Jack Milner
The sun shone brightly, the crowds packed in, the TAB pools were great, and it was like old times at Turffontein.
Unfortunately for punters, some of the results did not match the jolly atmosphere. Specifically, the outcome of the Betway Summer Cup was a bit of a train smash.
The race was won by 100-1 shot Mocha Blend, trained by Frank Robinson and ridden by Tristan Godden who beat Olivia’s Way (40-1) by 0.50 lengths, The Ultimate King (8-1) was a further 1.50 lengths back with Busstopinhounslow (100-1) in fourth.
With that result, it came as no surprise the Quartet paid R355,690.
“It doesn’t feel real, it still doesn’t feel real,” said a delighted Godden after claiming his first Grade 1 victory.
“I know a lot of people didn’t like her, but I did. People asked me what I was backing in the Summer Cup and I said I’m backing myself. You’ve got to come into races like this thinking you’ve got a chance.
“Realistically I thought she would run in the first four, but at the back of the Quartet.”
That was a similar notion expressed by Robinson. “I was quietly confident she would run into a place because I rate her. I knew 2000m is what she wanted and I think the conditions were ideal for her.”
Mocha Blend is owned by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein and Mary Slack was on course to cheer home the winner.
Second favourite The Equator (7-2) was fifth, beaten 4.90 lengths.
Interestingly, five of the first eight past the post went off at 100-1.
In fairness there had been buckets of rain on the Highveld over the past few days and the going as on the soft side, which might not have suited many of the runners, and a number of trainers have had problems working their runners.
But, as the old song by the Tremeloes claims, even the bad times are good, and for those who read it right they will have emerged from the meeting with pockets bulging. The Pick 6 pool reached just a few rands under the R5 million target and paid out R1,179,300, the Place Accumulator R43,999,30 and Jackpot 2 R24,256
Res St Sc# Horse Age Sex Draw Mass Length Time MR A B T M H-KG O-Bet S-Bet Trainer Jockey
1 19 MOCHA BLEND 4 F 13 54.0 0.00 127.32 105 A 0 33/1 100/1 Frank Robinson T Godden
2 14 OLIVIA'S WAY 4 F 9 54.0 0.50 127.41 112 A 0 25/1 40/1 Roy Magner A Fortune
3 15 THE ULTIMATE KING 4 G 1 54.0 2.00 127.68 111 A 0 14/1 8/1 Tony Peter M Yeni
4 13 BUSSTOPINHOUNSLOW 4 G 7 54.0 2.80 127.82 112 A T 0 66/1 100/1 Grant Maroun R A Venniker
5 F 5 THE EQUATOR (IRE) 5 H 3 55.0 4.90 128.20 117 A B 0 9/4 7/2 Tony Peter G Lerena
6 16 WILD INTENT 4 G 15 54.0 5.40 128.28 110 A 0 40/1 100/1 Lucky Houdalakis M V'Rensburg
7 17 ANFIELDS ROCKET 6 G 17 54.0 6.65 128.51 109 A 0 50/1 100/1 Grant Maroun S Veale
8 6 LEGEND OF ARTHUR 4 C 20 54.5 7.05 128.58 117 A H T 0 20/1 100/1 Sean Tarry M K Katjedi
9 4 SON OF RAJ 6 G 4 55.5 8.15 128.78 118 A B 0 66/1 80/1 Tony Peter K Matsunyane
10 11 SPUMANTE DOLCE 4 F 10 54.0 12.25 129.51 116 A T 0 25/1 40/1 Mike / Mathew de K C Murray
11 9 MY BEST SHOT 4 G 12 54.0 14.25 129.86 116 A 0 20/1 33/1 Alan Greeff R Fourie
12 3 KING PELLES 5 G 11 57.5 16.25 130.22 122 A B 0 5/1 5/2 Gareth van Zyl S Khumalo
13 2 ROYAL VICTORY 6 G 14 59.0 16.75 130.31 125 A 0 20/1 50/1 Nathan Kotzen C Little
14 7 MADISON VALLEY 5 G 18 54.5 24.50 131.70 116 A B 0 25/2 11/2 Frank Robinson C Zackey
15 20 NAVAJO NATION 5 G 6 54.0 27.50 132.23 104 A B 0 33/1 100/1 W O Marwing/W H Ma K J Lihaba
16 8 OTTO LUYKEN 6 G 8 54.5 34.00 133.39 116 A B T 0 14/1 14/1 James Crawford J P v'd Merwe
17 12 PARISIAN WALKWAY 4 G 16 54.0 99.99 0.00 115 A 0 33/1 66/1 Alec Laird P Mxoli
18 1 ATTICUS FINCH 6 G 2 60.0 99.99 0.00 127 A B T 0 5/1 10/1 Alec Laird C Habib
19 10 ON MY HONOUR 4 G 5 54.0 99.99 0.00 116 A 0 20/1 33/1 Glen Kotzen S Moodley
20 18 SOLAR SAIL 4 G 19 54.0 99.99 0.00 109 A 0 50/1 100/1 Mark Khan J Penny