Dave The King could end De Kock’s Summer Cup drought

It’s hard to believe top trainer, Mike de Kock, hasn’t won a Summer Cup for 13 years. His last win was the outsider, Flirtation, in 2010 and the mare's victory didn’t have punters doing handstands.

The first nominations for this year’s Summer Cup — sponsored by Betway and scheduled for Turffontein on November 25 — have been announced and De Kock has seven of the 40 entries.

His septet includes four-year-old, Dave The King, and this could be the horse to end De Kock’s drought. To their credit World Sports Betting have quickly priced up on the race and the price of 8-1 looks fair considering the horse’s great run behind Princess Calla in the Champions Cup at the end of July.

To finish just 1.35 lengths behind the horse of the year was a top effort and Dave The King also didn’t run badly in the Durban July finishing five lengths behind Winchester Mansion.

Keagan De Melo — now riding in Hong Kong — partnered Dave The King in the Champions Cup so a new jockey will be required.

If I was Richard Fourie’s agent, I’d quickly be on the phone to SA’s best-known trainer saying my man is available.

It’s hard to fathom why Dave The King’s stablemate, Safe Passage, is at shorter odds (6-1) in the early market. The five-year-old finished five lengths behind Princess Calla in the Champions Cup and seven lengths behind Winchester Mansion in the July when ridden by Christophe Soumillon.

Admittedly, Safe Passage had a bad draw in the July, but the fact remains the gelding has failed to win in his last eight starts.

This brings us to the early favourite, Winchester Mansion, with the Durban July hero heading the betting at 5-1. Altitude won’t be a problem as he’s presumably being prepared by Brett Crawford’s son, James, at their satellite yard at Randjesfontein.

It has been a quiet start to the new season for Winchester Mansion’s July pilot, Kabelo Matsunyane, but he is sure to be dreaming of another big payday in November.

Sean Tarry has a fine record in the Summer Cup and his talented filly, Bless My Stars, is quoted at the same price as Safe Passage (13-2) in early betting. She ended last season on a high note winning the Gold Bracelet at Greyville.

Tarry has also nominated Cousin Casey, who is now in his care after joining his stable from Glen Kotzen. After a fifth place in the Cape Met, the colt failed to win in four starts during the KwaZlu-Natal season.

However, Cousin Casey did finish two lengths behind See It Again in the Daily News 2000 and that is the distance of the Summer Cup.

Cousin Casey is one of five entries from Tarry’s stable and the colt is a grade 1 winner as are Anfield’s Rocket, Bless My Stars, Aragosta and Son Of Raj.

Puerto Manzano has proved a money-spinner for his connections and will be back to defend his title at Turffontein. The Argentinian import had no more chance of winning the July than Tonga winning the Rugby World Cup so to finish six lengths behind Winchester Mansion was not a bad performance.