Trip To Heaven (speed score 107) is a very smart performer from sprints up to a mile. He is a tricky character, prone to nodding off in the stalls and troubled by respiratory issues, yet has overcome those deficiencies to compile a clean record of seven wins from 17 starts with four seconds. He added to that fine resume when winning the Diadem Stakes over 1200m at Kenilworth, bursting clear after being held up just off the pacemakers. Tevez made a closing rally to just run Search Party out of second place.
Lord Balmoral (s/s 99) ran some high figs as a youngster and confirmed recent progress to score a resounding start to finish win in the listed Sophomore Sprint. Bishops Bounty tried to narrow the gap, but the Aussie bred son of Star Witness proved too strong.
Turffontein hosted quality racing on Saturday. Best effort of all came from course and distance specialist Romany Prince (s/s 104) who outran market rival, Deo Juvente (s/s 103) in the Grade 3 London News Stakes. One race later the Silvano filly Orchid Island (s/s 95) showed promise when hammering opposition in the Sea Cottage Stakes. She was punted in from 7/1 to 33/10 and put four lengths between herself and the well-beaten, Furiosa (s/s 89)
Special mention is due to the Onamission Syndicate which comprises 142 owners from around the world as they won with Puget Sound (s/s 80 +) on debut. It is a great initiative from the Mike de Kock Stable to involve such a broad spectrum of people, making the option of thoroughbred ownership easily affordable and a whole lot of fun.
The SunMet is less than two weeks away and the ante post market is livening up after the announcement of the final field of 15. Check out the Interbet site and get busy taking doubles into your fancies for the big race. There are generous prices being offered around the favored principal candidates, as well as long-shot entries.