Stars align for Cup day

UNDERCARD: GOOD QUALITY FIELDS FOR SUPPORTING FEATURES ON BIG DAY

Pinnacle Peak and Redberry Lane are among the standouts.

The G-Bets Gauteng Summer Cup undercard is not wanting for quality. A number of top-class horses will line up in the three supporting features on 1 December – including the likes of Pinnacle Peak, a narrow loser to the mighty Legal Eagle last week; recent Golden Loom Handicap victor Rivarine, and gallant mare Redberry Lane, conqueror of Cape star Snowdance during the Durban season.

There are two Grade 2 contests on the Standside track programme: the Goldrush Derby Run Merchants, a famous old sprint over 1160m, and the World Sports Betting Ipi Tombe Challenge, a 1600m race for fillies and mares.

There are also two Listed events: the Epol Magnolia Handicap, a sprint for fillies and mares, and the 3200m Racing Association Handicap, one of the most popular staying challenges on the calendar.

Pinnacle Peak, who lost out to Legal Eagle by 0.50 lengths in a Pinnacle Stakes on the same course last Thursday night, heads the weights for the Merchants. Trainer Dorrie Sham’s speedy gelding is a model of consistency with three wins and only one run out of the money in his nine outings.

He is the 3-1 ante-post favourite, ahead of the Azzie stable’s Rivarine on 5-1 and Joey Ramsden’s Highveld sojourner Rose In Bloom on 8-1.

Unsurprisingly, Redberry Lane tops the scales and the boards in the Ipi Tombe – slated to carry 60kg and on offer at 16-10.

Sean Tarry’s charge is as honest as they come and warmed up for this challenge by finishing third behind Summer Cup hopeful Secret Potion in a 1600m Pinnacle Stakes on this track, albeit in very soft going.

Second in demand with punters is a KwaZulu-Natal challenger, Fiorella, from the Duncan Howells stable.

This four-year-old filly won the Grade 2 Daisy Guineas, which got her into the Vodacom Durban July, in which she finished seventh, eight lengths off winner Do It Again. That evidence of talent puts her right in the reckoning in this contest.

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Draws for the G-Bets Gauteng Summer Cup were made last night – too late for publication. Go to

to find out who drew where.

Stephen Moffatt Grant Maroun Frank Robinson M Yeni .............. ..............

Picture: JC Photographics GALLANT. Pinnacle Peak, left, and jockey Craig Zackey go down fighting to superstar Legal Eagle at Turffontein last week. Dorrie Sham’s fouryear-old sprinter can repay his backers when he contests The Goldrush Derby Run Merchants at Turffontein on G-Bets Gauteng Summer Cup day, 1 December.