A somewhat unusual Pinnacle Stakes takes place in Race 8 at Turffontein on Saturday where one has a two-time Grade 1 winner taking on some talented younger improving horses and a few hard knockers.
But what makes this race different is that Argentinian-bred Puerto Manzano, winner of the Grade 1 Betway Summer Cup and the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge carries top weight of 62kg, one runner has 52kg on his back and the other six runners all have been allotted bottom weight of 50kg.
There is no doubt Puerto Manzano is the class act in this field and he is quite capable of conceding 10kg and 12kg to his opposition, but the levelling factor is the track. All of this Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained runner’s best wins have come on the Standside track which is more testing and has an 800m run in. That gives runners more time to get into stride and that has helped Puerto Manzano.
This Pinnacles Stakes over 2000m is run on the Inside track and that is quicker and has a much short home straight which does not always suit him.
Having said that, he does not have a bad record on the Inside track as he has run there five times for three wins, a third and a fourth place. But those wins came very early in his career when he was just far too good for the level of runners he was taking on and his last win on course came in October 2021.
In fact, his last run at this course was in September last year when finish third behind Forever Mine over 1450m.
He is, however, one of those horses who has got better with age and last season was his most successful.
His last run was in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, but Greyville has never been his course and it came as no surprised he finished downfield but was running well.
This is his comeback run for the Highveld Summer Season and no doubt the defence of his Summer Cup title is high up on his agenda.
He remains the runner to beat in this Pinnacle Stakes, but he could face a strong challenge from highly talented Trois Trois Quatre who has won his last three races. Interestingly he is trained by Mike de Kock and owned by the Hollywood Syndicate, whose nominee is former Anthony Delpech.
Delpech holds the South African record of the most winners in a season which is 334. He was born in the Seychelles and as French was his mother tongue, he could not speak English when arriving in South Africa. Hence the name Trois Trois Quatre, the French for 334.
The Rafeef gelding took a while to come to hand, but he has come to hand now and is highly rated by his stable. His last run was his first at this course and the four-year-old could not have been more impressive as he trotted in by 5.50 lengths.
He does take a huge jump in class and even with just 50kg on his back he is quite badly in at the weights. However, De Kock has no problem testing his runners in stronger company and it would come as no surprise to see this lightly raced gelding upside the more experienced runners.
JP van der Merwe has ridden him in all three of his wins, but he cannot make the weight and De Kock has given the ride to apprentice Malesela Katjedi.
Others to consider are Duke Of Sussex, who still must prove he will see out the distance, and best-weighted Flashy Apache.
Clive Robinson
