| Liege is the 2017 Summer Cup winner – suddenly regaining the smart ability he showed at three and recording a sixth career success, 415 days since his last stroll into the No 1 box. He scored 106 to beat off the game mare Fort Ember, Coral Fever and Pagoda who all got 103’s. Many horses in the field ran way below their best for various reasons – such is racing, and it’s who shows up on the day with a winning performance that counts.
The Thinker (s/s 109) was seriously impressive in the Merchants, downing high class three-year-old Naafer (s/s 106). Stiff when blocked from a clear passage at his last start, The Thinker enjoyed a smooth run up the centre to win going away.
The Dingaans is again likely to prove a key indicator of three-year-old merit. Natal raider, Monks Hood and deep-closer, Seerite scored notable 105’s in this years’ tussle, with Vacquero (s/s 103), Ideal Secret (s/s 102) Flying Free (s/s 102) and Darkest Hour (s/s 101) also emerging with credit.
Nother Russia has run as high as 107 in the past and looked invincible in the Ipi Tombe challenge. She duly arrived, but only just, as Bi Pot, She’s a Giver and Sylvan Fire proved persistent threats. The winner’s speed score was only 97 this time around, and the lightly campaigned mare seems sure to run bigger figures again over a touch further in true run races.
The meeting was postponed to Sunday after heavy rains, and that was reflected in slow track variants. After crunching the numbers, other significant performances were delivered by Folk Dance (s/s 94 +) who ambled in to comfortably claim the Fillies Mile, whilst 33/1 bomb, My Friend Lee (s/s 95) proved best in the Magnolia Handicap. Some of the Highveld’s better handicappers clashed over a mile in one of the latter races, and in an exciting finish Maximiser (s/s 99) just eked out the verdict over Kings Archer (s/s 99) Killua Castle (s/s 98) and Count Tassilo (s/s 98).
Horseplayers will now shift their focus to the Cape for a sequence of important Stakes races. Next Saturday is a compelling card with the Fillies Guineas, Green Point Stakes and Merchants to tempt punters. Interbet is already offering prices in these races: going 5/1 the field in an open sprint, quoting 11/10 about top filly Snowdance in the Fillies Guineas, and with champion miler Legal Eagle favoured at 9/10 in the Green Point over Brett Crawford’s formidable tag team of Edict of Nantes, Captain America and Sail South. |
