Danie Toerien
At least half the field.
That’s the number of horses that could take the honours on Saturday in the Grade 1 Betway Summer Cup over 2000m at Turffontein.
A survey among some of the greatest racing minds in the country has revealed that 10 of the 20 runners contesting the R5-million race are considered potential winners.
For bettors, this poses a double-barrel challenge: Firstly, deciding on which horses to include in the Pick 6 is a mind-boggler. Considering that the Pick 6 pool is expected to top R10-million, this is no small decision.
However, for Quartet players, this is actually the sound of angels singing.
With so many horses in the running, so to speak, the Quartet could well pay the proverbial bomb, similar to two years ago when the dividend was a whopping R4.29-million.
For those who need reminding, in 2021 the Summer Cup saw 25-1 shot Flying Carpet top of the podium, followed by 17-1 Majestic Mozart. Golden Pheasant at 40-1 took bronze while Johnny Hero completed the long-shot Quartet when jumping at 100-1 for the win.
Favourite War Of Athena, Malmoos, and believe it or not, this year’s co-favourite and defending champion Puerto Manzano, did not feature.
It must be noted the race was delayed for two days due to inclement weather.
Oddly, that was also the year the weight structure was changed for Gauteng’s biggest race, with a range of just 6kg from top to bottom. The first four across the line were all officially under sufferance.
Considering the Quartet pool is again set to top R4-million, the question is how to score.
The TAB Quartet is arguably the most complex of bets.
Bettors have the option of going for a straight line, boxing horses, choosing fixed bankers, and floating bankers.
The different options, and number of horses selected, all have a big influence on the cost of the bet.
Should the three horses topping the bookmakers’ boards run to expectation, then triple floating Winchester Mansion (3), Puerto Manzano (1), and Cousin Casey (2) with the field, is the Quartet bet to play. That will cost R408 for a full ticket.
With way too many “outsiders” in with a chance, a Hail Mary Quartet bet worth considering is to double float Bless My Stars (5) and Atticus Finch (13) with all of Puerto Manzano (1), Cousin Casey (2), Winchester Mansion (3), Safe Passage (7), Billy Bowlegs (9), Son Of Raj (10), Royal Victory (14), Zeus (15), Litigation (17), Electric Gold (20).
This will set bettors back R1080, or R108 for 10%. Big risk, but also the opportunity for big reward.
Double floating your two favourite runners with the field, will cost R3,672, or R367.20 for 10%.
Fact is, no matter how you choose to play the Quartet, it is the must-take bet on The People's Race.