Candice Bass-Robinson saddled her first Gr3 Cape Classic winner and brightened her summer season classic prospects, courtesy of the Trippi colt Trip Of Fortune who registered his fourth consecutive victory with an impressive showing in Saturday’s Kenilworth feature.
The family patriarch Mike Bass had a superb record in the race earlier this century, which included some big names like Captain’s Secret (2009) and earlier the Riverton flyer Blue Tiger, Floatyourboat and Tobe Or Nottobe, amongst others.
Candice looks to have a powerful arsenal this term looks set for a super summer.
A half-brother to the stable’s recent Diana Stakes third-placer Marmalisa (Duke Of Marmalade), Trip Of Fortune shed his maiden in open company at his second run, then won the Listed Somerset 1200, before opening his 3yo season account when beating 2021 Gr1 Cape Guineas winner Russian Rock.
Aldo Domeyer has Trip Of Fortune in front as Zapatillas (Luyolo Mxothwa) and Xavion (Anthony Andrews) chase hard (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
And he came in as the joint-highest rated galloper with Sophomore Sprint winner Zapatillas on Saturday, and the duo duly filled the first two places.
Safe Return made much of the early running, stalked by Zapatillas, Trip Of Fortune and the well-supported Universal.
Into the final stages Safe Return was hanging tough, but Luyolo Mxothwa produced Zapatillas (3-1) down the centre with what looked a potential winning effort.
Riding with surpreme confidence though, Aldo Domeyer had the situation under control and unleased Trip Of Fortune (3-1) to win by 0,40 lengths in a time of 87,96 secs.
Stablemate to the winner, Xavion (20-1) came from wide out to run an eyecacthing third just 0,30 lengths further back, with Double Superlative (8-1)finishing best of the Snaith trio to run fourth, 1,25 lengths adrift down the rail.
Another good day at the office for Candice Bass-Robinson (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The fancied recent maiden runaway winner Universal never looked comfortable and was under an animated ride by Anton Marcus some way out. The handsome son of Gimmethegreenlight ran 7 lengths off the winner and surely deserves another shout in this kind of company.
As on of Drakenstein’s evergreen End Sweep stallion Trippi, Trip Of Fortune is out of the versatile ten-time winning Doowaley mare, Louvre, who raced for Ashburton veteran, Duncan Howells.
South Africa’s Champion Sire in 2015-2016, Trippi has two lots on the upcoming CTS Ready To Run Sale.
The winner is bred and owned by Drakenstein, and is listed as a R750 000 National Yearling Sale graduate. He has won 4 races with 1 place from 5 starts for R222 700.
It has to be observed that it is sobering that a four-time winner, which includes two feature successes, boasts earnings of this amount.
The Concorde Cup at Kenilworth on 20 November looks to be a likely return match for a few of those who ran here.
