One of South Africa’s top flight sprinters of recent years toyed with his six opponents to win the novelty R100 000 Easter Dash run over 600m at Scottsville on Sunday.
The unique speed contest is run annually at level weights and hats off to Vaal trainer Louis Goosen who had the initiative to bring the brilliant Trip Tease down to the coast for the first leg of his Computaform Sprint prep.
Trip Tease – loves winning
The first cheque of R62 500 is not to be snuffed at and more than covered the petrol money and other incidentals as the outstanding 5yo stretched his legs with a booming late effort to mow them down late under Gunter Wrogermann.
Trip Tease was having his first outing since his abortive Cape summer campaign which ended in him producing his only non-earning career effort in 22 starts when being taken out in running and finishing last behind Gulf Storm in the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship.
But the late addition of a set of blinkers and a composed ride by the underrated Wrogemann were the tonic required to get the Trippi gelding back on the winning track on Sunday.
He turned it on late after pacesetter Zinnavar started running on empty and Trip Tease had plenty in reserve to hold a late lunge by Piano Man to 0,75 lengths in a time of 33,72 secs.
The goodlooking 13-10 favourite Viva La Var showed pace but ran a poor race to finish second last of the six.
A boon for Kimberley racing fans was the news afterwards that Trip Tease will make an appearance in the Northern Cape on 11 April to wind up his Gr1 prep.
While the Easter Dash is not taken into account for handicapping and statistical purposes, it is worth recording that Trip Tease has now won 14 races with 7 places from 23 starts for stakes of R1 359 075.
He cost just R70 000 on the National Two Year Old Sale of his year and was bred by Zandvliet out of the twice winning Complete Warrior mare, Girlish.
What a horse to own!
