Picture: Mocha Blend after winning the Betway Summer Cup (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Summerveld trainer Frank Robinson’s runner in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, Mocha Blend, has enjoyed a fine preparation for a race she has been targeted at from a long way out and she will be out to give the Oppenheimer Family a tenth win of the big race.
Mocha Blend proved her class and stamina capacity when winning the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup over the tough Turffontein Standside course back on 29 November last year.
She was next seen in a Conditions Plate over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyvile on May 9 and she caught the eye running on late for a two length fourth behind a high profile trio, Okavango, Eight On Eighteen and Note To Self.
She then ran in the Gr 2 HKJC World Pool Tibouchina Stakes for fillies and mares over the too sharp 1400m trip of Hollywoodbets Greyville and ran on nicely, after being dropped out to the back, for a 4,55 length seventh.
Frank said, “She is doing very well. I gave her those two races just to sharpen her up and she ran on very well in both. I couldn’t be happier with her and now obviously it’s the Gallops to come. I like to give them a decent gallop and then I will go easy from there. But she is in a good space at the moment.”
The Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein homebred four-year-old filly is by stamina influence Ideal World out of a mare by stamina influence Silvano and although that mare, Mocha Sopecial, only ever won one race and it was over 1660m, Frank said, “I think Mocha Blend would even be a big runner in the Gold Cup. She will stay all day and she’s got a bit of speed with it, which helps. She can accellerate, but she is definitely a staying filly.”
He added, “She is merit rated 117, so she is nicely weighted carrying 56,5kg. That is why I have taken the route I have over those two short trips in which she could run on … I just wanted to look after her rating.”
Mocha Blend’s 117 merit rating is exactly the same as the two Gr 1-winning three-year-old fillies in the race, the dual Gr 1 winner Wish List as well as Hazy Dazy.
However, he felt he might have an edge over them.
He said, “Wish List, for example, is very good but she’s still a baby, so it’s going to be very hard for her, because she is only developing now. My filly is mature, so I have that advantage.”
Frank said he hoped for a draw near the middle and explained, “If you on the inside and something happens and you get left or something you end up being knocked right to the back and you can’t do much about it. Draw eight I will be happy with.”
Mocha Blend’s big race jockey Jockey Tristan Godden showed his big match temperament in last year’s July when riding Native Ruler to a fine sixth place at long odds and he then proved his mettle on the big stage in the Summer Cup.
Mocha Blend will attempt to add to the record of the most successful owning and breeding family in July history, the Oppenheimer family.
Mary Slack of Wilgerbosdrift Stud is Harry and Bridget Oppenheimer’s daughter, while Jessica Jell, who owns Mauritzfontein Stud with husband Steven, is Mary’s daughter.
The Oppenheimer family have had six homebred July winners, have bred a further two and have part-owned one other.
So Mocha Blend would become their tenth success and their seventh homebred success in the country’s greatest race.
Their successes in the race are shown below:
1959 — Tiger Fish (Janus)
Owner: Mr and Mrs HF Oppenheimer
Breeder: HF Oppenheimer
Trainer: Tim Furness
Jockey: Benny Little
1965 — King Willow (Wilwyn)
Owner: Mr and Mrs HF Oppenheimer
Breeder: HF Oppenheimer
Trainer: John Breval
Jockey: Ian Bailey
1975 — Principal Boy (Free Ride)
Owner: Mr and Mrs HF Oppenheimer
Breeder: Mr and Mrs HF Oppenheimer
Trainer: John Breval
Jockey: Robbie Thompson
1992 — Spanish Galliard (Gay Fandango)
Owner: Mr and Mrs HF Oppenheimer and Mr DG Nicholson
Breeder: Estate late HI Khan
Trainer: Dennis Drier
Jockey: Robbie Sham
2003 — Dynasty (Fort Wood)
Owner: Fieldspring Racing
Breeder: Wilgerbosdrift Stud (Mary Slack)
Trainer: Dean Kannemeyer
Jockey: Robbie Fradd
2004 — Greys Inn (Zabeel)
Owner: Mrs Bridget Oppenheimer
Breeder: Mrs Bridget Oppenheimer
Trainer: Mike de Kock
Jockey: Anthony Delpech
2007 — Hunting Tower (Fort Wood)
Owner: Mrs Bridget Oppenheimer
Breeder: Mrs Bridget Oppenheimer
Trainer: Charles Laird
Jockey: Anton Marcus
2017 — Marinaresco (Silvano)
Owner: MW Bass, F Green, Bryn Ressell and NM Shirtliff
Breeder: Mauritzfontein (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Miss JB Slack)
Trainer: Candice Bass-Robinson
Jockey: Bernard Fayd’Herbe
2022 — Sparkling Water (Silvano)
Owner: Wilgerbosdrift Stud (Mary Slack)
Breeder: Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein (Mary Slack, Kevin and Jessica Jell (neé Slack))
Trainer: Mike de Kock
Jockey: S’Manga Khumalo
