Key prep for Betway Summer Cup.
The Summer Cup champion, the current Summer Cup ante-post favourite, a surprise raider from Eastern Cape and three high-class fillies are among horses named in the final field for the Allied Steelrode – Onamission Charity Mile at Turffontein on 1 November.
The Grade 2 contest over 1600m is a marquee event of the Highveld summer racing season and a key lead-up to Joburg’s premier race, the Betway Summer Cup.
Some of the 18 runners will be prepping for the big one, others will be striving to qualify for it, and all will be vying for the R1-million in prize money.
Reigning Summer Cup champion Atticus Finch, from the stable of local trainer Alec Laird, tops the weights with 60kg – and has drawn the No 1 starting gate.
The six-year-old loves Turffontein and recently ran a good second there in the Joburg Spring Challenge – over 1450m, a distance short of his best.
Four-year-old Confederate, currently topping bookmakers’ boards at 7-1 for the 2025 Summer Cup, adds further lustre to the Charity Mile but has drawn a tad wide at 14 of 18.
Fabian Habib’s gelding has only once finished out of the first two places in 11 starts – in the Durban July at that – and was recently a facile winner of a Conditions Plate in his warm-up for the season.
An eye-catching jockey booking for Confederate is Rachel Venniker, who was aboard for that win.
Coming all the way from Gqeberha is Zinova and his trainer Alan Greeff. Interestingly, this horse, then primarily a sprinter, ran in last year’s Charity Mile for the great Mike de Kock, before moving to the coast for a change of scenery.
A change of training focus to the mile has given Zinova a new lease on life and he has reeled off a couple of impressive victories at Fairview.
Another raider, this time from Durban, is Gareth van Zyl’s versatile soldier Imilenzeyokududuma.
James Crawford was the brains behind the 2024 Charity Mile victor Winchester Mansion when he headed up his father Brett’s Joburg satellite yard.
With Brett decamped to Hong Kong, James is now headquartered in Cape Town, but he knows the ins and outs upcountry and will surely be a factor as he saddles two big-race candidates – Otto Luyken and Pomodoro’s Jet.
Others of note in the field are three females, De Kock’s classy filly Spumante Dolce and Sean Tarry’s duo Callmegetrix and Rodeo Drive. All three will be in every punter’s calculations come the big day.
THE FIELD
(draw, name, weight, MR, number, trainer, jockey)
1 Atticus Finch 60 121 1 Alec Laird Calvin Habib
2 Musical Score 55 111 12 Lucky Houdalakis Marco V’Rensburg
3 Otto Luyken 57.5 116 7 James Crawford Luyolo Mxothwa
4 Callmegetrix 54.5 110 13 Sean Tarry Muzi Yeni
6 Texas Red 59 119 3 Robyn Klaasen Kabelo Matsunyane
7 Rodeo Drive 53 107 16 Sean Tarry Philasande Mxoli
8 Imilenzeyokududuma 56.5 114 9 Gareth van Zyl S’manga Khumalo
9 Aristotle 54 109 15 Alec Laird Kaidan Brewer
10 Spumante Dolce 58 117 6 Mike / Mathew de Kock Callan Murray
11 Anfields Rocket 54 109 14 Grant Maroun Sean Veale
12 Barbaresco 60 121 2 J A Janse van Vuuren Louis Nhlapo
14 Confederate 58.5 118 4 Fabian Habib #Rachel Venniker
15 Zinovi 57.5 116 8 Alan Greeff Chad Little
16 Busstopinhounslow 55.5 112 10 Grant Maroun Richard Fourie
17 Pomodoro’s Jet 58.5 118 5 James Crawford Craig Zackey
18 Choisaanada 55.5 112 11 Erico Verdonese Gavin Lerena
Reserves
5 Argo Alley 53 107 18 St John Gray Reserve 2
13 Pressonregardless 52.5 104 19 David Nieuwenhuizen Reserve 3
19 Money Heist 53 107 17 Tony Peter Reserve 1
