Candice Bass-Robinson’s Trip Of Fortune became the first Cape raider since Captain America in 2015 to win the R1 million HF Oppenheimer Gr1 Horse Chestnut Stakes when the 2022 Gr2 Green Point Stakes winner showed a good turn of foot off a modest pace to score a big win for the Milnerton team.
Prior to Trip Of Fortune’s emphatic win on a sunny Saturday in the Highveld feature, we have to go back to Captain America (2015) and then Dean Kannemeyer’s Free My Heart in 2002 to find the 21st century winners who braved the long road from the fairest Cape.
Aldo Domeyer steers Trip Of Fortune to a Gr1 victory (Pic – JC Photos)
It’s a brave decision whichever way we spin it and Candice Bass-Robinson confirmed that Kevin Sommerville and the Drakenstein team didn’t hesitate when the suggestion was made to take the long round through Gauteng, and then head off to the SA Champions Season on the East Coast.
After being slow away, Aldo Domeyer rode Trip Of Fortune with confidence as he loped along with only the 3yo Anfields Rocket behind him.
Ryan Munger rode a forward race on Koos Nkale’s Willow Magic entire MK’S Pride, who ran a courageous race as he plugged on all the way up the straight.
Domeyer worked Trip Of Fortune through his field, and inside the 200m his body language told the whole story.
Starting at a rather generous 17-2, Trip Of Fortune hit the front and held off MK’S Pride (40-1) to win by 1,25 lengths in a time of 97,74 secs.
SA Classic winner Anfields Rocket moved up the outside in contract to his last win down the rails, and stayed on impressively for third a further 1,10 lengths back.
Sean Tarry’s hardknocking filly Under Your Spell (33-10) was not disgraced in fourth.
A son of End Sweep stallion Trippi, Trip Of Fortune is out of the versatile ten-time winning Doowaley mare, Louvre. He is bred and owned by Drakenstein, and is registered as a R750 000 National Yearling Sale graduate.
Trip Of Fortune has now won 8 races with 4 places from 16 starts for stakes of R1 550 250.
Watch the replay here:
