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Betway Ambassador Mike de Kock, the nine-time
Summer Cup winning trainer, participated in the media launch outlining the 2022 Betway Summer Cup’s special attributes as a world-class horseracing, entertainment and lifestyle spectacle, earlier this week.
The race day theme this year is ‘The Golden Summer’ — an ode to the City of Gold, with Betway’s headline sponsorship of this prestigious 4Racing Grade 1 race seeing stakes being upped to a lucrative R2.5 million.
With just under three weeks to the big day, Turffontein presents a 10-race programme on Saturday with Maidens and up-and-coming handicappers out to impress for chances to run in the big races on Cup Day.
Mike has six runners to come under starter’s orders and he discussed each one, individually:
Race 1, 1160m, RAGSAA: “A well-bred filly by Gimmethegreenlight out of G1 winner Thunder Dance, racing for the first time. I can’t give much confidence. Ragsaa doesn’t have much pace at home and we’re hoping she’ll show more on the track.”
Race 2, 1160m, RED EMPEROR: “Red Emperor gallops well at home, we’ve expected better so far but he hasn’t delivered. He doesn’t find much when he comes off the bit. Perhaps he’s a bit of a ‘morning glory’, and we can only hope for improvement and place money.”
Race 7, 1600m, BONETE: “A facile Maiden winner and one we like, Bonete is well-bred and has ability. We’re in the deep end with her, a G3 contest after her Maiden so this will be a true test for her. We’ll know what we have in her after this race, she’ll either be up to it or she won’t. With the conditions of the race we won’t be penalised if we are wrong about her and she doesn’t rise to the task. I hope she comes through the test, she is a filly we rate and it’s a really nice race.”
Race 8, 1600m, DEFINITELY MAYBE: “She improved last time out, ran a better race and likes it soft, which it is likely to be. She probably needs to drop a bit more in the ratings, but she’s getting there, warrants consideration. SIMPLE SIMPLE won’t be running.”
Race 9, 1400m, FOREVER MINE: “He’s back to 1400m, he’s best around this distance. What you see is what you get. He beat William Robertson over 1450m and just got beat by Sparkling Water over same. So he is well suited, but he is better on firmer ground.”
Race 10, ARIVIDICIO: “He was a little disappointing last time. I probably gave the jockey the wrong instructions in the Graham Beck, he pushed forward in what was a quick-run race. This is a weaker field and if ridden a bit more patiently he should go close.”
*The G2 Western Cape Fillies Championship tops the bill at Kenilworth on Saturday. Ratings suggest that Vaughan Marshall’s newly acquired Time Fo Orchids could fight it out with Candice Bass-Robinson’s Golden Hostess, But it’s a wide open and interesting race with chances to several others including Hold My Hand, Ciao Bella and Who Do You Love.
On the undercard, eyes will be on returning sprint star Rio Querari in the Bantry Bay Stakes. He often races well fresh and his followers are keen to see if he still has what it takes after a nine-month lay-off.
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