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Rudra’s back with a bang!

Published by charl on February 7, 2010

WINNING trophies after the Listed Wolf Power Handicap over 1600m for the part-owners of 2008 Summer Cup winner Rudra, Ferdi Ladeira and Tony Moodley. The horse one complete idiot on a talk forum promised the racing public would never see again, returned from a 434-day rest, but took no prisoners.

Despite having to shoulder 63kg, he took the race by the scruff of the neck and ran his rivals off their feet, beating Choisir by 2,25 lengths. Third place went to the game Bhekinkosi, who earned yet another stake for his owners.

“What a good win and I am very pleased,” said high-riding Mike de Kock from Dubai after pulling off a terrific training feat in nursing Rudra back to competitive racing after a serious injury. “Rudra has been showing good work and he was fit and well for the race. He put up a very good gallop last Monday and on that we stated in he press he would run well. The win was a pleasant surprise though. Congratulations to the owners, they’ve been very patient after the big high of the 2008 Summer Cup.”

Disappointment of the race was Rudra’s stablemate Havasha, who was one-paced in the straight and plodded into sixth place. De Kock commented: “Havasha in fact worked alongside and even a bit better than Rudra last week so this was a let-down. This is one of two things, he didn’t like the soft underfoot conditions or this year’s three-year-olds are simply average, not good enough yet to take on top older horses.”