Red Ray Strikes for Joostes in Mercury Sprint

Following the recent win of their The Conglomerate in the Vodacom Durban July (SAf-I), trainer Joey Ramsden and owners Markus and Ingrid Jooste teamed up July 16 to win another Kwa-Zulu group I feature, the Mercury Sprint, with Red Ray.

The Mercury provided the Joostes with a 1-2 finish as runner-up Night Trip also races for them.

Red Ray, a lightly raced 5-year-old son of Western Winter who landed the first top-level race of his career, was having his third run back since a lengthy layoff following a single, unplaced run in Dubai.

Red Ray did not win a group I out of turn—he had been previously placed in four, with his top efforts including runner-up berths in all of the SA Nursery, Golden Horse Casino Sprint, and Cape Flying Championship.

Eventual favouritism for Saturday's R800,000 contest, however, was given to Trip To Heaven, who was demoted to second place recently after finishing first past the post in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge (SAf-I). However, a tardy start ruined his hopes as the son of Trippi—sire of six of the 14 runners—only managing 11th place.

The race also attracted Talktothestars, officially South Africa's highest rated racehorse, recent City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint (SAf-I) winner Real Princess, and star Gauteng sprinter Trip Tease.

Captain Alfredo quickly went to the head of affairs in Saturday's 1,200-meter (about six-furlong) contest, with Red Ray, wearing blinkers for the first time, settled just off the front-runner and Real Princess and Cape Flying Championship (SAf-I) winner Gulf Storm further back. The fancied pair of Talktothestars and Trip To Heaven were well off the pace, and closer to last than first.

Turning for home, outsider Captain Alfredo led Red Ray with 350 meters left to run, but the latter had far too much in the tank for the gallant pacesetter and hit the front.

Red Ray, who recorded a time of 1:08.96, powered home to record a two-length win over a late-flying Night Trip, with the filly Real Princess getting up for third, just a neck ahead of Gulf Storm.

Talktothestars, who was not suited for the conditions of Saturday's race, put up a game effort when coming from well off the pace to finish fifth.

Winning jockey Anton Marcus, who has partnered Red Ray in all but one of his races, was elated with the win, and described his mount post-race as "one of the best in the country, when at his best."

Red Ray, who was bred by the Lammerskraal, also provided a fitting tribute to his excellent dam Nacarat, who had died earlier in the week. He is the second group I winner for Nacarat, whose 10 winning progeny include five individual stakes winners, notably former Thekwini Stakes (SAf-I) winner Nania, a full sister to Saturday's big race winner.

South Africa's latest group I winner, who appears destined to end up stud, Red Ray has won five of 13 outings and earned R1,878,750 in prize money.