Rainbow Bridge put up an impressive looking gallop on the Hollywoodbets Greyville polytrack this morning under national champion jockey elect Warren Kennedy.
Trainer Eric Sands said Kennedy would be given the pick of his two big guns, the half-brothers Rainbow Bridge and Golden Ducat, for the Vodacom Durban July.
Sands felt Rainbow Bridge’s companion today, the Brett Crawford-trained CTS 1600 winner Count Jack, had eased himself out of it when challenged by Rainbow Bridge at the top of the straight and added, “So we still have a bit of work to do.”
Visually Rainbow Bridge’s gallop looked outstanding as he pulled away from Count Jack effortlessly to win by many lengths.
The five-year-old Ideal World gelding had suffered a respiratory infection upon arrival at Summerveld this season but looked alert and happy in the parade ring today both before and after the gallop.
The Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge is to be run on June 28 and Rainbow Bridge will be looking to better his third place finish last season.
Some would wonder how a gallop on the polytrack would help him in his preparation as his big races will be on turf, but the intensity of a gallop on a racecourse coupled with the excitement of being on the float to the course and in the parade ring is able to bring a horse on a lot more than a gallop at home.
Sands’ Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 hopeful Driving Miss Daisy had worked earlier with the Crawford-trained Kelpie.
Sands said he had hoped they would have gone a bit harder than they did as Driving Miss Daisy had needed “trimming up.”
He will therefore have to give her two or three more fast workouts before that big race date, also on June 28.
Driving Miss Daisy was runner up in both the Grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes and looked to need it when finishing ninth in the Grade 2 WSB Fillies Guineas at Hollywoodbets Greyville recently.
Meanwhile, Grade 1 Cape Derby winner Golden Ducat is doing well ahead of the Grade 1 Daily News 2000, which will also be run on June 28.
By David Thiselton
