Andrew Harrison
IF anyone had tuned in to the Gold Circle Podcast last Thursday, they would have picked up that Duncan Howells had labelled yesterday’s Kings Cup as a race to win for Trip To Africa.
It all panned out well for Howells and rider Thabiso Gumede, always well supported by Howells, to get the young apprentice his first Back Type win.
Favourite Silver Operator was out of the back door early in the straight as Trip To Africa barrelled through up the centre of the Hollywoodbets Greyville straight to win rather comfortably.
A few days of heavy rain during the week had put the turf meeting under threat to a switch to the poly track, but all was good yesterday
Trip To Africa had a light weight but the manner of his win suggests that he does have a little more to come and the Drill Hall Stakes might be an ideal option.
Vaughan Marshall fired the first shot across the bows for South Africa’s Champion season, opening his account with Captain Of Stealth.
He may not be the best named horse in history – there is nothing stealth-like about the way he races. Captain Of Stealth stretches his rider’s arms from the jump, but in the polished hands of Anton Marcus, he kept firing to get the better of Cape Guineas winner Russian Rock in a much anticipated contest.
In spite of his tearaway tactics, Marcus was able to give his mount a breather coming up the hill and anticipating the challenge from Russian Rock, waited until the bait had been swallowed before kicking away to a smart win.
Of some concern to locals hoping for a glimmer in the Classics, it was four-year-old Ralph The Rascal that filled the shallow end of the purse.
“He always tries to get you off his back but in a race he’s a different horse” and ‘horse whisperer’ Mike Shaw, who has done work with the gelding, was on hand to lead Mystery Boy off to a well-earned shower after a facile win in the third.
Every horse has a history. It’s often tough on punters who wonder how a horse improves from one race to another, but they are not always privileged to what happens behind the scenes.
Mystery Boy is obviously a handful as Gareth van Zyl revealed post-race. “He’s got the blood and physically he’s a specimen too. He’s got what it takes. Bet he’s a handful and when he started, he got the better of us.”
“At his second start he turned it off, but we seemed to have found the ‘on’ switch, ” said van Zyl with fingers crossed.
Tony Nassif is ‘old school’ and one of the nicest people that you will ever meet. He is also one of the shrewdest trainers in the game. He does not have a big string, seven at his last count according to him, after Gypsy Magic put her opposition to the sword.
The filly had shown recent improvement and as Nassif explained post-race that she had had a few setbacks. Gypsy Magic cruised home in what had mapped out as a useful maiden field so she may well pay to follow.
