July hero Winchester Mansion tops betting boards for Summer Cup

Winchester Mansion, the Durban July 2023 champion, has been installed as a 4-1 ante-post favourite for the R5-million Betway Summer Cup to be run at Turffontein on 25 November.

Trainer Brett Crawford’s five-year-old gelding by Trippi was among 40 first entries unveiled this week for Joburg’s premier horse race.

Other notable entries included defending champion Puerto Manzano, who was quoted at 8-1 by the sponsor in opening betting.

Mike de Kock and Sean Tarry

Also at 8-1 was Dave The King, whose merit rating of 126 tops the list.

Dave The King is one of seven entries from the yard of Mike de Kock, who has won the Summer Cup nine times – but not in the last 13 years. The master trainer’s other hopefuls are Safe Passage (odds 6-1, MR 120), Union Square (16-1, 110), East Coast (25-1, 111), Aragosta (33-1, 114), Shoemaker (33-1, 114) and Trois Trois Quatre (33-1 ,87).

De Kock’s fellow Randjesfontein conditioner Sean Tarry has nominated a powerful group of five horses: July third Bless My Stars (8-1, 119), Gold Cup champ Future Pearl (10-1, 116), new recruit from Cape Town Cousin Casey (14-1, 122), veteran stayer Nebraas (20-1, 115) and sometime Victory Moon winner Litigation (33-1, 110).

One possible long-distance raider to catch the eye is Gqeberha’s young trainer Kelli Mitchley with her tough campaigner Hoedspruit (50-1, 112). Then there are Capetonians Dean Kannemeyer with Runaway Song (25-1, 116) and Brett Crawford with a string of four – though the latter has a highly successful satellite yard at Randjes, run by his son James, where any runners are likely to be prepared.

Betway’s opening betting:

4-1 Winchester Mansion
6-1 Safe Passage
8-1 Puerto Manzano, Dave The King, Bless My Stars
10-1 Future Pearl
12-1 Eye Of The Prophet
14-1 Cousin Casey
16-1 Bingwa, Union Square
20-1 Nebraas, Second Base, Flyine Bull
25-1 East Coast, Anfields Rocket, Runaway Song
33-1 Atticus Finch, Son Of Raj, Billy Bowlegs, Aragosta, Shoemaker, Litigation, Crimson King, Meridius, Trois Trois Quatre
45-1 and upwards the others

First entries:

Anfields Rocket Grant Maroun 120
Aragosta Mike de Kock 114
Arumugam Weiho Marwing 102
Atticus Finch Alec Laird 101
Billy Bowlegs Brett Crawford 118
Bingwa J A Janse van Vuuren 120
Bless My Stars Sean Tarry 119
Brave Viking Joe Soma 90
Cousin Casey Sean Tarry 122
Crimson King Brett Crawford 101
Dave The King Mike de Kock 126
East Coast Mike de Kock 111
Electric Gold Tony Peter 102
Eye Of The Prophet Paul Matchett 119
Flying Bull Tony Peter 98
Future Pearl Sean Tarry 116
Hoedspruit Kelly Mitchley 112
Infinite Wonder Paul Matchett 103
Lady Of Power M G Azzie/A A Azzie 109
Litigation Sean Tarry 110
Meridius Tony Peter 110
Nebraas Sean Tarry 115
Puerto Manzano (ARG) J A Janse van Vuuren 123
River Romeo Paul Matchett 101
Royal Guide Alec Laird 90
Rule By Force Joe Soma 108
Runaway Song Dean Kannemeyer 116
Safe Passage Mike de Kock 120
Savannah Storm P P / J M Vermeulen 101
Say Yes Tony Peter 91
Second Base Robyn Klaasen 120
Shoemaker Mike de Kock 114
Solar Power Brett Crawford 98
Son Of Raj Weiho Marwing 115
Star Coin Alec Laird 109
Street Art Tony Peter 101
Trois Trois Quatre Mike de Kock 87
Union Square Mike de Kock 110
Winchester Mansion Brett Crawford 121
Zeus Fabian Habib 98

Final entries: Monday 13 November; weights published Monday 13 November; barrier draws 15 November; probable runner logs from 29 September.