In A Rush storms clear to win the Gr2 Emerald Cup
I loved the story about Heavy Metal being an ‘accidental’ Silvano and then not only being a decent sale yearling, but going on to win the Durban July. As they say, in racing, as in life, it’s better to be lucky than good, and it seems that this year’s Emerald Cup winner has had more than a little luck on his side!
The story starts at Nutfield Stud, back in the 2009 breeding season, when the connections of Sweet Whisper were trying to choose a mating. Head groom Ricardo Visser all but begged for them to book Windrush. I had a similarly bred mare and as my dad worked at Nutfield, I heard the story and also booked my mare to the son of Seeking The Gold, so I followed Sweet Whisper with interest. She could be a tricky breeder, but the pregnancy went smoothly and on 1 October 2010 my dad rang to say she’d produced a colt. It had been a red bag birth, but fortunately Ricardo spotted the telltale signs and the team rallied to save the foal.
“We got there just in time, and sjoe, he’s a beaut! One of the best I’ve seen!” pronounced my dad. As I was eagerly awaiting my arrival, I offered my congratulations and said I hoped my foal might be similarly nice. “I wouldn’t get my hopes up too much,” came the reply, “this is something really special !” Horses have a way of connecting people and as racing folk are particularly generous when it comes to sharing their horses, I’ve been lucky enough to hitch my star to the big colt ever since.
Selling The Rush
In A Rush went under the hammer at the 2010 Cape Yearling Sale. Gavin remembers, “He was a big lanky baby, but I enjoyed what I saw at the sale and tried to envisage what he’d be like 6-8 months down the line. I got him for R85k, got some guys involved, Peter (Choice) kept a piece and off we went. I have a programme for my babies that’s stood me well over the years, but it not set in stone – they tell me when they’re ready to run.”
The multiple EC Champion trainer obviously has a keen eye. In A Rush ran 3rd on debut and then broke his maiden by 10 lengths second time out. He then racked up another juvenile plate victory, the Listed East Cape Nursery and the Dahlia Plate in the capable hands of Smanga Khumalo. A hefty impost of 62.5kgs saw him go down to Act of Supremeacy over 1400m in June, but he closed out his juvenile campaign in triumph, with a hard-fought win over Variety Club in the EC Champion Juvenile Cup and was voted EC Champion Juvenile Colt.
Not Much of a Rush
Shouldering top weights in his first two starts as a 3yo, In A Rush finished 4th in the RA Plate and listed RA Stakes before venturing down the coast for a tilt at the Cape Classics. Unfortunately his campaign was short-lived, thanks to a suspensory injury, gelding and wind op. He joined the Good Hope Racing team for their winter campaign and had his final 3yo outing on July day 2012, finishing 1.75 lengths off Depardieu in the eThekwini Sprint.
4yo Rush
After posting a win over 1600m at Scottsville, In A Rush signed his entries for the 2012 Emerald Cup. He got to the Vaal, and in fact all the way down to the start, before the heavens opened so violently that racing had to be abandoned. The team re-grouped and headed back to Cape Town where In A Rush finished 3rd in the Matchem, 5th in the Green Point Stakes and a shade under 5 lengths behind What A Winter in the Diadem. He accompanied Bravura for his Met gallop and then finished down the field in a Met day sprint. Back in KZN for the Durban season, he was a close second to Fourth Estate at Greyville and then disappointed in the Kings Cup at Clairwood after which he went back ‘home’ to Gavin Smith.
Emerald Rush
A change, they say, is as good as a holiday and In A Rush was back in winning form at Arlington in May. He posted 3 more places under welter weights at Fairview and then the Emerald Cup rolled round again. Gavin takes up the story, “He’s always been good on the sand and Johann and Hennie wanted to have another go at the Emerald Cup. Look, I’m keen for everything, but it’s a long way. Everything comes down to draw, but it’s tough as it’s draw after acceptance. We missed the first nom by a day, so supped him in.”
Then they needed a rider. The obvious choices were unavailable and it would be expensive to travel a rider from another centre. Gavin was pondering his dilemma when he received a call from Francois Heroldt. Fransie says “I was looking at scratchings the day the field went to print. It was a very competitive field and as most of the other jockeys were already engaged, I took a chance and said ‘Gavin, do you mind if I ride In A Rush for you?’ But I told him before the race – if you’re drawn badly, it’s not worth coming up. If he’s not used to the sand and you get a bad draw, it’s not fair to expect the horse to bustle and then still finish.“ Everyone waited with bated breath for the draw. Larry Wainstein secured pole position at the draw ceremony and another piece of the puzzle fell into place.
Transport Rush
Having secured a run, a draw and a jockey, the next challenge was transport. With school holidays, there were big shows on in Johannesburg and PE and the usual carriers were fully booked. Gavin continues, “Geez, we scrabbled for transport. I phoned 25 people and eventually found a 2 berth and towing vehicle, which then needed service. So then we found another box, but then they couldn’t do it. My daughter found Winston’s Transport on the internet, but he was full with people going to shows. Eventually Johann & his father were going to do it! Luckily Winston rang on Wednesday to say his trip had fallen through and if we could find some extra horses he’d do the trip. Rush’s usual groom Wellington had had a fall and new recruit Bongani was doing his horses.
