Tony Peter has the ammunition to dominate Sunday’s 10-race TAB Turffontein Standside programme, with the in-form trainer strongly represented across the card and potentially poised to land a feature-race double among four possible winners for his stable.
Three features headline the meeting, including the Grade 3 Victory Moon Stakes, a significant 1800m trial for the Grade 1 Betway Summer Cup on 28 November. For several contenders, this could represent their final opportunity to secure a place in the R6-million showpiece.
The supporting attractions are two Listed contests for fillies and mares, the National Colour Stakes and Summer Pudding Handicap, named in honour of former champions of South African racing. However, Main Defender, Peter’s principal hope in the Victory Moon Stakes (Race 7), is not a Summer Cup candidate and could have been specifically targeted at this Grade 3 prize. Runner-up in the 2024 renewal, the six-year-old has a strong chance of going one better this time under reigning Champion Jockey Craig Zackey.
The son of Pathfork endured a wide draw in gate No 11 of 13 when finishing eighth behind Gladiatorian in last month’s Grade 2 Joburg Spring Challenge. That was his first outing following a 10-week break after finishing third in the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m at the end of last season. He should strip considerably fitter for that comeback outing and need only reproduce something approaching his Champions Cup performance to end a 589-day winless drought and register an 11th career victory. He is a compelling betting proposition.
Earlier, stablemate Taxi To The Moon, last season’s Grade 2 Golden Horse Sprint winner, is weighted to make a successful return in Race 4 over 1160m and looks poised to provide Peter and Richard Fourie with the first leg of a possible race-to-race double.
A nine-time winner from 24 starts, the accomplished speedster won his only previous engagement with Fourie aboard over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Greyville. Although his record suggests that the shorter trip is his optimum, he is a two-time winner over TAB Turffontein’s 1160m so if ready to fire after a 15-week absence, he will be hard to hold out.
Fourie partners Peter-trained Precocious in the National Colour Stakes (Race 5), where the daughter of Ideal World looks particularly hard to oppose over 1000m.
She has thrived since joining the Highveld stable, winning five of eight starts for Peter, including both previous course-and-distance appearances. While Fourie takes the reins on the four-year-old filly for the first time, her natural early speed should make his task relatively straightforward. She has the gate speed to secure a favourable position before unleashing a potent turn of foot, demonstrated last time when conceding weight and giving a beating to male opposition over 1200m. The drop back to 1000m holds no fears, and with a top-class jockey in the irons, she has the credentials to add another feature success to Peter’s growing tally.
The Summer Pudding Handicap (Race 6), over 1600m, presents a different challenge, with progressive Reece’s Wish looking capable of extending the winning sequence for the in-form Candice and Tammy Dawson stable. The lightly raced daughter of Vercingetorix took time to find her feet but is now making rapid progress through the ranks, having won both starts this season. She passed her stiffest test last time, stepping up in class off a career-high mark to demolish male opposition over 1600m on the Inside track.
A six-point penalty for that emphatic success is unlikely to halt her momentum, even in Listed company. Ideally drawn in gate No 1 and reunited with this season’s leading jockey, Keagan de Melo, she looks well equipped to handle the challenge after a 12-week break.
Peter could yet have the final say in the closing stages, with Blizzard Snow among five stable representatives capable of completing a memorable afternoon for the yard in Race 10 over 1160m.
Clive Robinson
