Tomyris will be out to emulate Mocha Blend’s feat in the Betway Summer Cup last year. Like the latter’s build up to her big win, Tomyris’ last preparation run was a runner up finish in a Listed female event and she is merit rated only 103, while Mocha Blend was rated just 105 when winning last year (JC Photos)
Big race logs in South Africa are always eagerly awaited as they can have a big bearing on the outcome of the final field, but they are often fraught with controversy.
The second Betway Summer Cup log was out today and looks to be relatively free of disputable rankings with the exception of Tomyris, who is only merit rated 103 but has been included in the top 20, and I Salute You, who is regularly outperformed by his stablemate Isivivane but has got into the top 20 ahead of him.
Isivivane was fifth in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July, having won the Gr 3 WSB 1900 before that.
Field Marshal is another horse whom some would say has better credentials than Tomyris and I Salute You. I Salute You did give Field Marshal 1kg and a 1,20 length beating in the Gr 3 Betgames Cup Trial over 1900m. However, he had earlier given Field Marshal 2,5kg in the Listed Sledgehammer and lost to him by 3,75 lengths. I Salute You has not won a race since winning the Listed Darley Arabian on Gold Cup day in 2025, while Field Marshal won this year’s Listed Sledgehammer in April and has solid Graded race form.
Six-year-old Vercingetorix mare Tomyris joined the Tony Peter yard this season merit rated only 92, but was then raised to 99 after winning a five-horse field MR 91 Fillies and Mares handicap over 1800m by 3,75 lengths on her Highveld debut.
She followed up by running a 0,40 length second in the Listed 4Racing Yellowwod Handicap over 1800m carrying 55,5kg off that 99 merit rating and as she beat the third horse by 2,80 lengths she was raised another four points to 103.
On the same day Isivivane ran a 3,65 length seventh in the Gr 2 Allied Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile and he carried the same weight as his stablemate I Salute You i.e. 53,5kg and beat him by 5,25 lengths.
Isivivane beat I Salute You in the July by 13,70 lengths when receiving 2,5kg.
He then beat him in a Charity Mile preparation race over 1400m by 6,80 lengths at level weights.
So he has in fact thrashed I Salute You three times in succession.
Isivivane is also a Graded winner this year. His aforementioned Gr 3 WSB 1900 win booked him his place in the July, where he ran a cracker.
I Salute You can only have been included in the top 20 because of his relatively high merit rating of 112, which can be compared to Isivivane’s 108.
However, they would be carrying the same weight in the Summer Cup of 54kg and, as pointed out already, Isivivane has beaten him twice in their last three clashes at level weights on top of outpeforming him by far in their other clash.
Another question is why has Isivivane not been included ahead of Tomyris, being a higher rated horse? Tomyris, unlike Isivivane, has run a stakes place this season, but finishing second in a Listed race off a 99 merit rating is hardly a recommendation for the Summer Cup where she will effectively have to run off a 115 (with Gladatorian the highest rated entry on 127, any horse rated below a nett of 115 will be under sufferance).
On the other hand Mocha Blend ran a Listed second in last year’s Summer Pudding Stakes off a 104 merit rating and went on to win the Summer Cup when way under sufferance off a 105 merit rating, so maybe there is method to the Tomyris decision and there is little doubt that she is thriving on the Highveld.
Isivivane is just the horse that struck as the most obvious yardstick to use to question the inclusion of Tomyris and I Salute You.
Others like the 110-rated Field Marshall or the 108-rated Palace Prince could also have been used.
Field Marshall, as already pointed out is a Listed winner this year and has solid Graded race form, while Palace Prince has been in fine form in ordinary events lately.
The latter pair do have another last gasp chance to put their hands up for inclusion in the Summer Cup’s final field as they both run in Sunday’s Gr 3 TAB Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m, a traditional Summer Cup pointer.
