In a race that attracted its fair share of pre-publicity, Milnerton trainer Candice Bass-Robinson enjoyed a rewarding outcome as she saddled the Yuppie Syndicate’s Rainbow Lorikeet to a career peak victory in the R225 000 SplashOut Gr3 Victress Stakes at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
The withdrawal of the winner’s former stablemate topweight Red Palace after a sale in midweek looked to have played into the hands of the very talented Andre Nel Dynasty mare Saartjie, who went off at 4-10 as many player’s Pick 6 banker.
But with the carryover Pick 6 pool climbing to R3 933 671, it was not to be as Aldo Domeyer produced a powerful performance from the saddle to get Rainbow Lorikeet (9-2) past Grant van Niekerk and Knockout (14-1) late to register a three quarter length victory in a time of 114,54 secs for the 1800m.
The original pacemaker Time For Love (16-1) came back courageously from the edge of nowhere to run third.
Saartjie was last for much of the trip and had nothing to come, finishing last of the five runners. There was unconfirmed reports that she had spread a shoe in running. Little compensation for her supporters
Rainbow Lorikeet is raced by the Yuppie Syndicate and was bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein.
She is by Maine Chance resident Querari (Oasis Dream) and is out of the Silvano mare Nightingale, who coincidentally gave trainer Candice Bass-Robinson her maiden Grade 1 success in the 2017 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes, when ridden by present day Hollywood Racing manager Anthony Delpech.
The Cartier Paddock Stakes could be next on the agenda for Rainbow Lorikeet who has won 5 races with 7 places from her 16 starts for stakes of R642 651.
Yuppie Syndicate nominee Zach Bloch was out from London to lead Rainbow Lorikeet in. He conceded that he ‘loves horseracing’ and was dearly hoping that his boss wasn’t tuned in to Gallop TV as he admitted in the post-race interview to listening to racing ‘all day long’ at work.
Maybe when his London boss latches on to Zac’s distractions, Cape Racing will consider contracting him as a Youth Ambassador for the sport. He says all the right things and is clearly sick for it. Racing desperately needs more twentysomethings like this fellow!