Madison Valley has been placed in the Betway Summer Cup before and will be making a third bid for the trophy (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)
Summerveld trainer Nathan Kotzen is a former winner of the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup with Royal Victory and he is preparing two horses for this year’s renewal, Madison Valley and Field Marshall.
Madison Valley’s has not placed in his last seven runs.
However, his merit rating has come down to 113 and his last run when a 2,55 length eighth to the champion fillly Quickstepgal over the too sharp 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville was an encouraging effort.
As things stand, with Gladatorian the highest rated entry on 127 and with there only being a 6kg spread in the weights, Madison Valley will carry the minimum weight of 54kg and be 1kg under sufferance.
The Mambo In Seattle gelding has run over the Summer Cup course and distance three times before, finishing a 2,35 length fourth to Atticus Finch in the 2024 Summer Cup, but last year he was beaten 24,50 lengths behind Mocha Blend and he was beaten 23,30 lengths in this year’s Gr 1 HKJC World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge.
Nathan said, “He had a few back issues, but he’s doing very well actually, he has improved a lot. I’ve been very happy with his last two runs.”
Field Marshall has won a Listed race over 2400m before and he ended last season well with a a 0,80 length fourth to Zeitz in the Listed Tote Stakes Darley Arabian over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on the turf when carrying topweight of 60kg.
The Lancaster Bomber gelding ran in the Summer Cup Consolation race last year and finished a 2,50 length second to Aladdin’s Lamp to whom he gave 4,5kg. Before that he had finished a 1,10 length second to The Ultimate King in the Gr 3 Betway Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m when giving the latter 0,5kg and the latter went on to finish a two length third in the Summer Cup despite being 2kg under sufferance.
Nathan said, “Field Marshal’s doing well but we are just battling to find prep runs into the Summer Cup. The program isn’t suited for a horse with this merit rating (110).”
As things stand Field Marshal would be carrying the minimum weight of 54kg in the Summer Cup and would be 2,5kg under sufferance.
A Conditions Plate race over 1800m is being put on for Summer Cup hopefuls in KZN at Hollywoodbets Greyville on October 25 and both of Nathan’s candidates will be lining up.
He said, “We will see how they go there and then decide whether they are going to run in the Summer Cup or not.”
The other KZN entries in the Summer Cup are the Frank Robinson-trained defending champion Mocha Blend (117), the Robbie Hill-trained Jazz Cafe (101), the Gareth van Zyl-trained King Pelles (122), the Frikkie Greyling-trained Go Grayson Go (98), the Stuart Ferrie-trained Gladatorian (127) and the Peter Muscutt-trained Isivivane (108).
