Tristan Godden is elated as Mocha Blend crosses the line still full of running (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
The Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup saw Frank Robinson and Tristan Godden both winning their first Gr 1s as the outsider Mocha Blend gave the Oppenheimer family another win of Johannesburg’s biggest race and it was a second win in three years for Summerveld raiders.
The Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein-homebred Ideal World filly, who runs in Steven and Jessica Jell’s famous Mauritzfontein Stud black and yellow colours, was 5,5kg under sufferance so not surprisingly started at 100/1 odds in a boil over result as the next three past the post, Olivia’s Way, The Ultimate King and Busstopinhounslow were 2kg, 2,5kg and 2kg under sufferance respectively and started at odds of 40/1, 8/1 and 100/1 respectively.
The quartet paid a massive R355,689.60.
Godden dropped Mocha Blend out from draw 13, which was the same draw Summerveld raider Royal Victory won from two years ago.
He relaxed her on the rail at the back and she must have been at least 15 lengths off the good pace set by Navajo Nation.
She showed a fine turn of foot in the straight and then ran on strongly down the inside rail.
She was inconvenienced by The Equator and The Ultimate King shifting in but Godden managed to switch her outward into a gap and she then scythed Olivia’s Way down to win by 0,60 lengths.
Olivia’s Way had hit the front on the outside coming from well back.
She ran around a bit and it might have cost her and it might also have contributed to a terrible incident in which On My Honour fell, bringing Solar Sail down too.
Serino Moodley and Jarryd Penny were reported fine and so were the horses.
The Ultimate King ran on well from midfield to be beaten two lengths and Busstopinhounslow ran on from near last to be beaten 2,80 lengths with the fancied The Equator two lengths behind him in fifth place.
The favourite King Pelles was caught wide and did not have ideal cover and although initially moving up well his run petered out at the 400m mark.
