Fitness aids Mercantour

FORM: PETTIGREW RUNNER HAS HAD TWO RUNS ALREADY THIS SEASON

- Jack Milner

There are many reasons why one would tip a horse to win a race but this one could be the strangest of all. I am going with Mercantour to win Race 5 at Turffontein tomorrow, the Betway Pinnacle Stakes over 1600m on the Inside track, not because he is the best horse in the race but mainly because he is probably the fittest.

The first entries for the R6-million Betway Summer Cup were announced on Wednesday and 11 of the 13 runners in tomorrow's event have been entered to run in the Grade 1 race over 2000m on Saturday 30 November.

There are some top horses included in this Pinnacle Stakes, and some of them are going to be real contenders for the Summer Cup. The problem is many have been out of action for a few months and their fitness at this stage has to be questionable, especially with the Summer Cup still eight weeks away.

One has to give them a chance to shake off the cobwebs, so with that in mind, Mercantour could be the right runner. The five-year-old Var gelding has already had two runs this season and last time out, over 1450m on the Inside track, he finished a two-length second behind Unzen who went off as the 13-20 favourite.

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