Super Carnival On WSB August Stakes Day

The WSB August Stakes forms the second leg of the Super Supreme Series and if Roman Carnival can win the final leg, the Gr 2 R1 million Supreme Cup sponsored by SAP and to be run over 1450m on the Vaal sand on September 26, he will land a R100,000 bonus sponsored by World Sports Betting.

The R500,000 bonus offered by World Sports Betting to any horse that could win all three legs will not be won this year because the Louis Goosen-trained Varbration was scratched from the August Stakes, having earlier won the first leg, the Non-Black Type R135,000 World Sports Betting Sprint over 1000m at Flamingo Park on August 8.

Roman Carnival won his Maiden over the Vaal sand 1200m by ten lengths, but was still officially 1kg under sufferance today, because despite being a four-year-old he has only had five starts (for two wins, his other win being in his previous start over 1600m on the Vaal sand).

However, he showed himself to be a progressive type by destroying the opposition and it was only the Mike Azzie-trained runner up Isphan who briefly threatened to go with him. The Louis Goosen-trained Doing It For Dan finished third.

Roman Carnival has already proved he stays the 1450m trip of the SAP Supreme Cup, so could well start favourite for that event after today’s eyecatching display, although a lot will also depend on the handicapper’s opinion of this win.

A nice sized crowd attended and the innovative “Racing To Jump” initiative, in which some 90 horses, including many ex-racehorses, took part in a show-jumping competition in juxtaposition with the racing, proved once again to be both a big success and a big attraction.

BMW were also on display at the races and gave away some wonderful prizes on the day.

World Sports Betting also wrote out another cheque for R50 000 to the Highveld Horsecare Unit in the best interest of charity and the wellbeing of the horse!