Mike and Mathew de Kock’s R6-million Betway Summer Cup hopeful, Spumante Dolce, has firmed in the ante-post market at 25-1 following a good prep run over 1450m at Turffontein on Thursday. She’d drifted from 14-1 to 28-1 after a disappointing run in the Charity Mile earlier this month, but was found to have mucus in her trachea and was successfully treated.
The Ultimate King, winner of Sunday’s Grade 3 Betway Victory Moon Stakes at Turffontein, had his odds trimmed from 18-1 to 11-1 on Monday morning. He was not on the first two official Summer Cup logs of likely runners published, but will now be guaranteed a place in the line-up for Africa’s richest race over 2000m on 29 November. The Ultimate King’s stablemate, The Equator, is still at the top of the boards at around 3-1.
The De Kock team have a handful of runners at three meetings over the next several days. Mat’s notes are recorded, below:
HWB Greyville, Sunday, 16 November:
Race 3, 1900m: “
Councillor is a staying type that still wants further than this. We’re expecting a good effort from her, though she is not a ‘good thing’. ”
Race 6, 1400m: “
Bristol Hercules remains in a good space and ticks the boxes here – he is in the right company, well drawn and over the right distance, he has a good chance.”
Race 7, 1400m: “We’re expecting a good run from
Queen Braganza, she is progressive. We’re hoping she wins this race, so we can head down to Cape Town for the Fillies Guineas with her. She still has to see out 1400m, show that she can do it, but should have a strong winning chance.”
HWB Scottsville, Tuesday 18 November:
Race 6, 1100m: “Icy Blast is back from a freshen-up. He should need the run just a bit, but he normally goes well at this track, he has some eachway prospects.”
Race 8, 1000m: “Our decent young sprinter
Exocet runs here. He loves 1000m, but he has top weight of 61kg in the race, it’s tough for a three-year-old. Other than that, we’re confident he’ll run a good race.”
Vaal, Thursday, 20 November:
Race 4. 1400m:, “Babette’s Feast has good form, from for her first two runs, but she will need this outing and wants a bit further to come into her own.”
***
Grade 1 Cape Guineas prospect, Gimmie Rules, takes part in Sunday’s Kenilworth feature, Race 3 over 1400m. Last week he galloped alongside his stablemate and full-brother, The Real Prince, the 2025 Durban July winner. It was a good blow-out for both and trainer Dean Kannemeyer said: “I specifically wanted a quality horse like The Real Prince, so he would pull the younger horse through. Gimmie Rules acquitted himself well. This race will bring him on nicely.”
Gimme Rules has a strong older rival in Saturday’s race. He is Des Maclachlan’s Jet Force, a lightly-raced four-year-old who has three wins to show from four starts. Jet Force is considered to have Graded ability, so this will be a good test for the young pretender. San Pedro, the strong front-runner, also has a shout with his handy galloping weight, and will make the race interesting if he sets a steady pace.
Another Kannemeyer-trained runner, Gallic Victor, could be a banker in Pick 6 perms in Race 5 over 1950, where he steps up to 1950m and, on the manner in which he runs on over shorter, looks ideally suited. He was heavily backed in both his runs to date and stayed on late in his 1600m start here on 18 October, showing a need for extra ground.
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