Soma's offering is dynamite!
HARD: IT'S NOT BEEN EASY BUT MASTER SABINA'S TRAINER HAS GIVEN HIM A 'FAIR CHANCE'
Because of the dual Summer Cup winner's interrupted preparation his stablemate Wind Chill is better fancied by the stable.
They say pin-point assaults are often the best and trainer Joe Soma’s strike on Turffontein tomorrow contains just six horses, but they’re all potentially explosive.
He has two horses in the Cup, including Master Sabina who has won the last two runnings of Johannesburg’s premier race.
The horse Soma describes as “a character second to none”, won in 2015 and 2016 in the care of Geoff Woodruff, who gave the Jet Master gelding a preparatory run before each of those wins.
Soma was hoping to follow the same routine. “But he had two setbacks in training, nothing major, and was out of work for two to three weeks so he missed out on the pipe-opener,” saidSoma.
“At his age we’ve had to monitor his welfare closely. But he’s been in a very good space in the last 10 days,” he added. “So, yes, I’m a little bit concerned. But in saying that, we did give him a gallop with five horses and he came through extremely well.
“I believe we’ve given him a fair chance to pull it off. It’s an honour to train this horse and I’m hoping he does the hat-trick. It would be a fantastic achievement.”
Only Java and Elevation have managed to win three times running in the history of the race.
A trouble-free preparation for a big race like the Summer Cup is always preferable and Soma makes four-year-old Silvano filly Wind Chill his stable elect.
“We’re in a very good space with her,” he said. “Everything’s gone off very well and she ticks all the boxes - it’s the right course and distance, she’s well drawn, has a light weight and I was happy to have the rain this week.”
Wind Chill scored an easy win in a 2000m Progress race at the Vaal last time out and Soma admitted: “I was very excited with the win even though she didn’t beat much.
"She’s come out of that race oozing with confidence. To my mind she’s the value of the race. I’m quietly confident of a very good run.”
Also in Soma’s small strike force tomorrow is hugely talented but problematic sprinter Graduation Day. He won the Golden Loom Handicap over 1000m last time and runs in the World Sports Betting Merchants over 1160m.
“The other sprinters in South Africa are lucky he never had good legs,” said Soma. “His ability is immense. Thankfully, for the first time in his career, he pulled up very sound after the Golden Loom Handicap. He’s come on from that run and is moving well.
“My only concern is that he’s having his second run after a layoff. If that doesn’t affect him, he’ll be very competitive. Don’t leave him out of anything!”
Soma’s banker in the carryover Pick 6 is his charge Fortissima in the Racing Association Handicap over 3200m. “I think her fourth behind Hermoso Mundo in the Gold Cup was excellent considering the short run-in at Greyville,” said the trainer. “She’ll appreciate this course and I think she’ll be very hard to beat.”
He has first-timers Causeway Cruiser and Left Hook in Race 2 and says: “They’re both nice horses. I can’t separate them and it’ll be hard to beat Square The Circle, but add them to the back end of Quartets.”