Trip Tease may make a bid for Hampton double

If Trip Tease, the highest-rated sand runner in the country at 114, accepts to run in the R150,000 SAP Hampton Handicap over 1000m at the Vaal on Supreme Cup Day, 26 September, he will have to carry the welter weight of 65kg.

The Louis Goosen-trained five-year-old has only been beaten once over the Vaal sand 1000m and has recorded eight of his 13 wins over the trip, including this race last year when he beat ill-fated Blazing Al.

The Trippi gelding made a winning start to this season in a 1000m Pinnacle race when, ridden by Piere Strydom, he made light of 61.5kg and beat Will Pays by two lengths.

Lightning Stakes winner Tiger Territory has joint second top weight of 61.5kg, while Autumn Sand Sprint victor Duty Dance will have only 52kg but if he runs, will carry more than he should in relation to the topweight.

The race is one of three supporting events at Listed level to the R1-million Supreme Cup (Grade 2) over 1450m and forms part of the programme on the race track’s biggest raceday of the year.

It’ll be a grand family day out because there will be plenty of entertainment for children and adults can enjoy an affordable feast at a Prawn Festival.

Sarve, from the Corne Spies yard, has been allotted top weight in the fillies and mares’ equivalent, the Banyana Handicap, but did not draw well at No 15 of the 25 entries, while Ahlaam and Jade Vine are the joint top weights on the list of entries for the Supreme Fillies & Mares Stakes, the other Listed race.

Ahlaam has won twice over 1600m on the Vaal sand track and finished third behind Peep Show over the same 1450m as this race last time out, while Jade Vine, who beat Sarve in the Woodland Sprint this year, finished a distant fourth in the August Stakes recently.

Royal Trip, from the Stanley Ferreira stable, won the Nkosazana Stakes early this year and will receive 4kg from Jade Vine and Ahlaam if they all run.

Three non-black type races will be run at the meeting and nominations for these races will be finalised on Friday when supplementary entries for the three Listed races close. The final field for the Supreme Cup will be announced on Wednesday and the runners for all the other races on the day will be announced on Monday next week.

The entries, draws and weights for the R150,000 Supreme Fillies & Mares Stakes (Listed) over 1450m:

The entries and weights for the SAP Hampton Handicap (Listed) over 1000m:

The entries and weights for the R150,000 Banyana Handicap sponsored by Racing. It’s A Rush (Listed, fillies and mares)  over 1000m: