Brett Crawford will take it one step at a time with Nebula, who won Port Elizabeth’s biggest race, the Gr 3 Algoa Cup over 2000m at Fairview on Sunday under Richard Fourie.
The four-year-old Wilgerbosdrift Stud-bred Silvano gelding is owned by Hong Kong-based Edmond Siu.
Richard Fourie (Nkosi Hlope)
There is a possibility the gelding, who is a full brother to J&B Met winner Martial Eagle, might be exported to race on the South East Asian island one day and if he does he will likely be trained by South African ex-patriot Tony Millard, who signed for him at the 2014 BSA National Yearling Sales for a massive R3,75 million.
However, his immediate aims are likely to be races like the Gr 2 Premier Trophy and the Gr 2 Peninsula Handicap, both over 1800m at Kenilworth.
“We will take it from there,” said Crawford.
On Sunday he snuck into the handicap with the minimum weight of 52kg off only a 90 merit rating.
However, he won cosily, so it would be no surprise to see him make the further step-up necessary to win a Cape Summer Of Champions feature.
He started well on Sunday from a good draw and was handy throughout in a race run at a fair pace.
He was full of running throughout the straight and the first time the whip was used was at about the 50m mark.
Nebula (Nkosi Hlope)
He finished 0,75 lengths clear of a flying Justin Snaith-trained Captain Splendid, from whom he received 1,5kg.
Fourie said, “He won very comfortably, he has a nice stride on him and is a lovely horse who being by Silvano will get better with time.”
Fourie believes the gelding’s best trip at this stage would be 1800m, so regards him as one who would be “a big danger” in the Premier Trophy and/or the Peninsula Handicap.
Nebula was the first runner Crawford had ever had in the Algoa Cup.
The Algoa Cup trophy has now returned to Cape Town for seven years in succession.
By David Thiselton
