Azzie’s Dingaans 2 draw wide

Trainer Mike Azzie has two of the three top-rated entries in the R500,000 Dingaans (Grade 2) over 1600m at Turffontein.

The race, for three-year-olds, is one of three Grade 2 features on the supporting card to the R2-million SANSUI Summer Cup (Grade 1) over 2000m on Saturday 28 November.

Both Azzie’s runners drew wide, with Rabada getting draw No 21 and Abashiri, No 24.

Rabada won last season’s Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville. In his first race as a three-year-old, the CTS Emperors Palace Ready To Run Stakes on Charity Mile Day last month, he came down the standside rail and might arguably have thought he had done enough. However, he had to settle for second behind classy individual Champagne Haze, who took the shortest route for home on the inside rail.

Abashiri finished a close-up third in the Premier’s Champion Stakes in only his second career start and probably has more scope for improvement than his stablemate.

Brazuca, runner-up to Seventh Plain in the (Grade 1) Golden Horseshoe over 1400m at Greyville on Durban July Day and a winner of both starts since, is rated 109, the same as Abashiri and two points or one length inferior to Rabada. Brazuca, from last year’s winning stable, drew well at No 3.

There is quite a stretch to the next best-rated horse, Mike de Kock-trained Muwaary at 102. This Grade 3 1400m winner is one of three runners from the De Kock yard

The R400,000 Ipi Tombe Challenge (Grade 2, fillies and mares) over 1600m has pulled 16 entries including Alec Laird-trained Smart Call, who won the Woolavington 2000 last season. She is the top-rated runner and will carry 60kg if she runs. She has drawn in the middle of the pack at No 9.

Ormond Ferraris-trained Lazer Star, the second top-rated runner in the entry and a filly who won a feature at the same meeting last year, drew at No 14, while Bichette, one of two entries from the stable of ruling champion trainer Sean Tarry and who is also entered in the Merchants, is rated just one point behind Lazer Star. Both will carry 59kg but Tarry’s runner has drawn at No 5.

De Kock, who trained the filly the race is named for, has five horses entered, including The Centenary who is also entered in the Summer Cup.

The third Grade 2 race is the R450,000 Merchants over 1160m and if the nominations are anything to go by, the race should be highly competitive.

Three Grade 3 races will also be run at the meeting, the Magnolia Handicap, the Fillies Mile and the Racing Association Handicap.

Supplementary entries for all six races fall due on Monday 16 November and the final fields will be published on Wednesday 18 November.

Summer Cup betting: 11-2 French Navy; 7-1 Power King; 9-1 St Tropez; 13-1 ML Jet, Ultimate Dollar; 15-1 Mac De Lago; 17-1 Master Sabina; 20-1 and upwards others.

Entries for the Dingaans

Entries for the Ipi Tombe Challenge

Entries for the Merchants