CUP CANDIDATES : WHO'S IN AND WHO'S OUT

R1.5 MILLION EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN CUP
7 NOVEMBER 2009 

Well, we’re not able to make any statements about where the cut-off is going to be, because that’s a matter for the handicappers’ discretion. While merit-rating is always a more than useful guide, three-year-olds are improving dramatically at this time of year, and they’ve got a devil’s duty trying to decide who to leave in and who to exclude. Bloodstock South Africa is maintaining a log (based on merit rating), so players can go to www.summerhill.co.za and follow the trail to the Holy Grail!

There are several new aspirants chasing the big trophy, some of which are making their débuts this weekend, and it’s possible a couple of them might displace one or two at the lower end of the ladder. Already this week, we’ve seen some sparkling displays from Mluleki, a winner by two and three quarter lengths for Paul Matchett on Saturday at Turffontein and Mike de Kock’s Fisani, carrying the colours of Sheikh Mohammed, strode away by 2.5 lengths from the outside gate on the inner track, against older horses. That was a class performance, recording her second win, and she will be very near the top of the boards when the gates open on the 7^th November.

MERIT RATINGS AS AT 19 OCTOBER 2009

HORSE	SIRE	SEX	MR
SMANJEMANJE	Kahal	C	96
HAVASHA	Kahal	C	94
ASHJAAN	Malhub	F	93
SECOND WORLD	Second Empire	C	91
KHETANI	Labeeb	C	91
PIERRE JOURDAN	Parade Leader	C	89
ONEHUNDREDACREWOOD	Malhub	F	88
TRAFALGAR LEGACY	Rock Of Gibraltar	C	88
FISANI	Kahal	F	88
DIGNIFICATION	Muhtafal	F	85
MAHUBO	National Emblem	C	85
MANNEQUIN	Kahal	F	82
COCOA ROSE	Kahal	F	82
VUMANI	Malhub	C	81
SMART AL	Al Mufti	C	81
SMANYO	Second Empire	C	81
——————————————————————-	——————————	——-	——
KWELA-KWELA	Muhtafal	F	80
NYAKATHO	Labeeb	C	80
BUKA MINA	Slew The Red	F	80
ROSETTA STONE	Jet Master	F	80
WARMONGER	Kabool	F	80
HOLD THE GOLD	Captain Al	C	79
MLULEKI	Muhtafal	C	79
SICOCO	Muhtafal	C	78
HEY MON	Requiem	C	78
SNOW SPECIAL	Spectrum	C	78
GUNG HO	Labeeb	F	77
I’LOLLIPOP	National Emblem	F	77
MABHALANE	National Emblem	C	77
SIZZLING GUY	Slew The Red	C	77
CRY HAVOC	Caesour	C	75
TOBRUSKY	Lavery	C	75
GORGEOUS GEORGE	Labeeb	C	75
BABAZANI	Slew The Red	C	74
FAST DOT COM	Lavery	C	74
STANN CREEK	Strike Smartly	F	73
MACK M	Labeeb	C	73
I’GEM	Kahal	F	72
SALUTATION	Requiem	F	72
JIKA MAJIKA	Malhub	C	71
SPICE CLUB	Fan Club’s Mister	F	71
RUNNING RIOT	Muhtafal	F	70
CRIMSON MOONLIGHT (Aus)	Untouchable	F	70
GOODTOSEEYOU	Malhub	F	68
LAST TOUCH	Slew The Red	F	67
JIBE CITY	Kahal	F	66
MATHAFA	National Emblem	C	66
ROMAN WORLD	Caesour	F	65
GATHERING LIGHT	Requiem	F	64
GALAXY QUEST	Kahal	C	64
BEYOND REVENGE	Labeeb	C	63
PEN MAN	Lecture	C	62
SEISMIC SHIFT	Labeeb	C	60
RAMBUNCTIOUS	Muhtafal	F	45
BOLD CRUSADER	Malhub	C	43
SPESHIMINIAAL	Badger’s Drift	C	38

“THE TRAIL OF THE TROPHY”

www.summerhill.co.za

THE EMPEROR'S PALACE NATIONAL YEARLING SALES : The Grooms make their Crosses

Tarryn LiebenbergLast week, we promised to reveal all. This meant we’d be leaking news on the “drip” day-by-day, of our groom’s individual choices. Tarryn Liebenberg, who heads up the yearling sales team, tells us it was an extremely difficult task, particularly as there is so little between the top horse in the draft and the rest. What you get from the Champion Breeders in 2008 is the pick of one of the best vintages we’ve known, and by the “pick” we mean everything that was advanced enough to go. There are obviously numerous backward or immature types of National Sales calibre which we’ve kept behind, but for the rest, these are the “ones”.

Ben Mbhele Ben Mbhele , who’s been with us more than 20 years and whose grandfather was here in 1939 when the Ellises acquired Hartford, has gone for Khetani (which means “Take Your pick or Choice”), a scopey athletic colt and a beautiful moving individual by current leading Freshman sire, Labeeb out of Choice, a Stakes winner from one of our top families. He is joined in that selection by Prince Mdunjane, whom readers will remember is an outstanding rider in our Ready To Ride team, as well Thabani Nzimande, a relative newcomer, but a natural talent in his own right.

Ben’s pick of the fillies, it seems, is a relatively obvious one, being the Al Mufti half-sister (Nontanda) to one of the favourites for the forthcoming SA Guineas, Lostintranslation. This one’s out of an own sister to J&B Metropolitan (Gr.1) winner, Angus, and to Dignify, winner of the Golden Slipper (Gr.1), and he’s joined in this particular selection by Lungisani Hadebe, Mali Zuma, Mandla Vidima, Robert Mbhele, Spamandla Mthethwa and Thabani Nzimande (again). Amazingly, for a draft with so many outstanding fillies, almost half our grooms have gone for Nontanda, but they’re probably more pedigree “snobs” than anything else, because she’s Lot 22, and is an entry in the “green pages”. While she’s obviously an outstanding individual, there are several others in the draft that match her.