Puerto Manzano chases Summer Cup double

Jack Milner

Puerto Manzano will be looking at becoming the first horse since Master Sabina in 2016 to win the Betway Summer Cup for the second successive year.

This Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained gelding has been in outstanding form since that victory and after his triumph in the Grade 2 Allied Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile last month, it is no surprise he is joint-favourite at 5-1 along with Hollywoodbets Durban July champion Winchester Mansion.

The final field of 20 runners for the R5-million Grade 1 race over 2000m on the Standside track at Turffontein on Saturday 25 November was revealed at a function in Joburg on Wednesday evening where the draws for barrier positions took place.

There were some “oohs and aahs” when barrier No 17 was pulled for Puerto Manzano but he is likely to come from off them, and with the long home straight he can easily make up the ground.

Of the other fancied runners, Winchester Mansion will jump from barrier No 11, Cousin Casey from barrier No 12 with Atticus Finch and Bless My Stars, the other two runners priced up under 10-1, faring a lot better in barriers No 6 and No 2 respectively.

Interestingly it was Gavin Lerena who rode Master Sabina to his two victories, and he will be looking for his fourth win in this race aboard Puerto Manzano.

Winchester Mansion had a great warm-up run when fourth, beaten just 1.10 lengths by Puerto Manzano in the Charity Mile, and is another who will benefit from the additional 400m. That was his first race on the Highveld and assistant trainer James Crawford declared himself very happy with the build-up for both of the stable’s runner, the other being Billy Bowlegs.

Cousin Casey and Bless My Stars were the sandwich between Puerto Manzano and Winchester Mansion in the Charity Mile and they should both be competitive once again.

Betway’s current betting on the Summer Cup

5-1 Puerto Manzano, Winchester Mansion; 13-2 Atticus Finch; 7-1 Cousin Casey, Bless My Stars; 15-1 Billy Bowlegs; 18-1 Litigation; 20-1 Electric Gold, Son Of Raj ; 22-1 Anfields Rocket; 25-1 Zeus, Safe Passage; 35-1 Royal Victory, Bingwa; 40-1 East Coast; 45-1 Shoemaker; 50-1 Aragosta, Meridius; 80-1 Second Base; 125-1 Lady Of Power

Final field for the R5-million Betway Summer Cup (Grade 1) over 2000m at Turffontein.  

1 - 16 PUERTO MANZANO (J J van Vuuren) G Lerena 60.0 - 125

2 - 12 COUSIN CASEY (S G Tarry) G van Niekerk 58.5 - 123

3 - 11 WINCHESTER MANSION (B Crawford) K Matsunyane 58.0 - 121

4 - 10 ANFIELDS ROCKET (G J Maroun) R Danielson 57.0 - 120

5 - 2 BLESS MY STARS (S G Tarry) R Fourie 56.5 - 119

6 - 3 BINGWA (J J van Vuuren) S Moodley 56.5 - 118

7 - 9 SAFE PASSAGE (M F De Kock) L Mxothwa 56.0 - 117

8 - 7 SECOND BASE (R Klaasen) K A Brewer 56.0 - 117

9 - 13 BILLY BOWLEGS (B Crawford) S Khumalo 55.5 - 117

10 - 19 SON OF RAJ (W H Marwing) A Mgudlwa 54.5 - 115

11 - 1 ARAGOSTA (M F De Kock) J Penny 54.5 - 114

12 - 18 SHOEMAKER (M F De Kock) D De Gouveia 54.0 - 112

13 - 6 ATTICUS FINCH (A G Laird) C Habib 54.0 - 111

14 - 14 ROYAL VICTORY (N Kotzen) M Yeni 54.0 - 111

15 - 4 ZEUS (F P Habib) D Schwarz 54.0 - 111

16 - 8 EAST COAST (M F De Kock) J P v'd Merwe 54.0 - 110

17 - 17 LITIGATION (S G Tarry) C Zackey 54.0 - 110

18 - 20 MERIDIUS (A P Peter) P Mxoli 54.0 - 110

19 - 15 LADY OF POWER (M/A Azzie) C Maujean 54.0 - 107

20 - 5 ELECTRIC GOLD (A P Peter) J Gates 54.0 - 105

Same Trainer: (1,6) (2,5,17) (3,9) (7,11,12,16) (18,20)