Walkway, Rule By Force gallop into big race reckoning.
Turffontein racecourse will host the Summer Cup on 28 November. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
Nearly a third of the Betway Summer Cup hopefuls were in action at the weekend, revving up for Joburg’s biggest horse race.
The results are being pored over by the form fundies and most will surely declare them to be the proverbial mixed bag.
The standout performance came from Parisian Walkway, a chronic underachiever in recent times who didn’t even make the Summer Cup Top 20 Log released last week.
The chestnut’s brave, battling win from the front in the Grade 3 Victory Moon Stakes at Turffontein surely seals him a place in the starting lineup for the R6-million showpiece event at the same venue at the end of the month.
Bookmakers reacted quickly, chopping Parisian Walkway’s ante-post odds of 50-1 by half. The way the gelding fought off good quality opposition – under a superb ride by under-rated jockey James Lehaba – over just 200m less than the Cup trip suggests he might be shorter priced quite soon.
However, Alec Laird’s well-bred charge has suffered health issues for a long time and this victory might be seen as his career redemption and seasonal peak.
Question marks over Drumnadrochit
The action in Parisian Walkway’s rearview mirror was also interesting. Victory Moon favourite Drumnadrochit, who’d won her previous start over course and distance by a whopping 11.25 lengths, was a big disappointment.
Many punters’ exotic bet banker on the day – and many a tipster’s Summer Cup “shrewdie” – moved up menacingly on the outside rail and looked set to swamp the flying Parisian Walkway. But Drumnadrochit ran out of puff and finished fifth.
Was it the big filly’s wide draw of 12 that told in the closing yards? Was it just a flat run? Or is there a question mark over her stamina?
The betting market’s answer came quickly as Mike & Mathew de Kock’s girl drifted out from 14-1.
Summer Cup entries Rule By Force, Legend of Arthur and Master Spy finished in the Victory Moon placings. None of them feature on the latest probables log and might not get the chance to confirm the promising form on the big stage – though they deserve it. All three hove into view from the far reaches of the betting boards, though it’s Rule By Force who might draw most interest if Joe Soma’s fast improver cracks the nod.
Solar Sail, winner of Race 8 on Sunday’s Turffontein card, is another Summer Cup roughie who’ll be exercising the brains of handicappers and longshot punters alike.
In his first run for trainer Paul Matchett, the five-year-old made light of a new home, a hefty 61.5kg and a 10-month break to beat decent opposition and put up his hand for a crack at the Grade 1.
At Greyville in Durban on Friday evening, current Summer Cup favourite King Pelles (7-1) showed his wellbeing when finishing a close runner-up in a Pinnacle Stakes mile, with another Cup fancy, Gladatorian (16-1), just behind in third.
