Brian Wiid has been training horses since 1974 and has had some good ones – names like Knife Edge and Cardinal Fury come to mind. While it is early days yet, the Turffontein-based conditioner could have another decent sort on his hands in Bankable Teddy, who ran right away from his eight opponents to win the R150 000 Listed Derby Trial at Turffontein on Easter Saturday.
Bankable Teddy and Chase Maujean are well clear (Pic – JC Photos)
We naturally have to question the depth of the field and the fact that the Wiid colt was receiving 7,5kgs from topweighted Jubilee Line – and that there were no big names in the line-up.
But the manner of Bankable Teddy’s win was impressive enough to suggest that there is much more to come – and after he and Count Tassilo came together at the 400m to do battle, there was only one horse in at as he drew away powerfully from the one-paced Tarry galloper who had nothing more to come.
Stebbins ran on best from some way off to grab second place 4,80 lengths behind the Wiid runner, who clocked 123,71 secs for the 2000m.
Chase Maujean – armchair ride
Chase Maujean rode a confident race on the winner, who was recording only his second victory after two lower rated handicap placings.
Bankable Teddy had been well and truly outpointed when going off at 40-1 behind Abashiri in his post-maiden run in the Sea Cottage Stakes but looks likely to relish the 2450m of the SA Derby and certainly booked a bash at the big one on this showing.
It was a sentimental moment for fans of the winner’s ill-fated sire Bankable – who produced his first stakes winner almost exactly six years to the day after he had run second to Al Shemali in the 2010 Dubai Duty Free for Herman Brown.
The son of Medicean died in January 2012 at Summerhill Stud from severe complications arising from colic.
He had completed his first season at Summerhill in 2011 and has had 39 runners for 17 winners.
Bred in Ireland by Barronstown Stud out of the Sadler’s Wells mare Dance To The Top, Bankable won eight races and nearly £1.3 million in prize-money. He was initially trained by Luca Cumani, for whom he won the Listed On The House Stakes and ran second to Ravens Pass in the Gr2 Celebration Mile.
Bankable Teddy was bred by Anfield Sports and is out of the five-time winning Jet Master mare, Harem’s Secret.
He was bought for R175 000 at the National Yearling Sale and has now won twice with 5 paces from his 10 starts with stakes of R222 475.
Another son of Bankable who looks above average is the Alan Greeff trained Thayer, who won his fourth race on the trot at Fairview on Friday. He has now won 5 of his 7 starts and races in the silks of his breeder, Guy Murdoch.
