Summer Cup adds a splash of colour
The skies over Johannesburg may have been grey for the last few days, but a kaleidoscope of colour is expected to descend on Turffontein today when the 2013 Sansui Summer Cup takes place.
CUP CONTENDER. Tiger’s Retreat is one of the horses expected to fi ght out the fi nish of today’s Sansui Summer Cup. He’s pictured above with Edelweiss Kruidenier. Picture:Greg Mulford.
This year’s R2-million race over 2 000m could prove to be a memorable one for trainer Mike de Kock and his sole entrant Ilha Bela, with the grey mare looking to emulate the feat of her mother, Ilha Da Vitoria, who mowed down the field to claim victory in a memorable finish in 2005.
A win here would also mean that De Kock would have won this race first run in 1887 10 times.
It is hoped that this year’s race day, which has a card of 12 races and will feature the legendary “mankini” sprint after the last race, will be able to boast a serious number of racegoers with 25 000 spectators expected to attend.
It’s the upsurge in numbers that has organisers excited at the prospect of this event becoming Joburg’s equivalent of the Durban July or Cape Town’s J&B Met.
