELL |
101 |
Geoff Woodruff |
|
|
4 |
G | TIGER PLAY |
101 |
Brian Wiid |
|
|
4 |
C | TRUE MASTER |
101 |
Justin Snaith |
|
|
4 |
G | WILD ONE |
101 |
Jeff Freedman |
|
|
5 |
G | YER-MAAN |
101 |
St John Gray |
|
|
4 |
G | AMERICAN STORM |
100 |
Spike Lerena |
|
|
4 |
G | CIGAR BOY |
100 |
Justin Snaith |
|
|
5 |
G | ROCCO’S LUCK (AUS) |
100 |
Mike de Kock |
|
|
7 |
G | EASTERN COBBLER |
99 |
Mike Azzie |
|
|
5 |
G | GENERAL SHERMAN |
99 |
Sean Tarry |
|
|
5 |
M | DANCE ALLEY |
97 |
St John Gray |
|
|
4 |
G | JOHNNY ROCKETS |
97 |
