David Thiselton

The Eric Sands-trained Rainbow Bridge confirmed the form of last year’s Sun Met at Kenilworth yesterday when easily winning this year’s big 2000m Grade 1 weight for age event, which is now called the Cape Town Met, under Luke Ferraris.

Ferraris had thus won one of South Africa’s big three races in the same month he completed his apprenticeship, a rare feat indeed.  

Without last year’s winner One World in the contest Rainbow Bridge could afford to be eased and switched in the straight and still win by 1,50 lengths.

The Vodacom Durban July winner Belgarion proved no match for him at level weights.

Turning for home second last a dream gap opened for Belgarion in the straight and after hitting the front 150m from home Richard Fourie must have believed he was about to break his Met duck.

However, his heart must have sunk when he glanced across at the 80m mark and seen the low-flying Rainbow Bridge.

In fact, the six-year-old Ideal World gelding was treating the rest of the field like B division handicappers. He came into the straight in last place and then got stuck behind Golden Ducat and African Night Sky, who were not making any inroads. Ferraris faced a crisis because Do It Again was outside of this pair and still behind them. However, the youngster, as cool as a cucumber, eased Rainbow Bridge slightly before switching him outward. Do It Again helped his cause by moving forward to pass Golden Ducat.

However, by the time Rainbow Bridge had reached the outside he was already at the 300m mark and Belgarion was at this stage well clear of him and accelerating.

Had the bird already flown, because, after all, this was a weight for age Grade 1 and not a Wednesday afternoon B division handicap?  

Well, it was difficuIt to tell because the TV producer had decided to zoom in on Belgarion and the inside horses.

The countrywide supporters of Rainbow Bridge would not have known how he was faring from the 350m mark until appearing again in the picture at the 50m mark moving like an express train. He appeared to be doing it effortlessly too.

It is always easy to find the key to the win after the race.

In Rainbow Bridge’s previous two attempts at the course and distance he had won the 2019 Met and finished a narrow second in last year’s Met, beaten only by the top class One World and finishing 3,50 lengths clear of the rest of a field which had been  jam-packed with Grade 1 winners and champions.

Then in the Vodacom Durban July over 2200m he had completed the first 2000m in a time that was slightly faster than the legendary London News’ course record for 2000m set way back in 1996.

The only question mark really had been the trend of him coming out second in dogfights for the line. However, this is likely just a true form statistic as it would be hyper-critical to ever question this consistent horse’s courage or attitude.

Ferraris said afterwards he had dropped Rainbow Bridge out because of his tendency to over-race. He was anxious for a few moments after he had broken well but said once he had reined him in he had settled “like a lamb”. He spoke of the tremendous acceleration the powerfully built bay had displayed after being given his head.

Sands had once again delivered a top horse in peak condition for a big race and his reputation as a master conditioner was confirmed.

Owner Mike Rattray will have real hope of an elusive Vodacom Durban July victory now as it is likely that it was just the too handy tactics in a blisteringly fast run race that had cost Rainbow Bridge last year.    

The dam of the Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Stud-bred gelding, Halfway To Heaven, is on track for an unprecedented third successive Equus champion broodmare award.  

Sovereign Spirit, who started 100-1, had shown before his capability of running on strongly when held up near the back. However, the pace of lesser races was usually against him. Running against top horses in a small field suited him down to the ground and he ran on into a meritorious four length third despite 100/1 odds. He finished amidst three horses rated 130 or more so his merit rating of 106 is going to take a knock.

Do It Again stayed on for a five length fourth, as opposed to his seven length ninth last year. He is clearly not the same horse he was in his 2018/2019 Equus Horse Of The Year season.

The only three-year-old in the race Princess Calla stayed on for a 5,40 length fifth.

Golden Ducat was a disappointing 5,80 length sixth. In retrospect he would have been better going forward from his draw of two instead of being held up because in a race run in a time 1.03 seconds slower than last year he began over-racing a touch early and he was unable to accelerate effectively in the straight.

The other disappointment was Queen Supreme, who had traveled all the way back to Johannesburg after her impressive Cartier Paddock Stakes victory. She had to be used to a certain extent to overcome her wide draw and get into a handy position. However, she was never traveling well and finished second last, beaten 11,30 lengths.