No stopping Girl On The Run
THE Grade 2 Victory Moon Stakes over 1 800m at Turffontein last Thursday night and other races have caused a shake up in the Sansui Summer Cup betting over the last few days.
However, the Equus champion stayer Hermoso Mundo, who last ran in the Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile nine days ago, has now found himself at the top of the ant-post board, replacing triple crown hero Abashiri.
The Victory Moon’s narrow victor, the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Girl On The Run, stayed on resolutely from a handy position and only just denied Coral Fever, who ran on well from way back.
Girl On The Run was carrying only 50kg and escaped without a merit rated raise. She remains on 98 and has shortened into 20-1 for the Summer Cup with Betting World.
Coral Fever
The Robbie Sage-trained Coral Fever proved his win in last June’s Jubilee Handicap over course and distance was no fluke and only lost on the head-bob on Thursday night.
His Jubilee win did not earn him a place in the Vodacom Durban July, but it will be surprising if he is now left out of the Summer Cup.
His merit rating has been increased from 93 to 97 and he has shortened to 25-1.
Abashiri ran an excellent preparation race in the Victory Moon.
The most impressive part about it was that his beautiful, long-striding action was back in evidence. Mike Azzie’s charge was carrying a welter 62kg, so his staying on four length sixth was not a bad effort at all.
He should be cherry ripe by November 25, where he will run off an attractive 109 merit rating, consid- ering he was once a 117.
However, an even more ominous run in the Victory Moon came from last year’s Summer Cup third-placed Master Switch.
He ran on powerfully for a 1,15 length third on Thursday night, carrying 54kg, and has been raised two points to 101.
This is the identical mark he ran off in last year’s Summer Cup.
Of course the most noticeable Summer Cup credential he has is that he is trained by Geoff Woodruff, who will attempt to make South African racing history by winning the Summer Cup for the fifth year in suc- cession. This will be a record trot in any one of SA’s three major races, which are the July, The Sun Met and the Summer Cup.
Master Switch
Master Switch has shortened into 25-1.
The most fancied Woodruff runner is Pagoda, on 10-1. His last run was a four length defeat to Girl On The Run over 1 950m in a Pinnacle Event on October 21.
He was giving her 3kg and needed that run. Off his 99 merit rating fouryear-old Pagoda will receive 1,5kg from stablemate Master Switch in the Summer Cup and has an outstanding chance. Woodruff also fancies a big run from his ante-post 16-1 shot Banner Hill.
Victory Moon winning trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren is a former assistant of Woodruff and will also have a strong hand in the Summer Cup. His charges Crowd Pleaser and Brazuca are at 11-1 and 16-1 respectively and New Predator and Irish Pride are at 40-1.
Mike de Kock is in devastating form at present and his filly Orchid Island ran an eye-catching fourth in the Victory Moon.
Another of De Kock’s star fillies, Nother Russia, won her seasonal reappearance on the same card and is Betting World’s Summer Cup. Either filly could give De Kock his tenth Summer Cup and are quoted at 14-1 and 17-2 second favourite respectively.
National Champion trainer Sean Tarry’s Summer Cup hopeful Liege ran a bit of a flat race in the Victory Moon in his second run after a layoff and was unable to catch the leaders from a position way back in the field.
He finished a 5,3 length tenth. Stablemate Matador Man ran a fair race considering he was asked to come from last with 60kg on his back and managing a 4,25 length seventh.
Tarry’s filly Witchcraft finished 8th and Samurai Blade was a disappointing 11th.
French Navy
Charity Mile third-placed French Navy and Liege are now the highest Tarry entries on the Summer Cup ante-post board at 16-1 apiece, Charity Mile runner up Social Order is 18-1, Matador Man is 33-1, Tilbury Fort is 35-1, Witchcraft is 40-1 and Samurai Blade has drifted out to 66-1.
Another eyecatching Summer Cup preparation was put in last week by the Joe Soma-trained SA Oaks winner Wind Chill, who slammed a Progress Plate field by over five lengths and is now 20-1 with Betting World. Hermoso Mundo made his seasonal reappearance in the Charity Mile and although he had to overcome a wide draw over a distance too sharp, his 9,25 length 14th hardly justifies Summer Cup 8-1 favouritism.
The bookmakers might just be running scared of the “Woer Woer Masjien” having no doubt being punished when the Weiho Marwing-trained horse became the first to achieve the stayer’s “Gold” triple crown last season (Gold Bowl, Gold Vase and Gold Cup).