The Stephen Moffat-trained Windrush gelding Roman Carnival showed his
strength with an impressive 4,25 length victory in the R250,000 G3 August
Stakes sponsored by World Sports Betting last weekend under Chase Maujean.
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
eye catching 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!
