The daughter of Vercingetorix opened her account with a hat-trick of wins, the third being the Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas. She also ran second in the Gr1 Daily News 2000, beaten only by superstar Eight On Eighteen.
Calvin Habib will partner defending champion and topweight Atticus Finch, who showed his wellbeing with a smooth victory in the recent Allied Steelrode Onamission Gr2 Charity Mile. A 2 draw will not harm Alec Laird’s soldier’s chances!
Tony Peter has 3 runners in the line-up, headed by Galileo’s son The Equator who jumps from the 3 gate in the hands of SA champion Gavin Lerena, who has three Summer Cup trophies in the cabinet, the last dating back 9 years when Master Sabina registered the 2015-2016 double for Geoff Woodruff.
Peter Victor drew the 14 gate for 2023 winner Royal Victory, who gets the services of the hard-slogging Chad Little.
Trainer Mike de Kock, now operating in partnership with his son Mathew, is the winningest Summer Cup trainer with nine trophies to his credit and saddles Spumante Dolce, who drew in midfield at 10. Mike de Kock’s last Summer Cup winner was 15 years ago – and a fairer sex galloper at that – in Flirtation, who won the big race under Randall Simons in 2010. Ilha Da Vitoria was De Kock’s other Summer Cup winning female this century, when winning under Weichong Marwing in 2005.
The other fairer sex representative is Roy Magner’s Olivia’s Way, who drew alongside Spumante Dolce at 9 and will see a welcome return to Grade 1 action for Cape jockey Grant van Niekerk.
The daughter of Pathfork has a Gr2 victory over the Summer Cup course and distance to her name after winning the TAB Igugu Stakes in April this year. Before that she placed in both the Gr1 SA Fillies Classic and the Gr1 SA Derby. Peter patron Suzette Viljoen will be thrilled that her progressive Betway Victory Moon Stakes star The Ultimate King drew pole position, and gets the services of Muzi Yeni, who won his first Cup in 2023, courtesy of Royal Victory.
The various provinces are well represented, with a quartet of KZN raiders headed by SA Champion Stayer King Pelles (gate 11), the fairest Cape flag being carried by On My Honour (gate 5) and Otto Luyken (gate 8), while Gqeberha champion My Best Shot (gate 12) will bid to give past SA champion Richard Fourie his first success in the big race.
SA Champion owners Hollywood Racing have two runners in Gr1 winner Anfields Rocket, the choice of their retained rider Sean Veale, and Busstopinhounslow, who gives the talented Rachel Venniker the opportunity to become the first female jockey to win the Summer Cup.
