Madison Valley showed fine resolve to win the Pinkdrive Michaelmas, a race which produced the Betway Summer Cup winner last year (Royal Victory). (Picture: Candiese Lenferna).
Madison Valley is one of four KZN raiders in the Betway Summer Cup and trainer Frank Robinson is grateful to Plattner Racing for allowing his three runners at the meeting to travel up to Jo’Burg on their float, together with their Summer Cup charge Cape Eagle.
Frank pointed out the suitability of the Turffontein Standside track for Madison Valley.
He also has a fine chance on the day of winning the Gr 3 New Turf Carriers Merchants with star three-year-old Cats Pajamas.
He spoke too of the well-being of Mexican Pete, who takes on some big guns in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1400m.
Frank likened Madison Valley to the Herman Brown-trained 1980s stalwart Singing Boy, who was very much a Turffontein suited horse.
He said, “We took Singing Boy to Turffontein six times and he won four times (a Gr 3 over 2000m, The Gr 1 Administrators over 2000m, the Gr 2 Transvaal Champions Stakes over 1600m and the Gr 1 First National 1600, (from 1987 to 1989)). Turffontein has a long run in and when we ran Singing Boy at Greyville he could never get going. Turffontein is an amazing course for horses who take time to unwind. Elevation was the same, he was known as The King of Turffontein. Madison Valley falls under that type of horse. He won the Gold Vase and should have won the Gold Cup, in which he came from last. Everything will suit him on Saturday. The tougher the better for him.”
Frank is very happy with Madison Valley’s well-being.
He said, “He is very, very well. It’s not an easy race but he is doing everything 100%. He is an honest horse too, he will run it out. He doen’t know how to get beat actually. He just keeps trying and trying and trying. And he has improved a lot in himself too.”
In his first start this season over 1500m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville Madison Valley was only 3,55 lengths behind the crack sprint-miler Gladatorian when receiving only 3,5kg and he beat Cape Eagle by 0,70 lengths, although he was receiving 1kg.
Then in his second start in the PinkDrive Michaelmas Handicap over 1900m at Hollywoodbets Greyville he showed fine resolve in the small four horse field as he was continually carried in by Natyam and yet repelled him all the way to the line.
Madison Valley also beat Cape Eagle in the Michaelmas, but the latter was taken out by Natyam and successfully objected for second place.
Madison Valley, who is by Mambo In Seattle out of Al Mufi five-time winner from 1400m to 1900m Valdovino. has unfortinately drawn wide in barrier position 19 out of 20 in the Summer Cup.
However, Frank said, “It made us make a decision how we’re going to ride him. We won’t get caught up in the bun fight, we’ll leave him alone and let him come home strong late. At Turffontein you can do that, it’s the best track in the country to sit back on a horse.”
Frank said about the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes-winning Rafeef gelding Cats Pajamas, who is one of only two three-year-olds in the Merchants over 1160m, “I gave him a bit of a break and we gelded him too. In his first run back after gelding he was very impressive and he is spot on, his gallops have been very good.”
Cats Pajamas is 1kg under sufferance on official merit ratings on Saturday, but the form of his last run, in which he beat Luhamba Phambili by 3,30 lengths when giving him 2kg has been franked in no uncertain terms. Luhamba Phambili came out next time at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and won the Need For Speed Sprint, beating the like of Lion Rampart, who then came out and won a Listed event on Saturday.
Furthermore, Cats Pajamas has the advantage of draw 14 out of 14.
High draws are usupally advantageous down the Turffontein Standside straight.
Frank has won the Merchants before, doing it with Antious in 2011.
Frank said about the Master Of My Fate gelding Mexican Pete, “I gelded him as well and he is absolutely flying, don’t leave him out of anything. In one prep run back he ran second, great run, came from way back, and now he is drawn one and is also only carrying 52kg (50kg plus 2kg overweight for Sean Veale), but it is all going to depend on how Dave The King is.”
Mexican Pete ran 2,20 lengths behind Quasiforsure when under sufferance in a Pinnacle event over 1200m in his comeback from a six month layoff and that wffort puts him in the picture on Saturday.
Sid Moodley owns all three of the Robinson yard’s runners and all three of them will be ridden by Sean Veale.
Frank concluded by speaking of his gratitude to Plattner Racing for allowing him to travel his three runners on the day on one of their state of the art floats.
“I am grateful to Plattner Racing, they could quite easily have said no. That float is beautiful, it is quick and there is a camera in the float as well so you can watch the horses while they are travelling, it is state of the art.”
