An admittedly surprise supplementary entry for the 2023 R5 million Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July is recent HF Oppenheimer Gr1 Horse Chestnut Stakes and IOS Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes winner Trip Of Fortune.
Trip Of Fortune wins the IOS Drill Hall Stakes (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Trainer Candice Bass-Robinson, who won the Durban July in 2017 with Marinaresco, told Gold Circle’s David Thiselton that it had always been the plan to consider running Trip Of Fortune in the big race after assessing how he had come out of the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge on Saturday.
She admitted there was a stamina question mark, but said if ridden conservatively the one course in the country where a horse with stamina doubts could get away with it, would be Hollywoodbets Greyville.
She said, “It has always been an option and we have nothing to lose, so might as well give it a bash.”
She added he had been ridden a bit too handily in the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge.
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Trip Of Fortune is not only by the same sire as Winchester Mansion but is also from the same family, and the latter has won a Gr3 over 2400m, as well as Saturday’s Gr 3 Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial in comfortable fashion.
The supplementary entry was a surprise move to the public because Trip Of Fortune has built a reputation as a sprint-miler.
He has never raced beyond a mile.
The classy four-year-old gelding’s career stakes victories have been a Listed win as a two-year-old over 1200m, a Gr 3 win over 1400m as a three-year-old, and this season he has won a Gr1 over 1600m, a Gr2 also over 1600m, a Gr2 over 1400m and a Gr3 over 1400m.
Karl Neisius and Flaming Rock after the 1991 Durban July.
However, Candice recalled the 1991 July win of the Chris Snaith-trained Flaming Rock, who was ostensibly a miler – and he had also won a Gr 3 over 1200m that season in easy fashion.
She added that Flaming Rock had come from last in the July.
She dismissed the rumour mill, which has it that there is some sort of strategic reason for Trip Of Fortune to be entered and that he will be scratched at an appropriate time before the race.
She said: “I think they are saying it has something to do with the weights but him being there is only going to change the weights by half-a-kilogram … it is not going to effect anyone.”
In fact one of the half-a-kilogram sufferers by his presence is the fellow Drakenstein Stud homebred, the Brett Crawford-trained Winchester Mansion.
