In A Rush - the P.E. Juvenile Champion
In A Rush has been the Eastern Cape’s pre-eminent two-year-old all season and completed a clean sweep of the three Port Elizabeth juvenile Features which are open to males when he won the Champion Juvenile Cup over 1400m at Fairview on Friday writes MATTHEW LIPS.
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In A Rush had already won the East Cape Nursery and Dahlia Plate at Listed level over 1200m and was one of three joint 5/2 favourites in a field of ten for the Champion Juvenile, a race which attracted two smart Cape Town raiders in Gr 3 Langerman winner Variety Club and Gr 3 Cape Nursery runner-up Amber Palace. This pair went off as the other 5/2 joint market leaders. Act Of Supremeacy was undefeated from two starts – one of them at the expense of In A Rush over 1400m – and was well supported to go off as a 28/10 chance. In A Rush was facing him on 3.5 kgs better terms for a 1.75 lengths beating, but Act Of Supremeacy was being partnered in the Champion Juvenile by Piere Strydom, who was riding on South African soil for the first time since returning from a spell in Hong Kong.
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In A Rush’s stable companion Starring Emma ensured that the pace was on from the start and set a good tempo clear of Lord Badger and In A Rush, with Variety Club and Irish Maid next in line. Amber Palace and Act Of Supremeacy were both held up well back in the field as Starring Emma continued to blaze a trail and were taken to the inside of the course for their runs once into the straight. Lord Badger and Variety Club were both very much in contention along with In A Rush as Starring Emma began to weaken, but eventually the race turned into a two-horse war as Lord Badger was unable to stay with the other pair inside the final furlong. In A Rush and Variety Club had a good old set-to, with some bumping and boring going on as they drove to the line together, but In A Rush was not for passing and was punched out by Anthony Delpech to prevail by a head.
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An objection followed on behalf of Variety Club, but this was overruled. This was probably the right decision, for while In A Rush did drift left towards his rival the interference seemed marginal at best and it would be hard to argue that Variety Club would have won the race otherwise. As narrow as the margin was, In A Rush did always just appear to have his rival’s measure and Variety Club could fairly be argued to have had every chance to go on and win the race.
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Lord Badger eventually finished third, 3.5 lengths behind the runner-up and a long ahead in front of Act Of Supremeacy, who was staying on but never really threatened. Amber Palace had finished almost two lengths ahead of Variety Club in the Cape Nursery and was widely expected to be even better over this 200m longer distance, but his effort was short lived and he finished a disappointing sixth, 5.40 lengths behind the winner.
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In A Rush is trained by Gavin Smith, who has an excellent recent record in this race, most notably with 2009 winner Bold Silvano. There is an awful lot of water to flow under the bridge before In A Rush can be considered to be anywhere near as good as that former stable companion. Variety Club brought good Cape form to the party, but he was beaten 1.75 lengths behind Gimmethegreenlight at level weights earlier in his career and In A Rush may be a couple of lengths shy of the best two-year-olds around. There is no disgrace in that whatsoever, and it fully entitles him to contest (and quite possibly win) decent races outside of Port Elizabeth next season. Nor does In A Rush lack physical scope, for he is a strapping colt with considerable substance, and there is no reason to believe he will be one of those smart two-year-olds who prove to have been at their best as juveniles.
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In A Rush is a colt by Windrush, a consistent sire whose R20 000 stud fee surely represents some of the best value-for-money breeders can buy. He is the sixth foal and third winner produced from Chief Warden mare Sweet Whisper, who won five races up to 2000m including the Listed Winter Oaks. Bred and still part-owned by Peter Choice, In A Rush was acquired for R85 000 at the 2010 Cape Summer Yearling Sale and has won five of his seven races for R361 850 in stakes.
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