Saturday’s sophomore clash of the titans between Main Defender and Sandringham Summit in the Betway Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes elicited an unprecedented buzz and discussion on-course and countrywide as two upwardly mobile youngsters and their respective fan clubs squared up.
Now there is talk of a match race over a mile at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Gold Cup day.
Hollywoodbets-sponsored trainer David Nieuwenhuizen said that he couldn’t speak for his owners but would be willing to consider a match race between the top 3yo’s at a time when it didn’t overlap on other likely commitments.
Main Defender gets the better of Sandringham Summit in a thriller (Pic – JC Photos)
The Turffontein conditioner took the head defeat by Main Defender on the chin when chatting to the Sporting Post on Monday, confirming that Sandringham Summit had pulled up well and emptied his manger.
While full marks are due to Main Defender for a gutsy showing, there are some schools of thought that suggest that Sandringham Summit didn’t benefit from a vintage ride, and that jockey Calvin Habib had possibly moved too soon.
After Main Defender changed legs late, he was allowed to come right back to pip his rival. In fairness to Calvin Habib, has a jockey on a runner-up ever ridden a great race?
“I would be lying if I said that we aren’t disappointed. The disappointment factor is also directly proportional to the winning margin. But full marks to Main Defender and we will take him on again when our paths cross – even in a mile match race if there is a sponsor willing to step forward,” added the man who commenced his training career with just four horses at the Vaal eighteen years.
Watch the replay:
David explained that he had Sandringham Summit as best he could have had him with the season ahead, but probably 80% fit on Saturday, as it had actually not been on the agenda originally to run him in the Graham Beck.
He would have preferred a mile.
“We had the potentially weaker BSA Ready To Run Cup planned as a starting point, but we drew in the bush. So we gave that a miss. Then I considered the Allied Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile. The draws for that contest came out only after we could decide whether to run in the Graham Beck or not. So I felt let’s go with the draw we had, rather than risking another potentially wide gate. This all means I had him doing little for ten days and he came in without a grass gallop on Saturday.”
But the Equus winning conditioner stressed that he wasn‘t making excuses.
“That’s racing and we believe in this very special horse. We know he will be back. A mile upwards is when he will be at his most effective. We are likely to aim him at the Dingaans over the mile on Betway Summer Cup day and then go into the SA Triple Crown. Naturally the third leg is still in the melting pot as we don’t know whether he will stay the 2450m. And maybe the Daily News 2000 down in Durban is EVEN an option. But we will cross that bridge when the time comes.”
David explained that he had always intended to aim the Gr1-winning son of champion sire, Gimmethegreenlight at level weights races. It thus wasn’t ideal, or part of the plan, that he gave a kilo to Main Defender on Saturday.
He confirmed that a Cape campaign was not on the agenda at this stage.
After Saturday’s contest, the NHA handicappers have hiked Sandringham Summit from a rating of 117 to 121. Main Defender remains on a 121. They are the jointly highest rated 3yo’s in the country.
