WAGNER SCORES SYMPHONIC SANSUI SUMMER CUP VICTORY

Click above to watch Wagner winning the Sansui Summer Cup (Gr1)
(Footage - Fometter : Image - Tab News)

SANSUI SUMMER CUP (Grade 1)
Turffontein, Turf, 2000m
1 December 2012

Punters were left stunned when 16-1 chance Wagner (Tiger Ridge) triumphed under leaden skies in the R2-million Grade 1 Sansui Summer Cup at Turffontein on Saturday.

Trained by Turffontein conditioner Joe Soma and brilliantly ridden by S’manga Khumalo, Wagner led from soon after the start and held off several challenges in the finishing stretch.

The 50-1 shot Shogunnar (Solskjaer) was less than a length adrift in second place, with Ilsanpietro (Brz) (Mark of Esteem) (35-1) in third and Astro News (Silvano) (28-1) running on for fourth.

With odds like that, it is little surprise that the Quartet paid a cool R 941,509.60, with a R6,480 carryover. The Trifecta yielded R26,316.00.

While the shock result and teeming rain took a smidgeon of festivity out of the large, pink-clad Turffontein crowd, there was much emotion and celebration in the winning enclosure. Soma is one of the most popular figures in racing, while there was added poignancy from the fact that the trainer’s wife passed away a few months ago.

Owners Ingrid and Markus Jooste’s silks were to the fore from the start, with their two runners, Wagner and Vettel (Know Heights), showing up as the field left the 2000m gates. Behind them came Ilha Bela (Fort Wood), Ilsanpietro, Whiteline Fever (Right Approach), Zambucca (Lundy’s Liability), Smanjemanje (Kahal), Brooks-Club (Strike Smartly) and Pierre Jourdan (Parade Leader).

Favourite Mujaarib (Nadeem) was some 10 lengths back coming off the bend and never looked like threatening for honours. Astro News was almost last throughout, only flying up late to claim fourth spot.

First Ilsanpietro threw out a challenge to the leader; then it was Shogunnar and Zambucca. But the flying Wagner and Khumalo dug down deep and prevailed.

This and some other big results saw the Pick 6 paying R1.7-million and the Place Accumulator R66,251.80. The Jackpot paid R4,654.90.

Sansui Summer Cup (Grade 1)
Final Results

#	LBH	Horse	Kg	MR	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	0.00	WAGNER	52.5	96	11	S Khumalo	Joe Soma
2	0.50	SHOGUNNAR	54.0	99	1	M Odendaal	Gavin van Zyl
3	1.00	ILSANPIETRO (BRZ)	57.5	105	20	G Lerena	Mike de Kock
4	1.25	ASTRO NEWS	55.5	102	10	M Yeni	Brian Wiid
5	2.50	ZAMBUCCA	58.0	107	18	K Zechner	Saeed Mohideen
6	2.75	WHITELINE FEVER	59.0	109	14	B Fayd’Herbe	Sean Tarry
7	3.50	VETTEL (ARG)	57.0	105	5	A Marcus	Mike de Kock
8	3.75	PIERRE JOURDAN	58.0	106	13	P Strydom	Gary Alexander
9	5.00	SILENT PARTNER	52.0	94	12	R Danielson	Mike de Kock
10	5.50	SMANJEMANJE	59.0	108	3	G van Niekerk	Tyrone Zackey
11	6.00	SOUL MASTER	57.5	105	2	M Mienie	Geoff Woodruff
12	7.25	MUJAARIB (AUS)	53.5	98	8	G Hatt	Mike de Kock
13	7.50	ILHA BELA	54.5	100	19	A Delpech	Mike de Kock
14	10.00	KNOCK ON WOOD	55.0	100	16	S Brown	Ormond Ferraris
15	10.25	BROOKS-VLUB	55.0	101	7	R Fradd	Mike Azzie
16	17.50	SILVER FLYER	57.5	106	15	K Shea	Mike de Kock
17	17.75	CHESALON	60.0	110	9	G Schlechter	Mike Azzie
18	20.00	SAGE THRONE	57.5	105	6	S Cormack	Colin Scott
19	99.99	EMPANOSO HENN (ARG)	57.5	105	17	D David	Mike de Kock
20	99.99	GOLDEN CREST	56.0	103	4	M Van Rensburg	Geoff Woodruff

Extract from Tab News

www.sansuisummercup.co.za

SANSUI SUMMER CUP 2012 SET TO BE A CRACKER!

Michael Roberts (left) and Muzi Yeni (right) at the 2011 Sansui Summer Cup
(Photo : Peter Morey Photography)

SANSUI SUMMER CUP (Grade 1)
Turffontein, Turf, 2000m
1 December 2012

Mike Moon
The TimesSomething unusual occurred this week. I had several requests for hospitality tickets for the races at Turffontein tomorrow.

