Hero’s Honour on track for Summer Cup

Hero’s Honour, who won April’s grade 1 SA Derby over 2,450m in the style of a top-class horse and has been rested since, will be aimed at the grade 1 2018 Summer Cup.

The son of trainer Gary Alexander’s Await The Dawn surprised most pundits when he won the last leg of the Triple Crown under Mark Khan.

“He was a big baby when he won the Derby. He won it on pure ability,” said assistant trainer Dean Alexander.

Hero’s Honour was given a break during winter and Alexander said: “He’s filled up nicely, he looks good and he’s back in work. We’ll start with the Joburg Spring Challenge over 1,400m to give him a pipe opener and we’ll consider the Charity Mile as his next outing.

“The target is the Summer Cup — we will see how he progresses this season. We’re looking forward to his campaign.”

Hero’s Honour holds nominations in two categories for Tuesday night’s Equus Awards Banquet, to be held at Emperors Palace. He faces stiff competition in the category for Champion Three-Year-Old Colt in which Durban July winner Do It Again and the exported star, Surcharge, have also been nominated. It will be a race between Hero’s Honour and It’s My Turn when the winner of the Champion Stayer category is decided.

Trainer Mike Robinson, who was stumped when his 75-1 chance Secret Depths won on her debut at Kenilworth last Saturday, can stay on a winning roll at Durbanville on Tuesday. There are eight races scheduled and his runner, Orakal (race 2), looks set to atone for a narrow defeat to Grand Silvano in July.

Joey Ramsden’s mare Favola, seeking a hat-trick of wins, has been priced up at 6-1 for race 7, which makes her a good value bet at the weights.

Durbanville selections

Race 1: (2) Secret Path, (4) Happy Girl, (10) Trou Aux Biches, (5) Lucille

Race 2: (5) Orakal, (8) Spectra Force, (4) Samsara, (3) Shall Be Free Race 3: (5) Cedar Man, (4) Black Indy, (1) Metropolitan, (3) Hello Manny

Race 4: (1) Royal Kiss, (2) Depeche, (8) Sparkeling Fire, (3) Hello Summer

Race 5: (3) River Cam, (2) Red Mars, (6) In The Jungle, (4) Earl Of Warwick

Race 6: (1) Silk Trip, (4) China Wolf, (6) Sunshine Lady, (2) Hall Of Fame

Race 7: (7) Favola, (5) Spam Alert, (1) Cape Charlotte, (4) Philae Race 8: (3) Cash Call, (5) Dubula, (4) Sacred Night, (2) Big Fish