Picture: Rule By Force will be hard to leave out of the Betway Summer Cup final field after his fine performance in Sunday’s TAB Victory Moon Stakes and the overall result of the latter race has put the pressure back on the final field panelists (JC Photos)
There have been three scratchings of Betway Summer Cup top 20 incumbents since the final log was announced, but the final field panelists will still face a headache due to the result of the Gr 3 Victory Moon Stakes, which saw the first three past the post all being Summer Cup entries who were not in the top 20 on the log.
There were other results that also threw a spanner in the works.
The three scratchings were the Mike and Mathew de Kock pair Jan van Goyen and Reet Petite,. which was not surprising as they have both been on the sidelines for some time, and last year’s Summer Cup runner up Olivia’s Way, who was due to make a comeback in the Victory Moon but was scratched from that race last last week and then scratched from the Summer Cup.
That left hope for the like of Isivivane, who was the most surprising omission from the top 20 on he log considering he won the Gr 3 WSB 1900 this year and then finished a decent fifth in the Hollywoodbets Durban July. especially considering he has thrashed his stablemate I Salute You in their last three clashes and the latter did scrape into the top 20.
Field Marshal also looked to be deserving of a place in the field.
However, Parisian Walkway will now almost certainly earn one of the three available spots as the winner of a traditional Summer Cup pointer.
If he is included then Rule By Force must surely also earn a berth as he was giving Parisian Walkway 6kg and was beaten only 0,70 lengths.
Legend Of Arthur likely did not do enough to be promoted into the top 20 as he was running off a 108 and failed to win. He would be 3,5kg under sufferance in the Summer Cup as things stand.
Solar Sail, rated 109, put his hand up by winning a Progress Plate over 1600m on Sunday carrying 61.5kg. He is rated 109 and was a close up third in the SA Derby when Legend Of Arthur won. However, he would likely need to have done more to force his way into the final field.
Will any horse be dropped from the top 20?
It is hard to make a case for I Salute You, whose closest finish in three runs this season was an 8,90 length eleventh in the Gr 2 Allied Steelrode Onamission Mile.
Tomyris is also a questionable top 20 incumbent, rated only 103 and no stakes wins.
Drumnadrochit might come under pressure too. She won her penultimate start by 11,25 lengths, but it was a small field Pinnacle Stakes event and was not a stakes race. Sunday’s run did not pan out to suit her but the bare facts are that in five attempts at Graded Stakes races her best finish is her 15,40 length fourth in the Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks.
The final log can be seen below:
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
