Sandringham Summit (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Turf Talk
The conections of the Gr 3 Betway Graham Beck Stakes winner Main Defender said last week they would unlikely run the latter in the Gr 2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans having drawn 20. They have duly defected to the Gr 2 New Turf Carriers Merchants over 1160m.
Sandringham Summit, narrowly defeated by Main Defender in the Graham Beck albeit when giving the latter 1kg, has ended with draw 9 of 12 in the Dingaans over 1600m, but that should not stop him.
All eyes were on Main Defender and Sandringham Summit in the Graham Beck as they fought out a thrilling finish.
However, a look at the replays shows Gimmeanotherchance producing a highly impressive burst of speed which would have won him most races.
So one stops and thinks perhaps he can give Sandringham Summit a go in the Dingaans.
But then one remembers that he received 3kg in the Graham Beck.
He will thus be 3kg worse off in the Dingaans despite having been beaten by 3,25 lengths.
Such an impressive specimen and racer, yet he has to find 6kg improvement.
One then wonders just how g0od Sandringham Summit is?
He was beaten a shorthead by Main Defender, but was giving him 1kg, and in the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes over 1600m he had beaten Main Defender by 2,40 lengths at level weights.
Well just how good he is is summed up by respected anlyst Karel Miedema awarding him a 117 Ability Rating for his Graham Beck run. The highest he ever awarded Charles Dickens was 117, which puts it in to perspective.
It is still early days for the Gimmethegreenlight colt, but the Dingaans will be a a race to savour and Sandringham Summit will be very hard to beat.
Main Defender might be a banker too, considering the way he obliterated the field in the Gr 2 Betway Jo’Burg Spring Challenge over 1450m without seeming to come off the bit. His class might pull him through over 1160m in the Merchants.
The Gr 2 R650,000 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans field is shown below:
| O Dr | N Dr | Horse | Weight | MR | No. | Trainer | Jockey | Proviso | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | The Africa House | 60 | 98 | 10 | Sean Tarry | Richard Fourie | ||
| 2 | 2 | Guy Gibson | 60 | 105 | 6 | Roy Magner | Raymond Danielson | ||
| 6 | 3 | Royal Edition | 60 | 89 | 12 | Phillip Labuschagne | Luyolo Mxothwa | ||
| 7 | 4 | We Are The Logans | 60 | 106 | 5 | Tony Peter | Piere Strydom | ||
| 9 | 5 | Gimmeanotherchance | 60 | 108 | 3 | Mike de Kock | Craig Zackey | ||
| 10 | 6 | Purple Pitcher | 60 | 112 | 2 | Robyn Klaasen | Kabelo Matsunyane | ||
| 11 | 7 | Mexican Pete | 60 | 100 | 9 | Frank Robinson | Muzi Yeni | ||
| 12 | 8 | House Of Romanov | 60 | 93 | 11 | Tony Peter | Calvin Habib | ||
| 13 | 9 | Sandringham Summit | 60 | 121 | 1 | David Nieuwenhuizen | Gavin Lerena | ||
| 14 | 10 | Pure Predator | 60 | 101 | 8 | Fanie Bronkhorst | S’manga Khumalo | ||
| 15 | 11 | Fire ‘N Flames | 60 | 101 | 7 | Kobus Roux | Denis Schwarz | ||
| 17 | 12 | Sovereign State | 60 | 106 | 4 | Frank Robinson | Grant van Niekerk |
