Trip To Heaven fairly romped away with the Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday but the good news for those left trailing almost four lengths and more in his wake is that he is far from certain to return for the Betting World Cape Flying Championship on Saturday week.
The 3-1 joint favourite has an alarming tendency to lose lengths at the start but S’Manga Khumalo made light of this and bided his time until inside the final furlong. His mount promptly put daylight between himself and the rest despite not even being shown the whip.
Trip to Heaven (JC Photographics)
Khumalo said: “The plan was to ride him as confidently as possible, all went well and the gaps opened when I wanted them.”
Sean Tarry, calculating that this was his 100th winner of the season, added: “From day one Trip To Heaven has shown us blistering talent and speed but unfortunately he has issues. I don’t want to detract from the horse by going into them. We’ll see about running in the Cape Flying – it’s not definite.”
Second-placed Tevez had the heavily backed Search Party a short head back third with Red Ray (3-1), racing for the first time for six months, less than half a length away fourth. All are due to renew rivalry in the Cape Flying.
Red Ray’s trainer Joey Ramsden said: “For me it was perhaps a little disappointing but Anton Marcus (“I thought it was a grand run”) was happy and he is the man that counts. He felt he could have been second had he sat closer.”
Lord Balmoral took the Fairview Wines Sophomore Sprint in the manner of a horse that could go close in next year’s Cape Flying when completing a treble for Vaughan Marshall with the Milnerton trainer declaring: “He is a serious horse with massive cruising speed and I think he breaks the others’ hearts.”
Rider MJ Byleveld even rued the absence of Grade 1 winner Cloth Of Cloud (she waits for Met day), saying: “I would love to have taken her on with this one.”
Marcus followed up Friday evening’s Greyville treble with two more winners including the Power King Maiden for Eric Sands who was so confident that he texted the four-time champion to book him for Choir Of Angels the day the entries came out.
Geese tend to become swans when they win – at least in the eyes of those closest to them – but nobody had a good word to say about the apparently inappropriately-named Saint Janine after she came home at 4-1 in the Solid Speed Maiden.
“She’s a real cow,” declared Derek Brugman and he was polite compared with members of the Candice Bass-Robinson team. Seemingly the little madam has a mind of her own and leaves the farriers in no doubt that she won’t have shoes on her hind feet. She takes a similarly violent view about tongue ties and injections. Only assistant trainer Mel Arnold can get near her.
Bold Respect showed his rivals a more conventional pair of heels under Corne Orffer to collect R50 000 for Delma Sherrell in opening Cape Speed Maiden and on Saturday week the Brett Crawford-trained colt will compete for R1 million in the Kuda Sprint.
By Michael Clower
