Moon to shine on filly

Warm weather, wonderful racing and delectable cuisine.

Night racing returns to Joburg tomorrow and with the weather expected to be hot with only a small chance of precipita-tion, Turffontein is the place to be.

The eight-race card is packed with top-class racing and is headed up by the Grade 3 Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m.

This is probably the last chance for those short of the necessary points to stake their claim in the R2-million G-BETS Summer Cup over 2000m at Turffontein on Saturday 1 December.

Horses who run well in the Victory Moon tend to perform well in the Summer Cup so this race has a lot of relevance.

Mike de Kock is looking for his 10th Summer Cup victory and this year, for the first time in quite a while, he has the stock to do it for him.

The horses he has ear-marked for the Grade 1 race on 1 December are Noble Secret, Cas-capedia, Takingthepeace and Like A Panther.

He also has the option of running Buffalo Bill Cody but he might look at other options for the Irish-bred son of Redoute’s Choice as he is still six months younger than the other runners.

Cascapedia will be running in a Pinnacle Stakes over 1600m earlier in the evening but Like A Panther and Takingthepeace are carded to run in the Victory Moon, for which they are favourite and second favourite at 4-1 and 9-2 respectively.

Both look safe entries into the Summer Cup so they don’t have to win this race to guarantee themselves a spot but De Kock will want a forward showing.In the case of Like A Panther, a facile winner of an Assessment Plate last time running (with respect) against the “blind school”, it would help to get the second run after a layoff behind him.

He is drawn on the outside of the field which is not ideal but at least they are on the Standside straight with the longer run-in and that will give him some sort of chance.

Takingthepeace, winner of the Gauteng Guineas (Grade 2) and the Fillies Classic (Grade 1), both sponsored by Wilgerbosdrift, has had two runs but both on the Inside track and that is not her distance.

She will love a return to this Standside track and with just 53.5kg on her back, most of that made up of jockey Warren Kennedy, this daughter of Visionaire could be the runner to beat.

Deo Juvente has found a second wind which he demonstrated with a third place in a Pinnacle Stakes behind Fort Ember so he must Picturehave a chance as is the case with Arctica who was narrowly beaten into fourth place behind Coral Fever in the Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile.

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