De Kocks’ Cup entry No 8 gets No 9 slot in Top 20

Splittheeights, a late entry this week into the Betway Summer Cup, has slotted in at No 9 on the latest Top 20 Log for Joburg’s biggest horse race.

The powerful stable of Mike & Mathew de Kock saw enough in the colt’s fifth-place finish in Saturday’s Allied Steelrode Charity Mile to justify paying the R13,800 second entry supplementary fee to get him into the R6-million Grade 1 showpiece to be contested at Turffontein on 28 November.

Earlier this year, Splitheeights won the first leg of the Triple Crown (the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas) and ran third in the second leg (the Grade 1 SA Classic) and was installed in the top tier of his three-year-old generation.

The De Kock brains trust opted to put the precocious fellow away for seven months – to let him mature and strengthen – rather than chucking him into the hurly-burly of his peers’ classic campaigns.

That the savvy father-and-son team reckon the youngster is good enough to compete in one of South Africa’s “Big 3” races says a lot – as does his opening price of 12.50, in sixth place on the betting boards.

He becomes the De Kocks’ leading contender – odds-wise – of their eight candidates in the 38 remaining entries.

The other De Kock hopefuls are Jan Van Goyen, Curious Girl, Immediate Edge, Wild Intent, Drumnadrochit, Aladdin’s Lamp and Reet Petite.

Nothing has come of speculation that Charity Mile victor Zeitz might also be supplemented into the Summer Cup. The gelding’s trainer Andre Nel clearly sees the big race’s 2000m as outside the range of his smart galloper.

Final declarations are due on Tuesday 17 November, yet champion trainer Justin Snaith has already accepted for his two entries to run and declared riders for both. Former champion jockey Richard Fourie partners Native Ruler (8.33) while France’s Mickaelle Michel goes with Magic Verse (8.33).

The Snaith duo share joint favouritism in the ante-post betting market with another KwaZulu-Natal raider, King Pelles from Gareth van Zyl’s yard.

Since the first Summer Cup log was published in mid-October, three of the ranking early entries have been scratched: Errol Flynn, Calla Lagoon and Fire Attack.

2nd Log, 5/11/2026
(Position, age, sex, name, MR, trainer)

1 7 G GLADATORIAN 127 Stuart Ferrie
2 5 M MOCHA BLEND 120 Frank Robinson
3 4 G GRAND EMPIRE 111 Sean Tarry
4 6 G KING PELLES 122 Gareth van Zyl
5 6 G HOLDING THUMBS 119 Glen Kotzen
6 5 G NATIVE RULER 121 Justin Snaith
7 7 G OTTO LUYKEN 113 James Crawford
8 6 G MAGIC VERSE 115 Justin Snaith
9 4 C SPLITTHEEIGHTS 109 Mike / Mathew de Kock
10 4 F LITTLEMISSMILLION 114 Tyrone Zackey
11 5 G CHOISAANADA 118 Erico Verdonese
12 5 G THE ULTIMATE KING 117 Tony Peter
13 5 M OLIVIA’S WAY 114 Roy Magner
14 4 C CHRONICLE KING 115 Candice / Tammy Dawson
15 4 F DRUMNADROCHIT 111 Mike / Mathew de Kock
16 6 G ALADDIN’S LAMP 112 Mike / Mathew de Kock
17 4 G JAN VAN GOYEN 118 Mike / Mathew de Kock
18 4 F REET PETITE 114 Mike / Mathew de Kock
19 6 M TOMYRIS 103 Tony Peter
20 5 G I SALUTE YOU 112 Peter Muscutt

The rest in alphabetical order:

5 G BUSSTOPINHOUNSLOW 108 Grant Maroun
4 F CURIOUS GIRL 100 Mike / Mathew de Kock
5 G FIELD MARSHAL 110 Nathan Kotzen
5 M FIRST WISH 93 Candice / Tammy Dawson
5 H GO GRAYSON GO 98 Frikkie Greyling
5 G IMMEDIATE EDGE 108 Mike / Mathew de Kock
7 M INDIAN OCEAN 105 Mano Pandaram
5 G ISIVIVANE 107 Peter Muscutt
7 G JIMMY DON 112 Joe Soma
5 G LEGEND OF ARTHUR 108 Sean Tarry
6 G MADISON VALLEY 111 Nathan Kotzen
4 G MASTER SPY 97 Sean Tarry
4 C PALACE PRINCE 108 St John Gray
5 G PARISIAN WALKWAY 107 Alec Laird
7 G RULE BY FORCE 117 117 Joe Soma
5 G SOLAR SAIL 109 Paul Matchett
5 G TINTIN 93 Sean Tarry
5 G WILD INTENT 107 Mike / Mathew de Kock

Key dates:

Final entries close: 09h00 Monday 16 November
Weights: Monday 16 November
Declarations: 11h00 Tuesday 17 November
Final field: Embargoed & announced on Tuesday 17 November
Barrier Draw: Tuesday 17 November at an event TBA
Determination of the final field is at the discretion of the NHA in consultation with 4Racing.