The second and final Betway Summer Cup log is shown below and the press release that accompanied it is shown below that:
| Log 03/11 | Age | Sex | Horse | MR | NMR | Trainer |
| 1 | 7 | G | GLADATORIAN | 127 | 127 | Stuart Ferrie |
| 2 | 5 | M | MOCHA BLEND | 120 | 120 | Frank Robinson |
| 3 | 4 | G | GRAND EMPIRE | 111 | 110 | Sean Tarry |
| 4 | 6 | G | KING PELLES | 122 | 122 | Gareth van Zyl |
| 5 | 6 | G | HOLDING THUMBS | 119 | 119 | Glen Kotzen |
| 6 | 5 | G | NATIVE RULER | 121 | 121 | Justin Snaith |
| 7 | 7 | G | OTTO LUYKEN | 113 | 113 | James Crawford |
| 8 | 6 | G | MAGIC VERSE | 115 | 115 | Justin Snaith |
| 9 | 4 | C | SPLITTHEEIGHTS | 109 | 108 | Mike / Mathew de Kock |
| 10 | 4 | F | LITTLEMISSMILLION | 114 | 113 | Tyrone Zackey |
| 11 | 5 | G | CHOISAANADA | 118 | 118 | Erico Verdonese |
| 12 | 5 | G | THE ULTIMATE KING | 117 | 117 | Tony Peter |
| 13 | 5 | M | OLIVIA’S WAY | 114 | 114 | Roy Magner |
| 14 | 4 | C | CHRONICLE KING | 115 | 114 | Candice / Tammy Dawson |
| 15 | 4 | F | DRUMNADROCHIT | 111 | 110 | Mike / Mathew de Kock |
| 16 | 6 | G | ALADDIN’S LAMP | 112 | 112 | Mike / Mathew de Kock |
| 17 | 4 | G | JAN VAN GOYEN | 118 | 117 | Mike / Mathew de Kock |
| 18 | 4 | F | REET PETITE | 114 | 113 | Mike / Mathew de Kock |
| 19 | 6 | M | TOMYRIS | 103 | 103 | Tony Peter |
| 20 | 5 | G | I SALUTE YOU | 112 | 112 | Peter Muscutt |
Alphabetical order |
||||||
| 5 | G | BUSSTOPINHOUNSLOW | 108 | 108 | Grant Maroun | |
| 4 | F | CURIOUS GIRL | 100 | 99 | Mike / Mathew de Kock | |
| 5 | G | FIELD MARSHAL | 110 | 110 | Nathan Kotzen | |
| 5 | M | FIRST WISH | 93 | 93 | Candice / Tammy Dawson | |
| 5 | H | GO GRAYSON GO | 98 | 98 | Frikkie Greyling | |
| 5 | G | IMMEDIATE EDGE | 108 | 108 | Mike / Mathew de Kock | |
| 7 | M | INDIAN OCEAN | 105 | 105 | Mano Pandaram | |
| 5 | G | ISIVIVANE | 107 | 107 | Peter Muscutt | |
| 7 | G | JIMMY DON | 112 | 112 | Joe Soma | |
| 5 | G | LEGEND OF ARTHUR | 108 | 108 | Sean Tarry | |
| 6 | G | MADISON VALLEY | 111 | 111 | Nathan Kotzen | |
| 4 | G | MASTER SPY | 97 | 96 | Sean Tarry | |
| 4 | C | PALACE PRINCE | 108 | 107 | St John Gray | |
| 5 | G | PARISIAN WALKWAY | 107 | 107 | Alec Laird | |
| 7 | G | RULE BY FORCE | 117 | 117 | Joe Soma | |
| 5 | G | SOLAR SAIL | 109 | 109 | Paul Matchett | |
| 5 | G | TINTIN | 93 | 93 | Sean Tarry | |
| 5 | G | WILD INTENT | 107 | 107 | Mike / Mathew de Kock |
2026 BETWAY SUMMER CUP – SECOND LOG Press Release
Johannesburg, South Africa — A total of 38 entries remain for the Gr1 Betway Summer Cup to be run at TAB Turffontein on 28 November 2026 with Mr P M Murugasa’s SPLITTHEEIGHTS the only horse to be supplemented into the field when second entries closed on Tuesday, 3 November 2026.
2026 Betway Joburg Spring Challenge winner, Messrs E G Hart de Keating, M L Jean Hardy, M J L Nairac, L M Nestadt & Vendel Civils (Pty) Ltd’s GLADATORIAN from the Stuart Ferrie yard once again tops the log.
However, the scratchings of FIRE ATTACK, ERROL FLYNN and CALLA LAGOON (GB) have seen SPLITTHEEIGHTS (Mike / Mathew de Kock) join ALADDIN’S LAMP (Mike / Mathew de Kock) and TOMYRIS (Tony Peter) in the top 20.
The log is a strategic guide for owners and trainers, to assist in providing a clear indication of where their horse stands in relation to the competition.
Please Note: Horses that currently fall outside of the published log are listed in alphabetical order only. Their position does not indicate any order of preference or ranking by the panel.
Dates to diarise:
Final Entries Close: 09:00 Monday 16 November 2026
Weights: Monday 16 November 2026
Declarations: 11:00 Tuesday 17 November 2026
Final Field: Embargoed & announced on Tuesday 17 November at an event TBA
Barrier Draw: Tuesday 17 November at an event TBA
Please note: the determination of the final field is at the discretion of the NHA in consultation with 4Racing.
This year’s Betway Summer Cup takes place at TAB Turffontein Racecourse on Saturday, 28 November 2026 and invites racegoers to “Celebrate Summer” with a day of top-class racing, entertainment and hospitality.
TICKET PRICES
General Admission: R100
Summer Garden: R450
Turffontein Decks: R2,400
Turffontein Room: R2,950
Tickets can be purchased online at Howler.
Premium Hospitality: R4,495 per person (excl. VAT) available through Sail Hospitality.
With the 2026 Betway Summer Cup set to bring the country’s racing community together at TAB Turffontein, racegoers are encouraged to secure their tickets early!
Please visit our website, or follow our social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram and X for more.
ENDS.
