Atticus Finch cruises home in the Charity Mile (JC Photos)
The reigning Betway Summer Cup champion, the Alec Laird-trained Atticus Finch, looked to have blossomed when making his reappearance, a strong-finishing second in the Gr 2 Betway Jo’Burg Spring Challenge over 1450m, despite now being a six-year-old.
He confirmed that impression was not an optical illusion by toying with the opposition in the Gr 2 Allied Steelrode-Onamission Charity Mile on Saturday at Turffontein Standside, carrying joint topweight of 60kg to an easy three length victory under regular pilot Calvin Habib.
The bookmakers have reacted by shortening him in the Summer Cup ante-post betting.
The sponsor have him at 4/1, just one point longer than the 3/1 favourite The Equator.
However, his task has actually been made harder because he has been hit with a six point raise by the NHA and will now have to carry topweight in the Summer Cup off a 127 merit rating.
Laird said, “I hope he can keep his current progression up, because he is now 3kg up which is going to make the Summer Cup a lot harder. The good news is he took the race well. It’s hard to say whether he will be able to handle 3kg more, but we are certainly going to try.”
With Atticus Finch going up to 127, the two former highest rated entries, former winner Royal Victory and See It Again, will have tasks that are 1kg easier as they are merit rated 125 and will now only have to carry 59kg.
The Equator is merit rated 117, so will only have to carry 55kg, while the fancied King Pelles will only have to carry 57,5kg off his 122 merit rating.
Otto Luyken ran a decent 5,25 length fifth in the Charity Mile receiving 2,5kg from Atticus Finch and off his 116 rating he will receive 5,5kg from him in the Summer Cup. He has shortened into 14/1, while his James Crawford-trained stablemate Count Huhtikuu has been scratched. Otto Luyken will appreciate the step up in trip, but so will Atticus Finch.
One of the best handicapped horses must be the Hollywoodbets Durban July fifth-placed Madison Valley, who is merit rated only 116. He will carry just half-a-kilogram more than last year, when storming home from near the back after being dropped out from a wide draw and being beaten just 2,35 lengths into fourth.
Atticus Finch was bred by Varsfontein Stud and is owned by Messrs L Clark, G A Basel, G C Cornwall & P J Gregory.
His sire Master Of My Fate has moved into fourth place n the national sires log and could improve on that considering he is also sire of crack three-year-olds Jan van Goyen and Golden Palm.
Atticus Finch was a R150 000 National Yearling Sale buy and is out of the Caesour mare Alexia.
Now a winner of 9 races with 11 places from 26 starts, he took his stakes earnings to R5 059 000.
It was the fourth time Laird had won the Charity Mile as he won it when it was called the November Handicap with Mill Hill in 1988 and won the Charity Mile with Bezanova and Bouclette Top in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Laird enjoyed a fine meeting on Saturday as his Vercingetorix five-year-old stayer Daimyo made most of the running to win the R250 000 Allied Steelrode Listed Java Stakes over 2400m under Habib.
Andrew Harrison of Race Coast wrote the following report on the Charity Mile:
Atticus Finch made a ‘mockery’ of the Gr2 Allied Steelrode-Onamission Charity Mile field at Turffontein on Saturday finishing with a flourish to out-gun the Sean Tarry pair of Callmegeterix and Rodeo Drive.
Alec Laird, son of ‘The Bear’ Syd Laird, who was a master of Turffontein, appears to have prepared Atticus Finch in great fashion for his defense of his Gr1 Betway Summer Cup crown at the end of the month.
Suspended for an epistaxis after his run in the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July, Laid has plotted a trip to his title defense and all going smoothly there must be great hope in the yard that he can go back-to-back in the Cup.
Atticus Finch finished with a flourish behind smart three-year-old Tin Pan Alley in the Gr2 Jo’Burg Spring Challenge over 1450m but many thought that the mile under top weight against arguably stronger opposition would still be on the short side.
However, given a patient ride by Calvin Habib, he benefitted from a solid gallop up front from Rodeo Drive. Sean Tarry’s filly was game in the closing stages but unable to hold off the attentions of stable companion Callmegeterix but both had no answerers to the late charge from Atticus Finch who sailed past to won as he liked.
Now a winner of seven races with 16 places from 26 starts, the six-year-old son of Master Of My Fate took his stakes earnings to R5,059,000 for owners Lance Clark, Gary Basel, Gary Cornwall & Phil Gregory.
Tragically, the well fancied Confederate went ‘wrong’ at the top of the straight and was eased out of the race by Rachel Venniker before having to be humanely euthanised.
He had been one of the favourites for the Summer Cup.
“All the partners are still a bit distraught after losing a champion,” said part-owner Trevelen Pillay in a statement to SAHorseracing.COM.
