Champion jockey S’Manga Khumalo picked up his fourth win on the card when he rode the well backed Fortissima (Fort Wood) to land the final feature on Saturday’s Sansui Summer Cup card –the Gr3 Racing Association Handicap over the marathon trip of 3200m.

Backed all the way down from 11-1 into 6-1 favouritism, Fortissima did well to overcome a slow pace and win going away, demolishing a field which included last season’s Equus Champion Stayer Enaad (High Chaparral) –among others.
Trained by Joey Soma, Fortissima had just 52kgs on her back and received another peach of a ride from “Bling” Khumalo.

The Elmo Effect (Admire Main) did well to overcome a wide draw, with the recent Listed Java Handicap winner going on to make much of the running, from Yer-Maan (Jam Alley) and Kingmambo’s Legacy (Ideal World). Stebbins (Western Winter) was prominent early on but quickly retreated out of contention, while, in contrast, both Coby (A P Arrow) and Zafira (Silvano) steadily built up into contention.

With 400m left to run, Coby and Zafira both made promising looking runs, while the eventual winner began to build up steam down the outside, with Storm Warning (Jet Master) running on strongly from well off the pace.

Fortissima, however, ran on too well for her rivals and went on hand Storm Warning a 4.6 length thrashing with Zafira and Coby filling the minor berths. Females thus ran 1-3-4 in the 2016 Racing Association Handicap, perhaps underlining the weakness of the staying division.

Bred by Klawervlei Stud (also a part-owner), Fortissima is owned by Mark Currie, Racing Association’s Larry Weinstein, trainer Joey Soma and Mr and Mrs Paton.

A daughter of the now deceased sire Fort Wood, Fortissima is out of the Al Mufti mare Synchronize.