Main Defender (speed score 108) and Sandringham Summit (s/s 108) fought out an epic at Turffontein in the G3 1400m Graham Beck Stakes on Saturday with Tony Peter’s runner gaining a narrow margin revenge over Sandringham Summit, who was coming back after a rest.
Both three-year-olds are high class thoroughbreds (Main Defender, by Pathfork, hit an awesome fig of 115 last time when trouncing Thunderstruck) and future clashes between the pair will be brilliant to watch. They have by far the highest speed ratings of any three-year-old in the country.
Dyce (s/s 107) ran a borderline G1 number when romping in the Golden Loom. Lucky Houdalakis has done a great job patching up this fickle sprinter who goes like a boeing when all parts are in working order.
Houdalakis doubled up with Egyptian Mau (s/s 98) in the Starling Stakes. Both were smoothly piloted by Craig Zackey. The filly was not yet fully wound up, so she should improve on this already fine score and is one to follow through the Highveld season. Odds on favourite White Pearl (s/s 97) tried hard but could not match strides with the daughter of Fire Away in the closing stages.
Course specialist, Puerto Manzano (s/s 99 +, has run 108) won the G2 Charity Mile in a clustered finish from Cousin Casey, Bless My Stars and Winchester Mansion. The first six finishers were within little more than a length of each other.
Playing at home, the JJ van Vuuren trained Summer Cup hero has now won seven of 17 starts with five places at his favourite track. Even if the final adjusted time was a few ticks slower than expected for this class of race, it was still a sterling performance to win over a distance short of his best and from a wide draw (16.)
See It Again (s/s 100 +) made his seasonal return at a rainy Greyville and, though a mile is the low range of his distance propensity, the 1 to 4 odds on choice had no dramas in passing pacemaker, Cape Eagle. See It Again’s future engagements over middle distances are eagerly awaited.
Questioning took out the Cape Classic G3 at Durbanville with a score of 96 +. He won full of running and is making good progress under Vaughan Marshall’s care, despite being quite a temperamental character. He has now won three of four starts and seems certain to achieve bigger figures in the near future.