He’s still new, but keen as hell, so was very chuffed to be doing the trip. But we had an hour and a half so it was all hands on deck. We all pulled together, found 3 extra horses, treated him for the trip, got his feed, groom etc all packed. When they left the yard, the girls and the grooms were all doing the Zulu dance to send him off!” Winston’s son drove through the night with his precious cargo and arrived at David Rahilly’s yard early on Thursday morning.
“The trip was a huge worry because how a horse travels and settles on the other side will affect how he performs. In A Rush is a funny chap. He’s not that easy and likes to do his own thing. He’ll go out and work so quietly that you worry there’s something wrong. Then on the way back, he’ll play around and fresh as though he’s never been out. Then you know he’s right. I have to say we got absolute 5 star treatment. The boy slotted straight in and went walking and trotting with David’s string, so he didn’t feel isolated and start stressing. He drank 2 buckets of water on Thursday night and had a walk out with David’s string on Friday and came home bucking and performing all the way. When he did that, Bongi rang to say ‘Now he’s right!’
Big Race Rush
Gavin arrived on Saturday morning and spent the day behind the scenes, checking his horse and how the track was running. Fransie had never sat on the horse, but the personable lightweight has been plying his trade for 24 years, 11 of which were spent abroad in centres like Singapore, Macau, Saudi, Dubai and Mauritius (where he was champion jockey in 2001). Now based in Joburg, he rides 6 days a week, covering Zimbabwe, Kimberley, PE and Joburg and he obviously knows the Vaal track very well.
“I bumped into Phil Georgiou on the way in. I was still in normal clothes and he asked whether I was injured. I explained that I only had one ride and it was from PE !! It’s tough out there at the moment. The other guys in the jockey room teased me saying ‘Oh you’re like those international jocks that only fly in for 1 ride!’ But when we won, they were all very chuffed for me, which was really nice.”
There was a lot of talk about it being Rush’s first sand outing. Fransie explains “A sand track is very different to grass and the Vaal is not ideal for horses that don’t act on sand. Often horses that act on Kimberley don’t like the Vaal. Look, he’s got a MR104 for a reason, he’s a decent sort. He won the Dahlia, beat Variety Club over 1400m, and ran 5 lengths off What A Winter, but all credit to Gavin for putting it on the line and traveling 1200km hoping he’d do well. Anton Marcus used to work him in Durban and gave me a lot of confidence. I thought we’d be up there, but wasn’t expecting to win, until the canter down. Then everything changed. He’s got this huge action and he went down like a dream.”
“Gavin’s only instruction was ‘don’t lose the draw.’ The way the racing ran on the weekend, you had to get out quick and stay in touch and the jump was crucial. We loaded early and then had to wait. I had to keep waking him up, tapping him on the shoulder and making sure he knew he had to be on his toes when the gate opened. That’s where the international experience helps. Riding in Mauritius for so many years, you anticipate the jump. As the starter breathed in, I was already behind my horse. Uncle Tommy came out sideways, but my horse came out quick and clean and got himself placed beautifully. I tried to save him the kickback as much as possible and kept him at the girth of Shattered Image.
“He really took to the sand, was travelling well and he came off the turn beautifully. At one stage I had to bring him back a bit and I was worried, because I didn’t want to break his stride, but he coped really well. Going through the 400m we were getting squeezed, I shook him up and he kicked on and grabbed our slot back and I realised I still had a lot of horse under me. Coming into the 1000m it’s hard to judge when to push the button, but I gave him a smack and he responded. That was the winning kick. Pylon tried to reel us in, but at those weights he just couldn’t. He’s the best sand horse in the country and it was a heck of a run – plus he’d been badly cut into – he must have run on pure adrenalin. But take nothing away, to gallop all the way for 1000m straight and still have a finish at the end, it takes a tough horse to do that. In A Rush deserved his run.”
Feeling the Rush
With a record attendance on Saturday, Fransie says the crowds were fantastic. “Michael Azzie was the first to congratulate me and that really meant a lot. I rode my first Gr1 for him just after I qualified back in 1995. I’ve got a few Gr1’s under the belt, the Daily News and I’ve won the three big ones in Zim, but stakes-wise, this is my biggest win. My phone has been ringing off the hook and I’ve had really positive feedback from everyone, so I really hope this will make an impact, but I’ve been doing this for 24 years and am a bit of a worker, so it’ll be straight back to work for me.”
Gavin was characteristically cool, calm and collected in the post race interview, but assures me that it had been a real rollercoaster. You go all that way and you’re hoping and praying and then when it all comes together, it’s just such a shock and a relief – I actually don’t think it’s hit me yet. And I can’t tell you what it means to the guys back home. All the staff and grooms were crowded into the office to watch the race. It was pandemonium when we won! This is our biggest Gr2 win so far and it’s a big boost for the yard. To win the biggest race on sand is huge for us and there will be a big braai for all the guys this weekend.”
The rest of the connections are still on cloud 9. “Believe in the trainer, believe in the jock, believe in the horse”, Johan Gerber posted on the ABC last week. “This horse just gives me so much confidence, man oh man. He has been so special to us.”
Rushing Ahead
In A Rush is due to travel back to PE on Wednesday and Gavin says they’ll give him a chance to freshen up and take it from there, but there are no firm plans as yet. And as for me, well, my Windrush may not have been covered in glory at the race track, but I’m still fairly confident we’ll find his niche. In the meantime, I keep finding my dad in front of his computer, watching the replays!
– Robyn Louw
