The Gr 2 Victory Moon Stakes, to be run over 1800m at Turffontein on Saturday, offers a final opportunity for the more marginal Summer Cup contenders to state their case for inclusion in that event. It's always a wide open affair and has thrown up its share of upset results. The 2014 edition also looks a bit of a minefield and, in the absence of any standout runner, it may pay to stick with trainer Mike Bass's Mountain Master.

Bass's decision to send a string to Gauteng this season has already paid dividends with the likes of Supreme Sunset and Midnight Run showing up well in graded company and although Mountain Master is taking a step up in class, he comes into the the race with a handy galloping weight, good draw and the services of Piere Strydom. Thrown in the fact that he finished a good second to the classy Master Sabina in a Pinnacle event over this course and distance last time out and it adds up to a number of boxes ticked. He cannot be a confident selection in a field such as this but he does have the virtue of consistency on his side and his backers should get an honest run for their money.

Trainer Sean Tarry may well hold the key to the race with his talented but troubled pair of Tiger's Retreat and The Hangman. Tiger's Retreat won this race last year but things went awry for him in the Summer Cup and he eventually spent ten months on the sidelines. He understandably failed to fire in his first run back, that being the Charity Mile a fortnight ago and it's anybody's guess how fit he will strip now and whether he can reproduce his best form. If he does, he would be a lively contender here - a sentiment which applies even more strongly to his stable companion.

The Hangman, a Gr 1 winner as a juvenile, went on to annex the Dingaans of his year and looked a massive classic contender before being cruelly struck down by injury. His form since returning from a lengthy layoff has been patchy and he was rested again in April this year. It's hard to know what to expect from him but there's little doubt that, at these weights, he should be the one to beat if he can recapture his best form.

Knock On Wood has come into his own over the past two seasons and acquitted himself well in a number of graded events in Gauteng. He shares top weight here and while he probably won't be at his very best with the Summer Cup still to come, he is one for the quartet.

Heart Of A Lion ran Louis The King close in the Sea Cottage Stakes over this trip, while conceding him 2kg and has an undeniable chance on that sot of form. He seems to have had some issues following that run, being rested for six months and is gradually working his way back to form. He ran a fair fourth behind his smart stablemate No Worries in the Spring Challenge last month and will have come on for that run, not to mention his preference for this longer trip. He has to go into all calculations.

Judicial showed some promise as a 3-year-old last season and won his last two starts. However, he has not been seen out since mid-July and his fitness has to be taken on trust. If he doesn't need the run, he could make his presence felt.

Rushmore River was well beaten into third in Master Sabina's Pinnacle win but he's been coming along nicely since returning from a lengthy break and should be cherry ripe now in his fourth start of the season. He was third to Louis The King and Heart Of A Lion in the Sea Cottage last season, so he's not short of form in his own right and could stake a claim here.

Santa Carolina has not quite lived up to her early promise but she carries bottom weight of 51.5kg and has the pedigree to make an impact here. She may be worth another chance and one can never ignore a Mike de Kock-trained runner in these big races.

Earl Of Derby was returning from a five month break when downfield in a Pinnacle event last time out and would have found the trip too sharp in any event. He was third in the SA Derby last year and cannot be ignored on that form.

St John Gray sends out a trio, of whom Yer-Maan should find the trip too sharp in this company while Everest needs to bounce back from a disappointing effort in Master Sabina's Pinnacle event and prove he can beat a field of this calibre.

Glorious Jet, on the other hand, is course and distance suited and has run well in defeat in a number of the top middle distance events in the province. He bounced back to form three runs back when scoring an upset handicap victory and comes into the race off a very creditable seventh in the Charity Mile, beaten just 3.50 lengths. He will find the opposition here more to his liking and and should be running at them late.

Killua Castle has ability and goes particularly well over this course and distance, having won the Jubilee Handicap here last season and gone within a whisker of winning the London News Stakes as well. However, he is difficult to catch right and may have his work cut out under joint top weight.

Jet Jamboree completes the line up and although the veteran has been rejuvenated since being tried on sand, his effort in the Charity Mile suggests he is no longer as effective on turf in this sort of class.

There are chances aplenty but Mountain Master gets the (tentative) nod ahead of Heart Of A Lion, Glorious Jet and Rushmore River. Fitness permitting, The Hangman and Knock On Wood would be big runners, while Earl Of Derby could be the one to boost the trifecta and quartet.