GEOFF Woodruff maintained his extraordinary stranglehold on the Sansui Summer Cup when last year’s winner Master Sabina somehow managed to thread his way through the equine equivalent of the eye of a needle at Turffontein last Saturday to become the first dual winner for 25 years.

The Summer Cup is one of the most competitive handicaps of the year - rated scarcely more difficult than the Durban July by trainers - yet Woodruff has now won it four years on the trot and six times in all.

Master Sabina, a seven-year-old by multiple champion sire Jet Master and out of a mare by the Vincent O’Brien-trained Gallinule winner Sportsworld, found his path blocked well inside the last 100 metres by his own stable companion Master Switch and July winner The Conglomerate.

But Gavin Lerena pointed him at a scarcely discernible gap and the gelding thrust his way through to score by just over a length.

“The race didn’t really go for me and the gap closed on him,” Lerena reported.

“He can be quite a difficult bugger but he stuck his head through it. This is my third Summer Cup and to do it twice on him is the cherry on the top.”

“I never expected this and history was against Master Sabina,” Woodruff added. “He nearly got cleaned up by one of my other runners (the trainer ran four) but he has the heart of a lion and he showed that here.”

Brugman breaks quarantine barriers

UP to 15 of the country’s best horses will be flown to New York next year to race there and, hopefully, break the quarantine barriers that have effectively isolated South Africa as a racing nation.

The plan is the brainchild of Derek Brugman, racing manager for perennial leading owner Markus Jooste who is fast expanding into Europe with horses at Ballydoyle, in England, France and Germany.

Those booked to travel include The Conglomerate, Legal Eagle, Marinaresco and Silver Mountain. “The horses will do whatever South African quarantine is required, probably a fortnight for the various injections and vaccinations to be done,” said Brugman.

“They will fly to New York at the end of February or the beginning of March and do a 60-day lockdown in the quarantine station there.”

Previously the likes of Mike de Kock have preferred to go to Dubai and Europe via a lengthy spell in Mauritius as the American lockdown has meant just what it says - and no exercise.

But Brugman has secured permission for next year’s consignment to have daily use of a treadmill. They will then go to various American trainers to race on turf.

Brugman, a former bookmaker and stockbroker, is already looking ahead to the time when American buyers, impressed with racecourse results, realise how cheaply South African horses can be bought.

“We need to get trading with the US as well as compete there,” he said.

“That trade will be phenomenal as well as of the utmost importance to the entire South African bloodstock industry.”

Champions clash

LEGAL Eagle, officially the best horse in the country, clashes with last season’s Triple Crown winner Abashiri in the Green Point Stakes on the same Kenilworth card. Champions Cup winner Marinaresco and fellow Group 1 winner Captain America are also in the line-up for this mile Group 2.

Guineas favourite

TABLE Bay, an Australian son of Redoute’s Choice and owned by Markus Jooste, is expected to start favourite for the Cape Guineas a fortnight today despite a puzzling performance in last month’s Selangor Cup.

He won the previous month’s Cape Classic like a champion but in the Selangor he was in trouble quite some way out and managed only third behind 28/1 supposed no-hoper Gold Standard. He was afterwards reported “absolutely fine” by Joey Ramsden, who has a theory that several horses, Table Bay included, simply raced too fast. “Disappointed yes but bothered? No,” he added.

Foxy odds

QUERARI Falcon, trained by Mike Azzie in Johannesburg and ridden by Anthony Delpech, is favourite for today’s World Sports Betting Fillies Guineas. But the lightly-raced Australian-bred Quick Brown Fox has been heavily backed after easily winning both her starts.

Frankel filly

TWO-year-old Miss Frankel, the only offspring of the legendary star in South Africa, is pleasing Dennis Drier in her work and is due to make her debut next month.