Candice Bass-Robinson’s Trip Of Fortune will be a starter in Saturday’s Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes.
The R1-million Gr1 race will be run over 1600m on the Standside track on the same card as the Grade 1 World Sports Betting SA Derby and the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks, both over 2450m.
Trip Of Fortune – can give the locals something to think about on Saturday (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Jack Milner writes that the four-year-old Trippi colt has won seven of his 15 starts, among them the Gr2 Green Point Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth in December last year. In that race he beat Universal by 1.50 lengths with Kommetdieding in third place.
While he did not run well in the Gr1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate in January, he did put in an excellent effort in the Gr2 Diadem Stakes over 1200m last month when finishing a 1.40-length third behind Bereave.
Speaking from Cape Town earlier this week, Bass-Robinson said she felt the Horse Chestnut Stakes would be “a nice type of race for him”.
“He will be going on to Durban after that where he’s going to run against Charles Dickens and the like, so it won’t be easy for him.
“It’s always a gamble coming up from Cape Town but he deserves to take his chances. He enjoys the trip, I think the course will suit him and I believe he’s good enough.”
The Bass family has had lots of success raiding Gauteng Gr1 races at this time of the year.
English Garden (Karl Neisius) wins the SA Classic
Mike Bass, won the SA Classic with English Garden and the Computaform Sprint with What A Winter. In addition, top filly Inara completed a rare Gr1 treble in 2016 in three different provinces, winning the Majorca Stakes in Cape Town, the Empress Club Stakes in Joburg and the Garden Province Stakes in Durban.
It is quite clear they know how to win top races on the Highveld.
Bass-Robinson confirmed Trip Of Fortune was still in Cape Town and left Wednesday for Turffontein.
“We have done that before, particularly with our sprinters. On other occasions we have raided from Durban. The key is for them to travel well.”
She also felt Trip Of Fortune would not be overly troubled by a wet course. “He’s fine in the soft, as long as it is not totally rain soaked. That could be a problem.”
Bass-Robinson also confirmed stable star Charles Dickens would leave for Durban for the winter season. “He’ll either go for the KZN Guineas or the Drill Hall Stakes and then into the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge.After that, we’ll look at our options. The Champion’s Cup would be one of those to consider.”
