PERFECT PREP FOR SMANJEMANJE AHEAD OF SUMMER CUP
Thursday, November 29, 2012 
Smanjemanje with Grant van Niekerk aboard
(Photo : JC Photos)
SANSUI SUMMER CUP (Grade 1)
Turffontein, Turf, 2000m
1 December 2012
David Thiselton
Gold CircleSmanjemanje, who came within a hair’s breadth of causing one of the biggest upsets in Vodacom Durban July history earlier this year, looks to have been given another perfect preparation by trainer Tyrone Zackey for Saturday’s Grade 1 R2 Million Sansui Summer Cup.
“I personally think he’s one of the big runners in the race and the price is right,” said Zackey, who pointed out that he always ran his best races at long odds. He is quoted at 25-1 by Betting World.
Smanjemanje, a six-year-old Kahal gelding, made his seasonal reappearance in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1400m in October and looked to need it badly as he found little in the straight. He wasn’t persevered with in his next start, the Grade 2 Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile, and finished way back after going nowhere in the straight.
However, Smanjemanje looked more himself in his most recent outing in the Grade 2 Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m on the Turffontein Standside track, a race he won last year. He reared as the starter pressed the button and was slow away, but then ran on very well from the back of the field to finish fifth, six lengths behind Zambucca, with whom he will now be a whopping 6kg better off. That race was run in course record time, so it was a fine effort after the tardy start.
He will jump from a great draw of three on Saturday with regular pilot Grant van Niekerk aboard and will appreciate the step up to 2000m based on his July run. If Smanjemanje starts on terms this time, he could well be in the hunt in an open looking race.
Zackey continued, “It’s a very competitive race and giving weight away to the up and coming younger generation makes it hard to say how confident we can be, but he is very well in himself. His work has been good and he is full of himself.”
Zackey said that Smanjemanje’s first two runs of the season could be ignored. “He is now fit and is hundreds. Even this morning (Tuesday) his work was very good and now all we need is luck in the running.”
The Summerhill-bred Smanjemanje became known as the “giant killer” on the Highveld after his career was turned around as an early four-year-old by gelding and with the fitting of a cornell collar. The latter was necessary after it was discovered that his breathing issues were due to him displacing his soft palate.
Extract from Gold Circle
