There are a number of exciting supporting races - not least the grade 2 Ipi Tombe Stakes where Rain In Holland is firm favourite to score for Tarry and Grant van Niekerk. In the final analysis, Second Base is selected to win ahead of War Of Athena, Malmoos and Sparkling Water. De Kock has kept faith with Kabelo Matsunyane - will the youngster, who has little big race experience, be up to the task? This column has been sweet on Sparkling Water for a while (particularly when one could get 7-1 a place) but the widest draw of all tempers a lot of enthusiasm. It is worth remembering that Tree Tumbo - another Tarry runner - ran third last year but finished out with the washing in the Victory Moon. Seehaam beat Sparkling Water five lengths in the Jacaranda Handicap in March and, more recently, finished fifth of 15 behind Bingwa in the former Charity Mile. However, bookmaker Lance Michael’s call this week that Sean Tarry’s Seehaam is the best long-shot has plenty of merit. With Bingwa and Al Muthana - a costly failure in the Steelrode - unproven over 2,000m, the likelihood of an upset looks remote. The possibility remains of a flat run in her second start following a rest. However, this is only the second time the daughter of Act Of War has taken on males and her comeback run this term was only three weeks ago. No big surprise if she chalked up the 11th win of her career - she comes to the party all the time, which is why she has a legion of fans. Which brings us to War Of Athena, who has been the subject of sustained support. He does have to shoulder top-weight of 60kg so the five-year-old faces no easy task and has been relatively friendless in the antepost market.
One pundit this week questioned whether Got The Green Light might be “past his peak”. So if Malmoos takes the R1.2m first cheque it would be no surprise.
That said, trainer De Kock has been winning Summer Cups with the regularity that Gary Player won majors. Yes, they probably still needed the outing but their supporters will have been surprised they were beaten so far. The question about both Malmoos and Got The Green Light is that both finished surprisingly far (five lengths) behind Bingwa in the Steelrode Mile. On Saturday Raymond Danielson’s mount will be 4kg better off with Malmoos, but Mike de Kock’s colt has drawn in pole position while Second Base is out wide at gate 15. Last term Second Base was right there in a number of top events - notably two lengths behind Malmoos when second in the SA Classic and two and a half lengths behind Linebacker when fifth in the Daily News 2000. In the first three months of the season, the yard had 15 winners from just 86 runners - an outstanding strike rate. That horse is Second Base - the subject of sustained support this week - who is looking to continue the fine form of Johan Janse van Vuuren’s stable. With questions surrounding the three top runners in Saturday’s R2m WSB Summer Cup at Turffontein, the right route might be to support a horse who was never far away in last season’s big three-year-old races.
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