Summer Cup betting

Dual Gauteng Sansui Summer Cup hero Master Sabina has opened at 18-1 in ante-post betting for his bid to become the first horse since Elevation 43 years ago to pull off the big-race hat-trick.

The race will be run at Turffontein on Saturday 25 November.

Master Sabina left trainer Geoff Woodruff, who prepared him for both his Summer Cup wins, in May to join trainer Justin Snaith for the KwaZulu-Natal winter season and has changed stables yet again after he failed to fire in the Vodacom Durban July. He is now trained by Turffontein-based Joey Soma.

Favourite for Gauteng’s premier race is Matador Man, a fouryear-old Toreador gelding trained by ruling champion Sean Tarry. This three-time winner ran a cracking race in the Champions Cup on the final big raceday of last season, when finishing third behind Sail South and Captain America.

Nother Russia, a filly who has already made a name for herself, is second favourite at 12-1. This fivetime winner scored at the highest level in the Empress Club Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein and followed that run with a brilliant third in the Premier’s Champions Challenge, when she was beaten two short heads by Deo Juvente (an 18-1 chance in the Summer Cup) and Horse Of The Year Legal Eagle. Mike de Kock’s charge is lightly raced as a five-year-old and still has scope for improvement.

Opening betting for the R2million Gauteng Sansui Summer Cup on Saturday 25 November: 10-1 Matador Man; 12-1 Nother Russia; 16-1 Abashiri, Elevated, French Navy, Master Switch, Pagoda; 18-1 Crowd Pleaser, Deo Juvente, Master Sabina; 20-1 Hermoso Mundo; Liege, New Predator; 25-1 Brazuca, Cascapedia, Orchid Island; 28-1 Fort Ember; 33-1 Bi Pot; 35-1 Kilrain, Samurai Blade, Tilbury Fort; 40-1 Coral Fever, Glider Pilot, Go Direct, Mac De Lago; 50-1 Banner Hill, Bezanova, Girl On The Run, Irish Pride, Social Order, Wind Chill, Witchcraft, Zouaves; 66-1 and upwards others.