Laird and Ferrie step back from the Summer Cup

BOTH Alec Laird and Stuart Ferrie have decided to avoid the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup with their crack horses Fire Attack and Gladatorian respectively and will take on the best in Cape Town.

- DAVID THISELTON

Laird

Laird said about the Gr 1 Premier's Champions Challenge winner Fire Attack, "Off his 126 rating we just think he must go for the weight for age races at this stage. In the Summer Cup there is only a 6kg spread from top to bottom, but I think it will just take it out of him.

He will run his guts out carrying topweight over 2000m at Turffontein. So we are going to have to take on the best horses in the country and will have to take on two of the best (Eight On Eighteen and The Real Prince) in their hometown.

It makes it a bit tougher that it's in their hometown, but we will go for glory. If we run second or third it will be a good run and there will be no skin off our noses."

Fire Attack faced some of the best in his last start when finishing a running on 2,35 length fourth behind Gladatorian, The Real Prince and See It Again in the Gr 1 HKJC Champions Cup over 1800m.

However, the race did not pan out too well for him.

He had to be dropped out to last in the seven horse field and there was some time wasted before he could be committed.