See It Again is early Summer Cup favourite

See It Again has spent much of his racing career at the top of bookmakers’ boards and he’s back up there in early ante-post betting on the Betway Summer Cup.

When first entries for Joburg’s premier race were announced this week, the race sponsor immediately reached for the highest rung of the ladder to slot in that name. Again.

On Wednesday, Betway was offering 7-2 about the Michael Roberts-trained five-year-old, with Equus Horse of the Year Dave The King at 6-1 and Summer Cup defending champion Royal Victory at 8-1.

A total of 42 horses are on the first entries list for the R6-million Cup, which will be run over 2000m at Turffontein on 30 November.

Durban runners

There are seven nominations each from the hometown stables of Mike de Kock and Sean Tarry. Cape-based trainer Brett Crawford has four entries – all from his Highveld satellite yard.

Last year’s Cup triumph of KwaZulu-Natal raider Royal Victory, from the Summerveld yard of Natie Kotzen, seems to have emboldened Durban’s conditioners and an unheard-of seven of them have entered horses.

A difficult decision to geld dual Grade 1 winner See It Again was taken after his relatively disappointing winter season. He remains the top-rated horse in the country and a record of just six wins from 18 starts does not represent his consistent excellence in the face of misfortune.

There is a common belief that we haven’t seen the best of the son of Twice Over and many a pundit is looking forward to seeing him fully unleash his prodigious stride on Turffontein’s long galloping straight.

Trainer Michael Roberts and owner Nick Jonsson have sketched out an ambitious campaign for their fellow: a tilt at the Summer Cup, before another attempt at the Cape Town Met. Thereafter, the Durban July would be a cherry on the top.

All that is a big ask and the Summer Cup will not be an easy first step.

Six of the first eight finishers in the 2024 Durban July are among the 42 hopefuls – including See It Again, who finished fifth.

Punters don’t have long to wait to start computing collateral form as 11 of the Summer Cup entries – Aragosta, Atticus Finch, Beating Wings, Frances Ethel, Future Pearl, Litigation, Puerto Manzano, River Romeo, Safe Passage, Silver Sanctuary and Winchester Mansion – are carded to meet in Race 5, a 1600m Pinnacle Stakes, at Turffontein this Saturday.

BETWAY SUMMER CUP ENTRIES:

ARAGOSTA (M F De Kock)
ATARIME (P F Matchett)
ATTICUS FINCH (A G Laird)
BARBARESCO (J J van Vuuren)
BEATING WINGS (S T Pettigrew)
CAPE EAGLE (W A Nel)
COUSIN CASEY (S G Tarry)
DAVE THE KING (M F De Kock)
EAST COAST (M F De Kock)
FLAG MAN (G van Zyl (Jnr))
FRANCES ETHEL (B Crawford)
FUTURE PEARL (S G Tarry)
HOME OF THE BRAVE (T Zackey)
HOTARUBI (S G Tarry)
INDIAN OCEAN (L Karriem)
JORDAN (S G Tarry)
LITIGATION (S G Tarry)
MADISON VALLEY (F Robinson)
MAIN DEFENDER (A P Peter)
MARAUDING HORDE (M F De Kock)
MERIDIUS (A P Peter)
MY SOUL MATE (C Dawson)
NAVAJO NATION (R A Hill)
NEBRAAS (S G Tarry)
POMODORO’S JET (B Crawford)
PUERTO MANZANO (J J van Vuuren)
PURE PREDATOR (F Bronkhorst)
PURPLE PITCHER (R Klaasen)
RAISEAHALLELUJAH (C Dawson)
RED MAPLE (S G Tarry)
RIVER ROMEO (L Karriem)
ROYAL VICTORY (N Kotzen)
RULE BY FORCE (J A Soma)
SAFE PASSAGE (M F De Kock)
SEE IT AGAIN (M L Roberts)
SHOEMAKER (M F De Kock)
SILVER SANCTUARY (M F De Kock)
SON OF RAJ (A P Peter)
THE FUTURIST (B Crawford)
THUNEE PLAYA (L Karriem)
WINCHESTER MANSION (B Crawford)
ZEUS (F P Habib)

BETTING:

7-2 See It Again
6-1 Dave The King
8-1 Royal Victory
10-1 Cousin Casey, Winchester Mansion, Frances Ethel
16-1 Flag Man, Barbaresco
20-1 Purple Pitcher, Silver Sanctuary
25-1 Main Defender, Pure Predator
33-1 Future Pearl, Meridius, Beating Wings, Zeus, Raiseahallelujah, Litigation
50-1 and upwards the others.