Mike Azzie and JP van der Merwe reigned supreme on the Vaal sand on Saturday when clinching a treble including the big one, the Gr 2 R1 million Supreme Cup over 1450m with the four-year-old Judpot gelding Deputy Jud.
Assistant trainer Adam Azzie confirmed afterwards that his father had deliberately kept Deputy Jud away from the Vaal sand with this race in mind after the horse had proved very much suited to the surface when comfortably winning his maiden here over 1600m last November. He added, “We didn’t want to make the same mistake we made with Pylon (who finished second in this race two years ago with a massive merit rating of 119).”
Deputy Jud’s work had also improved since being gelded after a busy three-year-old campaign, while his rating of 103 was also at one of the top of one of the merit-rated bands, which dictated the weights of the race.
The powerful galloper duly started joint second favourite at 6/1 along with Mootahadee and Ultimate Dollar. Toro Rosso was backed into 4/1 favourite, while Willow Magic drifted out to start at 7/1 together with Roman Carnival.
This was a deserved win for owners Adriaan and Rika van Vuuren, who are together one of the country’s biggest spenders at the sales.
The first to show in the race was the well drawn Ultimate Dollar. The favourite Toro Rosso had to be backed out and checked by the course veterinarian after playing up in the stalls, but that didn’t stop him shooting around into a handy position from his wide draw. Deputy Jud broke well and was perfectly poised behind the leading horses.
The pole position drawn Precursor didn’t jump very well and didn’t enjoy the kickback, while the Gr 3 August Stakes winner Roman Carnival, who stood to win a R100,000 bonus sponsored by World Sports Betting, had difficulty overcoming his wide draw and was in midfield together with the fancied Mootahadee and the best weighted horse, the filly Jade Vine. The speedsters Willow Magic and Isphan were left more than ten lengths out of their ground and just ahead of them was the gallant topweight Uncle Tommy.
Ultimate Dollar kicked on gamely in the straight. However, it was clear Deputy Jud was moving like a winner from a long way out and the connections had one hand on the cup when he hit the front at about the 300m mark. Uncle Tommy emerged from the pack to chase him home and finished 2,25 lengths back in second, his third successive top three finish in this race and second successive runner up spot. Ultimate Dollar plugged on to finished three lengths back in third ahead of Toro Rosso, whose early exertions were costly. Solar Triptych, who was handy throughout, took the fifth place cheque.
Deputy Jud was bred by Mr and Mrs J Erasmus and was purchased for R460,000 at the Bloodstock South Africa National Yearling Sales.
This was the last Supreme Cup, formerly known as the Emerald Cup, to be run on the soon to be done-away-with Vaal sand track.
Later in the Listed Hampton Handicap over 1000m the horse considered to be the meeting banker, Trip Tease, found 63,5kg just too much and had to settle for second. However, his Louis Goosen-trained stablemate Doing It For Dan showed he is capable of following in his footsteps with an amazing victory. He lost many lengths at the start, but still managed to power through for an easy 2,1 length victory under Anthony Delpech. The four-year-old gelding provided a third victory on the day for Windrush, whose progeny have always loved the Vaal sand.
In the next race the flying Dominic Zaki-trained four-year-old Judpot filly Little Genie won for the fourth time in succession over 1000m under Craig Zackey, beating home the gallant Brigtnumberfour with Twilight Tiger next best.
Earlier, the Listed Britehouse Supreme Fillies and Mares Stakes over 1450m was won by Azzie and Van der Merwe with the four-year-old Ideal World filly Peep Show, who confirmed she had come into her own, and comfortably repelled pole position drawn Run For Revelry with the favorite Walking On Air next best.
In the Non-Black Type Investec Sophomore Fillies 1000, the unbeaten Mike de Kock-trained Captain Al filly Perfumed Lady, who is a half-sister to the Gr 1 Royal Ascot King’s Stand Stakes third-placed Jallad filly Sweet Sanette, enjoyed her first outing on the sand and converted odds of 28/10 under Randall Simons.
Later, Corné Spies clinched a meeting double when the Var gelding Captainoftheworld took well to the sand and easily won the Non-Black Type SAP Sophomore 1000 under Gavin Lerena, despite having to give at least 2kg to the whole field bar one other horse.
The Non-Black Type Vaal River Handicap over 1800m, saw both De Kock and Delpech clinching respective feature race doubles as the Asiatic Boy filly Ahlaam defied a big weight of 60kg to win bravely from the front.
– David Thiselton
– Picture: Deputy Jud (Sporting Post)
