New name tops the second Summer Cup log

Atticus Finch is at No 1 on the Betway Summer Cup’s second log of likely runners – following his resounding win in the Grade 2 Allied Steelrode – Onamission Charity Mile at Turffontein on Saturday.

The Alec Laird-trained gelding was given a six-point merit-rating penalty for that performance and bookmakers have cut him to 4-1 from an opening call of 10-1 in ante-post betting for the R6-million Grade 1 race over 2000m at Turffontein on Saturday 29 November.

The current favourite for Jobug’s biggest horse race, at 3-1, is The Equator who registered two impressive wins for trainer Tony Peter at the Big T recently and sits in a comfortable 9th position on the new log.

Atticus Finch moves to the top of the “probables” at the expense of See It Again, who was scratched at the start of what was supposed to be his comeback run in a Conditions Plate over 1400m at the end of October at Greyville.

See It Again gets his first run of the season this Friday in a 1600m Conditions Plate at Greyville, where he will come up against two likely Summer Cup opponents – champion stayer King Pelles and 2023 Cup winner Royal Victory.

Trainer Michael Roberts voiced dissatisfaction at the controversial scratching of See It Again but is confident the gelding will do well on Friday.

See It Again has drifted in the ante-post market – from 8-1 to 16-1.

Three supplementary entries were included in the top 20 on the new Summer Cup log.

Eastern Cape raider My Best Shot, trained by Alan Greeff, is 16th after his runner-up finish in the Listed Betway Algoa Cup over 2000m last week. The four-year-old has 11 wins from 20 runs and will be making his first trip upcountry.

Another supplementary entry is Frank Robinson’s Shoot The Rapids, who slots in at 17 after finishing 1.50 lengths behind Pioneer Square (not in the top 20) in the Non-Black Type Michaelmas Handicap over 1900m recently.

Summer Cup logs are based on factors such as merit ratings, recent form, form over the distance, performance in preparatory races and results in graded races.

The 2nd Summer Cup log:

(ranking, horse, age and sex, merit rating, trainer)

1 ATTICUS FINCH – 6G – 127 – Alec Laird
2 SEE IT AGAIN – 6G – 125 – Michael Roberts
3 ROYAL VICTORY – 6G – 125 – Nathan Kotzen
4 KING PELLES – 5G – 122 – Gareth van Zyl
5 SON OF RAJ – 6G – 119 – Tony Peter
6 MADISON VALLEY – 5G – 116 – Frank Robinson
7 ON MY HONOUR – 4G – 116 – Glen Kotzen
8 OTTO LUYKEN – 6G – 116 – James Crawford
9 THE EQUATOR (IRE) – 5H – 117 – Tony Peter
10 LEGEND OF ARTHUR – 4C – 117 – Sean Tarry
11 SPUMANTE DOLCE – 4F – 117 – Mike/Mathew de Kock
12 PARISIAN WALKWAY – 4G – 115 – Alec Laird
13 WILD INTENT – 4G – 116 – Lucky Houdalakis
14 OLIVIA’S WAY – 4F – 112 – Roy Magner
15 SOLAR SAIL – 4G – 115 – Mark Khan
16 (Supp) MY BEST SHOT – 4G – 116 – Alan Greeff
17 (Supp) SHOOT THE RAPIDS – 5G – 112 – Frank Robinson
18 (Supp) ANFIELDS ROCKET – 6G – 109 – Grant Maroun
19 BUSSTOPINHOUNSLOW – 4G – 112 – Grant Maroun
20 WORLD OF ALICE – 4F – 106 – Sean Tarry

Next in MR order:

FUTURE PEARL – 6G – 114 – Sean Tarry
MARAUDING HORDE – 5G – 112 – Mike/Mathew de Kock
THUNEE PLAYA – 5H – 107 – Mano Pandaram
HOTARUBI – 5G – 104 – Sean Tarry
DON’T CRY FOR ME – 4G – 104 – Sean Tarry
MOCHA BLEND – 4F – 104 – Frank Robinson
NAVAJO NATION – 5G – 104 – WO/WH Marwing
THE ULTIMATE KING – 4G – 103 – Tony Peter
CHESTNUT BOMBER – 4G – 97 – Johan Janse van Vuuren
(Supp) MASTERSHIP – 5G – 96 – Dianne Stenger
PIONEER SQUARE – 4G – 96 – Candice Dawson
COCOMELON – 4F – 95 – Sean Tarry
RIVER ROMEO – 6G – 95 – Mano Pandaram
OBSIDIAN – 4G – 94 – Johan Janse van Vuuren
INFINITE WONDER – 8G – 91 – Mano Pandaram
DIWALI ROCKET – 4G – 89 – Mano Pandaram

Scratched:

OKAVANGO – Justin Snaith
FIERY PEGASUS – Joe Soma
CONFEDERATE – Fabian Habib
RULE BY FORCE – Joe Soma
POETS WARRIOR – Mike Azzie
GREETING MY MASTER – Alec Laird
ARISTOTLE – Alec Laird
COUNT HUHTIKUU – James Crawford
PUMPKIN PIE – Candice Dawson
ENFLAME – Candice Dawson