Hawwaam is 18-10 favourite for Summer Cup

Hawwaam has won six of his seven starts and is rated the 10^th best racehorse in the world in the 2019 Longines international rankings.

The Mike de Kock-trained four-year-old son of Silvano has not been seen on a racetrack since his sensational scratching at the start of this year’s Vodacom Durban July, when he was hot-pot favourite but injured himself when unruly in his starting stall.

As hype for Johannesburg’s premier horse race cranks up, aspirant punters should be aware that neither Hawwaam nor any of the other early entries is a guaranteed starter in the Grade 1 contest. Stake money of early bets could be forfeited if one’s fancy doesn’t make the final field.

However, early, ante-post wagers often do afford punters much better odds than are available on race day.

De Kock has dominated the Summer Cup down the years, with an amazing nine victories. And the Randjesfontein maestro looks likely to have a big say in the 2019 renewal.

He has 10 horses among the 45 entries – and a whopping five of them are among the top six in the bookmakers’ odds.

The 9-2 second favourite is De Kock’s very smart charge Soqrat, a three-time Grade 1 winner who, like Hawwaam, glories in a lofty 131 merit rating.

Stablemates Buffalo Bill Cody and Barahin on next in the betting at 7-1 and 17-2, before the first non-De Kock entry makes an appearance on the boards –Marchingontogether from the Gavin van Zyl stable, who can be had at 18-1.

Marchingontogether, the KwaZulu-Natal 2019 Champion Three-Year-Old, has raided the Highveld from his Summerveld home before, finishing a creditable third in the SA Derby.

Outdoing De Kock and his 10 entries is former champion trainer Sean Tarry with no less than 12 hopefuls. The most fancied among these are Al Mutawakel at 20-1 and Zillzaal at 28-1.

Defending Summer Cup champion Tilbury Fort – also from the Tarry yard – has been priced up at 40-1.

Weights for “The People’s Race” will be announced on Monday, 4 November; the final field on Tuesday, 19 November, and draws on Wednesday, 20 November.

Betting:

18-10 Hawwaam

9-2 Soqrat

7-1 Buffalo Bill Cody

17-2 Barahin

18-1 Marchingontogether

20-1 Cascapedia, Al Mutawakel

28-1 Zillzaal

33-1 Noble Secret

35-1 Camphoratus, Divine Odyssey, Dark Moon Rising, Like A Panther

40-1 Tilbury Fort

45-1 and upwards the others.

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