It was the best of draws, and it was the  worst of draws

Trainer Sean Tarry, winner of four of the last five Summer Cups, has the best and the worst of the draws for Saturday’s Grade1 Betway Summer Cup over 2000m at Turffontein.
In a remarkable sequence of events, two of Tarry’s five runners were the first and last to be allocated a starting gate when the draw for the Betway Summer Cup was done at a Melrose Arch in Johannesburg on Monday evening – and they drew gates 1 and 19 respectively.
Tarry pulled the first number after it was determined that the draw would start with Shango, and duly pulled the number one gate for this six-year-old son of Captain Of All.
Stable companion Pyromaniac was the last to be allocated a starting gate and with all the numbers already drawn except 19, there was no reason for anybody to gasp when it was revealed that this four-year-old Silvano gelding would jump from Commissioner Street.
Tarry, together with trainers Mike de Kock and Johan Janse van Vuuren, dominate the Betway Summer Cup, saddling 13 of the carded 19 runners, with De Kock and Janse van Vuuren on four each and Tarry with five.
“What can you do? It’s all part of the game,” said Tarry about drawing both the inside and outside gates.
“We’ve had good winners from good and bad draws. Who knows, it’s just a matter of how they go on the day, how the pace is, and that the jockeys don’t lose their minds. It’s all important and plays a part.
“We’ve got some good draws, but some of the horses can’t use the draw because they might not have the early speed.
“But the draws do cement a few plans we may have had tactics wise.”
Tarry is also adamant that the draw is not that important, especially over the course and distance.
“Listen, you can overcome any draw over 2000m at Turffontein, I have no doubt about that.
“If the horse is right, it can win from anywhere over this course and distance.
“We’re just happy to be part of the event.”
De Kock is equally pleased with the outcome of the draw.
“I’m happy,” said De Kock, “especially for Aragosta to be on the outside. I think he’s a better horse on the outside, especially in a big field.
“For the rest of my runners, the draws are absolutely perfect.
“Look, it always helps to have a good draw so that you don’t have to rethink things, but in terms of their style of racing and the planning, I’m happy with where they all drew.”
Janse van Vuuren was also more than pleased with the outcome of the draw.
“My main horse, Puerto Manzano, got the best draw at seven and I’m very happy with that.
“We can probably get him four or five lengths off the pace from there and that’s exactly where we want him.
“Astrix drawn 11 is not the end of the world.
“Divine Odyssey is an old man. Drawn nine is ideal for him.
“Second Base doesn’t have much gate speed. He has the worst draw of all my horses, but if I had to pick one for a bad draw, it would have been Second Base.
“All things considered, I’m happy. It could have been better, but it could have been a lot worse.”

Final field for the R2.25-million Betway Summer Cup (Grade 1) over 2000m on the Standside track at Turffontein on Saturday (in order number, draw, horse, trainer, jockey, and weight).
1 - 3 WILLIAM ROBERTSON (C Spies) M V'Rensburg 60.0
2 - 11 ASTRIX (J J van Vuuren) J P v'd Merwe 60.0
3 - 6 MK'S PRIDE (M F De Kock) R Simons 59.0
4 - 5 SPARKLING WATER (M F De Kock) S Khumalo 59.0
5 - 10 SAFE PASSAGE (M F De Kock) M Yeni 58.5
6 - 7 PUERTO MANZANO (J J van Vuuren) K de Melo 58.0
7 - 12 NEBRAAS (S G Tarry) P Strydom 57.0
8 - 15 ARAGOSTA (M F De Kock) R Fourie 55.5
9 - 17 RED SAXON (J A Soma) J Mariba 55.5
10 - 18 SECOND BASE (J J van Vuuren) G Lerena 55.5
11 - 4 ZILLZAAL (S G Tarry) L Mxothwa 55.0
12 - 9 DIVINE ODYSSEY (J J van Vuuren) C Maujean 54.0
13 - 13 LIGHT OF THE MOON (B/Y Botes / Vosloo) D De Gouveia 54.0
14 - 19 PYROMANIAC (S G Tarry) C Habib 54.0
15 - 1 SHANGO (S G Tarry) R A Venniker 54.0
16 - 8 SUPER SILVANO (B Crawford) K Matsunyane 54.0
17 - 2 LITIGATION (S G Tarry) P Mxoli 54.0
18 - 14 JAIMALA (A B Fortune) R Munger 54.0
19 - 16 RAISEAHALLELUJAH (C Dawson) R Danielson 54.0
Same Trainer: (2,6,10,12) (3,4,5,8) (7,11,14,15,17)