It has been four long years since trainer Joey Soma sent Wagner out to win the Summer Cup. He has had a quiet time of things of late and had to wait until the final feature of Summer Cup day on Saturday to pull one out of the bag.
S’manga Khumalo makes it win number 4 as Fortissima quickens off a slow pace (Pic JC Photos)
Soma saddled the Fort Wood filly Fortissima in the day’s marathon, the Gr3 Racing Association Handicap, and with the 4yo backed into 6-1 and a R2 870 277 Pick 6 dividend riding on her back, there was a fair amount of pressure on jockey S’manga Khumalo – who was also coincidentally the rider of Wagner.
But the SA champion handles pressure with aplomb as he was to deliver the goods for his fourth winner on a big day.
Joe Soma – pleased with the win
It was also to be a big race for the fairer sex, with the girls filling three of the top four places.
In a slow run race, Khumalo had Fortissima relaxed nearer last as The Elmo Effect and Yer-Maan plodded casually out front.
Into the straight, Khumalo got work on Fortissima and angled her wide out of traffic as she built up.
With Coby looking dangerous but the others tiring out front, Fortissima was in full stride at the 300m and she ran on powerfully off the tardy pace to draw off to beat the late running-on Storm Warning by 4,60 lengths in a dawdle of 212,26 secs.
Storm Warning was giving the winner 7,50kgs and ran his usual gutsy race, with Zafira staying on for third and Coby grabbing fourth.
Gold Cup winner Enaad is battling to find his form and finished downfield.
The same applies to Joey Ramsden’’s topweight Coltrane, who had run such a cracker in the Victory Moon Stakes recently. He ran very poorly, finishing 28 lengths off the winner with only one behind him.
Fortissima is a graduate of the 2014 CTS Johannesburg Ready To Run Sale where Joey Soma went to R270 000 to acquire her.
Bred by Klawervlei Stud, she is a daughter of Fort Wood out of the Al Mufti mare, Synchronize.
Fortisssima has notched up 3 wins with 5 places from her 12 starts and too her earnings to R539 450.
Her best previou speak performance was her runner-up position in the SA Oaks. Given the slow time, this form may be a bit suspect.
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Gr3 Racing Association Handicap (SAf-Gr3)
Turffontein, South Africa, November 26, R250k, 3200m, turf, soft, 3.32.26
1 – FORTISSIMA (SAF), 52.0, b f 4, Fort Wood (USA) – Synchronize (SAF) by Al Mufti (USA). Owner Messrs M A Currie, J A Soma & L A Wainstein & Klawervlei Stud (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mr J P Koster) & Mr D & Mrs F N V Paton; Breeder Klawervlei Stud; trainer JA Soma; jockey S Khumalo
2 – Storm Warning (SAF), 59.5, b g 7, Jet Master (SAF) – Olympic Storm (SAF) by Fort Wood (USA)
3 – Zafira (SAF), 56.5, b f 4, Silvano (GER) – Zahira (SAF) by Fort Wood (USA)
Margins: 4.60, 0.10, 0.25
