Cousin Casey winning the Gr 2 Cape Punter’s Cup (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Cousin Casey was the biggest disappointment in the Gr 1 World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge, but will stay in training.
His owner Ravi Naidoo revealed, “It was a tough day at the races … Cousin Casey was pulled up in the straight. He was found to be coughing. He was ridden quite aggerssively in the first 200m to get to the front from his wide draw. He trotted out fine the following morning. He had one tight hindquarter muscle and one testicle was up.”
However, he was philosophical at the same time and continued, “When one thinks of all the variables along a very long value chain in just getting a horse to a race, it’s a small miracle when you find one that wins five in a row.”
He added, “I hope we can find the reboot switch for Cousin. He’s earned the right to be managed patiently … and we have been, we just need the rub of the green now.”
The Vercingetorix colt was the Equus Champion two-year-old colt, but his only win since has been in his first start as a three-year-old in the Gr 2 Cape Punters Cup over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
However, he has not had a great deal of luck since.
He took a costly couple of bumps in the straight in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 when finishing a 2,30 length fourth to See It Again.
Since relocating to the Highveld yard of Sean Tarry he has been plagued by wide draws.
In the Premier’s Richard Fourie sent him forward from a wide draw, which was not suprising considering it was widely believed there would be a good pace up front that was probably going to be set by Dave The King.
However, there was instead no pace at all and Cousin Casey got caught in front pulling hard.
He did ultimately find cover but the damge had been done and he was eventually eased out of the race when finding nothing in the straight.
There was also the later report, as stated by Ravi above, of coughing.
Ravi hinted that ideally the smart colt might be see out again in an “under the radar” appearance on April 27 at Turffontein. On that date there is the Gr 2 WSB Colrado King Stakes over 2000m and the Gr 2 WSB Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m and there is also a 1400m Pinnacle event.
