Rachel Venniker, pictured winning the Listed Model Man Mile on See It Again, will race ride the Michael Roberts-trained star for the first time in two years on Sunday at Hollywoodbets Greyville. (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
See It Again is the highest rated entry in the Betway Summer Cup on a merit rating of 131 and has his preparation for the big race on Sunday at Hollywoodbets Greyville over 1600m, which will be his first tun as a gelding and he will be ridden by Rachel Venniker.
Trainer Michael Roberts said as could be expected gelding had seen See It Again lose some of the thickness associated with older entires so he had slimmed a little but had certainly not fallen away and he added he was in fine shape.
He is drawn in pole position in the Pinnacle Stakes event and carries the same weight of 62kg as the reigning Summer Cup champion Royal Victory, although See It Again has the advantage of Rachel Venniker’s 1,5kg gender claim.
See It Again and Royal Victory, who is merit rated 125 and drawn 2, are well in at the weights in the seven horse field and should fight out the finish.
Formagear, who is next highest rated on 108, is officially 8kg under sufferance with See It Again, but on his day strikes as a top class sort, so he could give some cheek.
Venniker being aboard for this race has led to runours that she will also be aboard for the Summer Cup.
However, See It Again’s owmer Nick Jonsson said recently he thought it would be “frankly foolish to not put Piere Strydom on the horse … Turffontein is his home ground.”
Strydom, who has been See It Again’s regular rider since February last year and has won two Gr 1s on him, is available to ride him for the Summer Cup because he would not be able to make the weight for Shoemaker, who is owned by the syndicate who retain him, the ASSM Syndicate. Furthermore, it was also a condition of their contract that he should be free to ride See It Again.
So without wanting to fuel any further rumours, Strydom is likely to be aboard the five-year-old Twice Over gelding for the Summer Cup on November 30 at the Big T.
Venniker rode See It Again in his first six races and won twice on him, including the Listed Model Man Mile at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
She is also his regular workrider so knows him very well.
