Trip Tease – fast and classy
There is little question that sprinting is the Greys Inn gelding Chekilli’s top game. Alec Laird’s 4yo returned from a six month break to run a very decent race in the Gr2 Joburg Merchants on Summer Cup day. He could prove the joker in the pack when he takes on two talented sons of Trippi in the R250 000 Gr3 Lebelo Sprint at Turffontein today.
The Rosedene Stud-bred Chekilli won his first four sprint starts on the trot as a 3yo and made an impression on many pundits as a likely very decent sprinting prospect for the future.
Classic Test
Greys Inn colt Chekilli will strip fitter
Nobody can blame trainer Alec Laird for stretching him into potential classic waters to assess his feature prospects and while he ran a cracking second behind Whiteline Fever in the Gr2 Hawaii Stakes run over 1400m, he didn’t appear to quite stay a mile.
He was rested after changing legs and producing no sort of run when miles behind Normanz in the Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint.
The next time we saw him was in the Joburg Merchants and there he showed super pace before naturally getting a trifle tired and being beaten 2,75 lengths behind Trip To Heaven.
He enjoys a 4kgs swing here with the Tarry speedster. Will it be enough to turn the tables?
Heaven Sent
AHS movement restrictions led to the withdrawal of the smart Trip To Heaven from last Saturday’s Gr2 Diadem Stakes down at Kenilworth in the Cape and have effectively forced trainer Sean Tarry to let his charge take his chances for considerably less cash and status in this race.
But being a handicap, it will be no doddle for the talented youngster.
Trip To Heaven has won two of his four starts and won the Joburg Merchants carrying only 52kgs. The handicapper penalised him and he needs to prove he is equal to the test.
The fact that his trainer believed him good enough to take on the Cape speedsters in their own backyard at weight-for-age must count for plenty.
Real Tease
Louis Goosen – has done a great job with Trip Tease
The second of the three Trippi progeny in this contest is Louis Goosen’s topweight, Trip Tease.
The 4yo is a versatile and class sprinter on both surfaces and the interpretation of a line through the ill-fated Blazing Al may provide a clue to his chances of toppling his younger adversary.
Blazing Al ran a 2,25 lengths level weights third behind Trip To Heaven in the Merchants, while Trip Tease gave him 8kgs and a length beating earlier.
Mike De Kock’s Tiger Territory only beat Blazing Al a short head at level weights at his third last start
The outcome of those three Blazing Al collateral performances possibly suggests that Trip Tease may be the horse to be with.
But Tiger Territory is improving and comes in with a galloping 52kgs.
Visitors
Paul Lafferty travels to Gauteng
Pat Lunn and Paul Lafferty form the two-pronged KZN attack.
Lunn’s Mr Whatever looks the more serious threat of the duo, although the weight turnaround of their last meeting may suggest otherwise.
The son of Mogok is actually 2kgs worse off with Garibondy whom he beat just under a length at their last start.
Mr Whatever ran a close up fourth in this race last year in a blanket finish behind Jade Bay and is a hardknocking well-travelled sort.
He disappointed over the course and distance in the Computaform Sprint but may be better in handicap company.
Garibondy is a talented and speedy daughter of Var, who has won five of her eleven starts. She only had four starts in 2014, which suggests she has her issues.
Serious Filly
The second of the fairer sex pair is Johan Janse Van Vuuren’s Winter Star.
The former Ready To Run Cup victress has mostly been campaigned against her own sex and is seldom far off the action.
At her penultimate run on Summer Cup day, she gave the unbeaten Lazer Star 5kgs and was a gallant second, only 3,25 lengths in arrears.
Uninspiring
Emerald champ Tommy Gun is out of favour
Emerald Cup winner Tommy Gun appears to have his soundness issues.
He was changing legs when finishing 29 lengths behind Bezanova in the Charity Mile and was then found to be lame on the near fore when running 16 lengths behind Trip To Heaven in the Gr2 Joburg Merchants.
That sort of form does not inspire confidence although he has a nice weight turnaround in his favour.
One Cool Cat is held by Tiger Territory on his last two turf starts and is another who was changing legs at his last jump.
Roy Magner’s Greasepaint is a model of consistency but comes in here under sufferance and is another who appears held by Tiger Territory.
Tripping Up
This race should get punters off to a flying start in more ways than one to 2015.
Trip Tease and Trip To Heaven are selected to fight it out, with Chekilli a real danger if not impeded by the second run after a rest bogey.
Tiger Territory and Mr Whatever could fight over the place money scraps.
