Donovan Dillon drives Rio Carnival clear to an easy win in the Kings Cup
Owners Ingrid and Markus Jooste celebrated a rare global hat trick of winners in the space of under a half hour on Saturday. After Variety Club won the Godolphin Mile at Meydan and Orator’s Daughter the Jacaranda Handicap at Turffontein, it was hardly surprising to see Rio Carnival score an emphatic victory in the R200 000 Robert & Robin Muir Gr3 Kings Cup at Clairwood.
Horseracing in KZN rallied behind the excellent cause of the Save The Rhino campaign and the Clairwood afternoon was dedicated to raising monies to secure the future of the endangered animal.
The feature saw ten runners go to post after the scratching of Umbrella Thorn and Rio Carnival was easy to back at 7 to 1.
He had won the Marula Sprint in January after a lengthy layoff and while an obviously problematic fellow, he sure can put it together when on song.
After settling some lengths off, apprentice Donovan Dillon produced him 400m out and he drew off to win by 3,25 lengths in a time of 96,22 secs. He beat Cape challenger Tribal Dance, while the favourite One Cool Dude ran a modest third.
Rio Carnival was bred in Australia by Mr D E Zappelli from the Mr Prospector stallion Hussonet. The winner is out of the twice winning and stakes placed Snippets mare, Hot Beat.
Hussonet stands at Cornerstone Stud, formerly the Lindsay Park Stud.
Rio Carnival has now won 6 races with 4 places from 15 starts for stakes of R485 840.
The days riding honours went to Sean Cormack and promising apprentice Jose Barnes, who rode two winners apiece.
Cormack also generously donated R5 000 to the Save The Rhino cause in a most magnanimous gesture for a jockey.
Alec Forbes had a less productive day.
He rode Berthe to win the fifth race for Alastair Gordon, but then lost the race in the boardroom after a clerk of scales objection.
Seems the luckless Forbes forgot to wear his body protector.
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Gr3 Kings Cup (SAf-Gr3) Clairwood, South Africa, March 29, R200k, 1600m, turf, good, 1.36.22 1–RIO CARNIVAL (AUS), 57.0, b g 5, Hussonet (USA) – Hot Beat (AUS) by Snippets (AUS). Owner Mrs I Jooste & Mr M J Jooste; breeder bred in Australia; trainer CS Laird; jockey D Dillon 2–Tribal Dance (SAF), 59.5, b g 5, Tiger Dance (USA) – Navajo Angel (AUS) by Vettori (IRE) 3–One Cool Dude (SAF), 56.5, b c 4, Strike Smartly (CAN) – Misty River (SAF) by Western Winter (USA) Margins: 3¼, nk, nose
