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What a month November is is going to be with the headline action kicking off at Turffontein on Saturday with the running of the R600,000 Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile.
The Charity Mile will be followed on November 11 and 13 by the International Jockeys' Challenge between South Africa and Europe and the R2 million Sansui Summer Cup will bring the month to a climax on November 26.
The Charity Mile has grown into a mega raceday since its introduction in 2003 with 12 races and four other feature races includoing the R2 million Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup, an event that offers a huge payday for graduates of Summerhill Stud's annual Ready To Run Sale.
Champion trainer Mike de Kock is going all out to win the Charity Mile and with five of the 16 runners in Rudra, Kavanagh, Welwitschia, Empenoso Henn and 2010 Summer Cup winner Flirtation.
Champion jockey Anton Marcus has the ride on British-bred filly Welwitschia while stable rider Anthony Delpech is sticking with Kavanagh.
Kavanagh seems to do best when saved for a late effort and Delpech gave the flashy colt a perfect ride when he won first-up over 1400m at Turffontein.
UK-bred Welwitschia, six months younger than South African-bred four-year-olds, is catching up fast and recently beat Dancewiththedevil at level weights in good style in a 1450m race on the Turffontein inside track.
Welwitchia is njow 5kg better off but Dancewiththedevil will be a much tougher opponent on the standside track and it's worth noting that she crushed De Kock filly by four lengths over this 1600m course in the Empress Club Stakes in April .
Several others have strong chances, notably Vodacom Durban July runner-up Pierre Jourdan, who did well to win his first start of the season in September.
Kavanagh was one of the boom horses of last season but mostly failed to deliver on his promise but Delpech feels he has now turned the corner now that he no longer races in blinkers.
“He is doing well and in that last race he was very laid back and relaxed. His attitude was so right,” Delpech reported.
• DANCEWITHTHEDEVIL and The Apache have been allocated top weight of 60kg for the R2 million Sansui Summer Cup over 2000m on November 26.
At the second entry stage two runners were added to the list while two were withdrawn.
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer has entered In Writing while Mike Azzie has supplemented G3 Yellowwood Handicap winner Queen's Bay.
Trainer Joey Soma has withdrawn Presidents Champion Challenge winner Happy Landing and Foreign Reserve from the Summer Cup.
Pierre Jourdan, runner-up to Igugu in the Vodacom Durban July, will carry 59.5kg while the Mike de Kock pair of Ilsanpietro and 2008 champion Rudra have 58kg.
