On-fire Fourie latest to join De Kock’s army for Summer Cup

When the final field for the Betway Summer Cup is announced at a function in Johannesburg on Monday night, on-fire jockey Richard Fourie will be revealed as the latest person to join Mike de Kock’s army for the R2.5m race.

De Kock has confirmed that Fourie will ride third favourite Aragosta, who the 36-year-old partnered to victory in last season’s SA Derby.

The news is likely to see Aragosta’s price of 7-1 to shorten for next Saturday’s race.

In an interview at Kenilworth, on-course presenter Fiona Ramsden suggested to Fourie that his many November winners suggested he is on fire. Fourie pooh-poohed this.

But Ramsden was right. If five winners in a meeting which Fourie achieved on the day of the Cape Fillies Championship isn’t on fire, it is hard to say what is.

Aragosta’s no show in the Victory Moon Stakes in finishing nine lengths behind Litigation has to be a concern for the four-year-old’s supporters. They are likely to point out the gelding’s good run when third behind Safe Passage in last season’s Daily News 2000.

A jockey who will be full of confidence before Saturday’s race is Muzi Yeni as he was in the saddle when Safe Passage won the Daily News. On his comeback run, the four-year-old finished a creditable third behind Bingwa in the Charity Mile.

Safe Passage is the 3-1 second favourite, behind stablemate Sparkling Water, who heads the market at 5-2.

De Kock’s other jockey booking for the cup is the engagement of Randall Simons to partner MK’s Pride. Bookies quote the former Paul Peter inmate as one of the long shots at 40-1.

Eye-catching

Another interesting aspect on Monday night is who will partner the three runners from Sean Tarry’s stable — Nebraas, Litigation and Pyromaniac. The former champion trainer has won four of the last five runnings of the cup.

Nebraas, a seven-time winner, looks the pick of the Tarry trio after his eye-catching fifth behind stablemate Litigation in the Victory Moon Stakes.

Jockey Diego de Gouveia was in the saddle on Nebraas for that race and will be hoping he gets the chance to ride the six-year-old once again.

No surprise if Tarry was hoping to get Fourie to ride Nebraas as he has ridden him five times this year resulting in three victories, including two feature races.

Philasande Mxoli is in the same position as De Gouveia; he was successful on 20-1 shot Litigation in the Victory Moon but the youngster has little big-race experience.

The next question is whether Perfect Witness will be in the line-up. Expeditioner, unplaced at Turffontein on Friday night, was the latest Candice Dawson runner to disappoint. The Randjesfontein trainer is going through a lean spell.