The Gareth van Zyl-trained Gr 1 Daily News 2000 runner up and Hollywoodbets Durban July fourth-placed Flag Man has been scratched from the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup and Van Zyl said it was due to a change in plan as his chief target now will be the Gr 1 WSB Cape Town Met at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on January 27.
Flag Man, who would have had to carry 57kg in the Summer Cup as things stand being a 126 rated four-year-old compared to the 131 rating of the five-year-old entry See It Again, is the first scratching from the initial 42 Summer Cup entries.
Van Zyl will also be sending the useful stayer Vihaan’s Bomb down to Cape Town as well as the sprint-miler Asiye Phambili and the promising sprinter Luhamba Phambili.
Vihaan’s Bomb is out of the Australian-bred Galileo mare Sidera, who started her career in ultra promising fashion, winning her first three starts including the Listed Starling Stakes over 1400m and the Gr 3 Fillies Mile. However, she then went completely off the boil and only placed once in a further seven starts.
At stud she has produced eight foals and eight runners for five winners.
Vihaan’s Bomb, who was bred by Klawervlei Stud and is owned by Trinisha Pillay, has only had nine starts and is merit rated 94. He is unbeaten in four starts over staying trip and those are his only four wins.
The Listed Woolavington Stakes over 2500m on November 2 on the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth winter course, the Listed Cape Summer Stayers over 2500m on December 6 on the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth summer course, the Gr 3 Chairman’s Cup over the same course and distance on January 6 and the Gr 3 Western Cape Stayers over 2800m on Met day January 27 are the feature staying races available.
The Hollywood Syndicate-owned Hemel ‘N Arrde Stud-bred What A Winter five-year-old mare Asiye Phambile is trained by Duncan Howells in KZN and by Van Zyl in Cape Town.
She finished a narrow second in the Gr 2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth last season for Van Zyl and won the Gr 3 Dennis Drier Poinsettia Stakes over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville for Howells.
Howells fancied her strongly for the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint, but alas she stumbled coming out of the stalls and the rider had no chance of staying aboard. She followed that with a far from disgraced 2.05 length seventh in the Gr 1 Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes over 1600m on Hollywoodbets Durban July day.
The program for female sprinters in the Cape Racing Summer Season is full and she will have a few options.
The Hollywood Syndicate-owned Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein-bred three-year-old Danon Platina gelding Luhamba Phambili won easily on debut over 1000m in July and was awarded a 98 merit rating. She followed up with a two length seventh in a strong Pinnacle Stakes event and then finished a fine 3,30 length second to the classy Cat’s Pajamas in a Graduation Plate over 1100m when receiving only 2kg.
Gareth will be trying him in the sprint races available for three-year-old males. A starting point could be the Non-Black Type Need For Speed Sprint for three-year-olds on November 2.
