The Ultimate King will enjoy the Standside track in the Betway Victory Moon Stakes, which is an important Betway Summer Cup qualifying race for him (JC Photos)
The Betway Summer Cup favourite The Equator will not have another run before the big race, but is in good form at his Turffontein base.
Meanwhile, his Tony Peter-trained stablemate The Ultimate King faces his acid test in the Gr 3 Betway Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m at Turffontein Standside on Sunday, as he will need a big run to qualify for the Summer Cup, and stablemates Son Of Raj and Money Heist will also line up in the Victory Moon.
Paul Peter said about the The Equator, “He is doing very nicely.”
The imported five-year-old Irish-bred Galileo entire is a 3/1 shot with the sponsor, which Paul feels is too short.
He said, “For a big race like this I think he is a ridiculously short price. Not to say he is not a top horse, he is a proper horse and I think he’s got a big chance of winning that race, but I just think that the odds are a little bit cramped.”
The Ultimate King is held in high regard by the yard and disappointed his supporters in his penultimate start when fading to fifth over 1800m at the Vaal, but he bounced back to win his next start over 2000m at Turffontein Inside.
Paul explained the disappointing fifth place finish.
He said, “He was coming through on the inside and he got a bump. Calvin said he had been cruising, but he got a bad bump and he got a fright and dropped the bit.”
The fright he got is a sign of his immaturity.
Paul said, “He is a very nice horse, but he is a very late maturing horse.”
He continued, “Rachel Venniker is riding him on Sunday and we are expecting a big run from him. He should handle the soft underfoot conditions, because he is a nice, big, strong horse. He keeps on improving and I think he will be even a better horse on the Standside track (his last win was on the Inside track).”
The yard also run Son Of Raj and Money Heist in the Victory Moon.
Paul said, “Son Of Raj needed his last run and his work has stepped up a notch and even with 60kg I think he will be a bit of a contender.”
He continued, “Money Heist’s mission was the Charity Mile, but unfortunately he was a reserve runner. Whether he gets the 1800m or not only the race will tell. His well-being is excellent and he is fit.”
He said about Almond Sea, Komati River and Faithful Neo, who run in the Listed Betway National Colour Stakes over 1000m, “We never work them together, but they are all well and may the best one win. Almond Sea is a little bit slowly into stride, but she loves the wet conditions, so she should have a massive chance.”
It would mean a lot to the yard to win the Listed Betway Summer Pudding Handicap over 1600m, a race named after their Triple Tiara, Woolavington and Summer Cup-winning heroine.
They run the progressive Kisshoten in that race and Paul said, “She’s doing well but she has gone up quickly in the ratings and has a big weight to carry.”
Buffalo Storm Cody runs earlier in a Pinnacle over 1160m and his superb form speaks for itself, so he will be hard to beat, although he does have to contend with the potentially disadvantageous number one draw and he also has to face another classy Gr 1 winner in William Robertson.
