S’manga Khumalo pushes Trip To Heaven to a smooth win (JC Photos)
Another favourite was to the fore early on Summer Cup day when the Sean Tarry-trained Trippi 3yo Trip To Heaven underlined his terrific promise when winning the R450 000 Gr2 Racing Merchants at his fourth outing.He also provided a party platform for SA champion jockey S’manga Khumalo who was celebrating his 29th birthday.
Trip To Heaven added impetus and confidence to the Harry’s Son Dingaans prospects as he had finished two lengths behind last season’s champion 2yo in the recent Graham Beck Stakes after showing nice toe.
Sean Tarry has a very strong string of younger horses
On Saturday he raced relaxed some three lengths behind down the middle in the 1160m dash as all the action was happening in the outside quartet with Golden Horse winner Normanz showing his customary blitz to show the way from Chekilli and Flyfirstclass.
Into the 300m Chekilli looked dangerous in his first run after 7 months and he put his head down.
But Khumalo was allowing nobody to spoil his party and he sent Trip To Heaven to chase the leaders.
With 200m to run, Trip To Heaven bounded clear and despite the desperate late attentions of the smartly improved One Man’s Dream under Piere Strydom, he went on convincingly to win by 1,50 lengths in a time of 66,12 secs.
It’s my birthday! S’manga Khumalo
One Man’s Dream had a bank of runners in front of him on the outside and was switched in to find galloping space. He has something decent in his trophy cabinet this season!
The son of Greys Inn ran a cracker ahead of another Tarry runner in Blazing Al, who was not disgraced in third with Chekilli showing up well throughout to grab fourth.
Trip To Heaven is a Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 graduate and was picked up by Chris Van Niekerk and Markus Jooste for R1,4 million.
Bred by Highands, he is by Drakenstein stallion Trippi out of the Cee’s Tizzy four-time winner Helleborous Blue – her other son The Hangman (Jallad) also ran here but was tailed off and looks to have not recovered from an injury sustained in his 3yo season.
Trip To Heaven has now won 2 from 4 starts with 2 places and R376 375 in stakes.
This looks like the start of plenty to come and he looks a very exciting 3yo prospect – he should stay on in time too, so there are plenty of options.