This hasn’t happened in ages and I’m not sure what it signifies. It might be that it’s the day of the R2million Sansui Summer Cup and the venerable event has recaptured some of the prestige and allure it once had as Johannesburg’s premier horse race and a social occasion of note. On the other hand, demand might be driven by the plethora of non-equine entertainment on offer on the course - a R100,000 lucky-draw giveaway, R30,000 in jewellery prizes for “best dressed” racegoers, the Sansui Sound Experience with popular artists rocking on into the night, and more. Perhaps people are just looking for a distraction from the all-pervasive Mangaung circus. Or perhaps the promise of winning wagers offers relief from dreary austerity. The cynical might suggest ticket requests have something to do with the R50 entry charge on Summer Cup day - after free entry to racecourses has become the norm.

But, optimist that I am, I prefer to think racing is regaining some of the popularity it lost to rival attractions like casinos, Lotto, shopping malls, cellphones and satellite television. Whatever is pulling folk to the Big T, it’s no bad thing in my book. The more people we get there the better; some of them might well enjoy the experience and become regulars.

For established racing fans, the 2012 Sansui Summer Cup is all about champion trainer Mike de Kock aiming to register his 10th victory in the race. The maestro has a rather good chance of doing this as he saddles seven of the 20 runners.

Having 35% of the contenders in a marquee feature is no mean achievement in itself, but his yard also having the first three in the betting is, well, astonishing. Mujaarib tops the boards at 22/10, with Silver Flyer at 4/1 and Vettel at 8/1.

The former is unbeaten in four starts and looks something special. But this is a bigger test than any the colt has faced and doubts have been raised about his capacity to stay the 2000m distance. A handy galloping weight of 53.5kg and a favourable No 8 draw might help him overcome stamina limitations and he’s a worthy favourite.

But something those newcomers to racing will find out tomorrow is that unpredictability is the name of this game. A determined bunch of trainers and jockeys are set on frustrating the De Kock bid for glory.

Among them is pint-sized rider Muzi Yeni, who partners Astro News (20/1) from the Brian Wiid yard. What a great news story it’ll be if the lad from Umlazi becomes the first black rider to win one of the country’s “majors”. It’ll also be great news for my bank balance. Go Muzi.

SELECTION: Sansui Summer Cup (Race 7): 13 Astro News, 18 Mujaarib, 3 Smanjemanje, 6 Silver Flyer

Extract from The Times

PIERRE JOURDAN SEEKING SUMMER CUP SIZZLE

Pierre Jourdan poses with Phumza Tiya ahead of the 2012 Sansui Summer Cup
(Photo : Peter Morey Photography)

SANSUI SUMMER CUP (Grade 1)
Turffontein, Turf, 2000m
1 December 2012

David Thiselton
Gold CirclePierre Jourdan could be a big runner in tomorrow’s Grade 1 R2 Million Sansui Summer Cup in which he carries 58kg off a merit rating of 106 compared to topweight of 60kg off a merit rating of 116 last year. He is also long overdue a change in luck.

The Summerhill-bred gelding was slow away in his last start, the Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile, when squeezed out and then badly bumped by a horse coming across which made it hard for him to make up the ground in the fast going on the day. He also met interference in his previous start in the Grade 3 Joburg Spring Challenge over 1450m and could have finished second instead of fourth behind the classy Link Man.

The Gary Alexander yard must be wondering if Pierre Jourdan will ever get a clean race as he also had bad luck through the Champions Season, including in the Vodacom Durban July. However, he is now four points down the merit ratings since his last win in last year’s Charity Mile and he has the in-form maestro Piere Strydom aboard.

In last year’s Summer Cup, Pierre Jourdan finished last, but it appearedded on that occasion that he was over raced. Although Alexander said he would have preferred him to be a touch closer to the inside, the wide draw of 13 is just about ideal for Strydom who will be able to choose where he wants to be and is a master of slipstreaming. Alexander also hoped that he would at least have a chance of staying out of trouble from that draw and added that his first two runs of the season were preparation runs for this race and despite his rough race last time out, Pierre Jourdan had returned sound. “He is doing well and his prep has gone quite nicely,” Alexander said. “He hasn’t done too much wrong.”

Alexander felt he had a few other chances on the day. He reckoned the Trippi colt No Prisoners, with Strydom up, would be a “big runner in that field” in the second, where he is quoted as even money favourite. He gave Radiant Rock “a place shout” in the tenth, despite odds of 33-1, as she “always without fail tries her heart out.” He added that the 2000m trip would suit Mystic Tigress, a 10-1 shot in the eleventh.

Extract from Gold Circle

SANSUI SUMMER CUP : BEAST vs MACHINE

Click above to watch Beast vs Machine
(Image and Footage : Sansui Summer Cup)

SANSUI SUMMER CUP (Grade 1)
Turffontein, Turf, 2000m
1 December 2012

Johannesburg’s most spectacular horse racing event, the Sansui Summer Cup, proudly hosted by Gauteng, together with VW and Audi SA created history earlier November!

As part of the build up towards the Summer Cup which will be held tomorrow, 1 December 2012 at Turffontein Racecourse, seasoned Volkswagen rally driver, Gugu Zulu, and the young and talented Audi driver, Gennaro Bonafede, were challenged to race against a horse.

The horse was piloted by jockey, Chad Little, and took to the track while both cars raced in the ambulance lane.

www.sansuisummercup.co.za

PERFECT PREP FOR SMANJEMANJE AHEAD OF SUMMER CUP

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