Royal Victory drew wide in barrier 15, but he won it from draw 13 last year so it should not be an insurmountable disadvantage. (JC Photos)
The final field for Africa’s richest race, the Gr 1 R6 million Betway Summer Cup, was announced at a venue in Johannesburg on Wednesday evening and the draw ceremony followed.
The favourite See It Again landed a fine draw of six out of 20 and Piere Strydom keeps the ride.
However, the other three KZN raiders all drew wide, with reigning champion Royal Victory having to jump from draw 15, Madison Valley having to contend with draw 19 and Cape Eagle landing draw 17.
In form three-time Summer Cup winner Gavin Lerena will help Royal Victory overcome the draw, while Sean Veale is also in form and will partner the long-striding Madison Valley, who should love Turffontein Standside.
Cape Eagle will be ridden by Serino Moodley.
Cape Eagle was the biggest surprise among the 20 final field horses.
He and Rule By Force were not among the top 20 on the final log, but Rule By Force had won his last start impressively so was expected to take the place in the top 20 left vacant by the scratching of Dave The King.
However, Cape Eagle did not win his last start and was going to have to rely either on a scratching from the top 20 or on one of the top 20 being dropped.
Cape Eagle, who won the Gr 3 Splashout 2200 on Hollywoodbets Durban July day, ultimately took the place of Safe Passage in the top 20.
Safe Passage has been the Summer Cup runner up twice in succession, but has failed to make the frame once in his nine starts since last year’s race. He was not surprisingly eliminated and Cape Eagle moved up into his place.
Crack colt Main Defender, who is the second highest merit rated horse in the race behind See It Again, will be ridden by Aldo Domeyer and has landed a plum draw of three. The big question is whether he will stay. On the grounds of his last start in the Betway Victory Moon over 1800m he looks to have a good chance of staying the 2000m trip as he moved up well and possibly just lacked the peak fitness to go through with it and he now has his third run after a layoff.
The Gr 2 Allied Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile winner and former Hollywoodbets Durban July winner Winchester Mansion has drawn 13 and Marco van Resnburg stays aboard.
Purple Pitcher is well handicapped in the eyes of some and has drawn well in eight with regular rider Kabelo Matsunyane staying aboard.
Barbaresco has a fine chance carrying 55kg and Raymond Danielson has won this race before, although draw 12 is a bit tricky.
Puerto Manzano is a former winner, but will need to bounce back to his best and has a tricky draw of 14.
Pure Predator is a capable sort who is having his third run after a layoff, but it would have been prefereable if his last run had been better and he has a tough draw of 16.
Frances Ethel has had a fine build up and is a leading player from a good draw of seven over an ideal course and distance with one of the world’s best in Oisin Murphy aboard.
Future Pearl produced a storming finish in the Hollywoodbets Durban July and is a runner from draw four under Richard Fourie if able to produce his best.
Zeus was fourth last year, so is not out of it but does have a draw of 20 under Rachel Venniker.
Beating Wings is in fine form and has a good draw of five.
Silver Sanctuary is a decent Gr 1-winning filly who will relish the course and distance and she has a fair draw of nine. She is in fact a full-sister to twice runner up Safe Passage.
Hotarubi was just a three length fifth in the SA Classic and another horse who was a three length fifth in the SA Classic in the same year as winning the Summer Cup was Royal Victory.
Litigation could earn from pole position and is ridden by Dennis Scwarz, who won this race on the Tarry-trained outsider Zillzaal five years ago.
Atticus Finch comes in off a good third in the Victory Moon and Calvin Habib rides from draw two.
Rule By Force is a dark horse as he was not far behind Royal Victory in the SA Classic and he has a fair draw of ten under Tristan Godden.
My Soul Mate was just 1,75 lengths behind Frances Ethel in the SA Oaks and from a fair draw of eleven could be in the shake up.
Only seven horses are in the handicap, See It Again, Main Defender, Winchester Mansion, Royal Victory, Purple Pitcher, Barbaresco and Puerto Manzano. The rest are all under sufferance in varying degrees.
It is going to be an intriguing race.
