Raiseahallelujah (far side) is related to the useful former SA Derby and Gold Vase winner Seal, so might relish the step up to 3200m in the World Pool Gold Cup. (JC Photos).
The Candice Dawson-trained Raiseahallelujah has been prepared out of Summerveld for the Gr 3 World Pool Gold Cup and is being taken care of by Mike de Kock and his team in the times when Candice is not there.
Candice has been in constant touch and said, “He is doing well and this race is always what we have wanted to try him in, because he has proven he stays 2400m no problem. How he does will tell us whether we can concentrate on a staying career next season.”
Candice added, “I think he is good enough to compete at this level and he has quite a few of the horses held at the weights. He has run eight times over 2400m and been in the top two seven times (two wins, five seconds). If we don’t try him over 3200m we will never know, but I don’t see him having a problem seeing it out.”
Raiseahallelujah is by Querari, who won both a Gr 1 and Gr 3 over 2000m. Querari’s dam won a Listed race in Germany over a mile and two furlongs (2000m).
Raiseahallelujah himself is out of a twice-placed maiden on the Vaal sand from 1600m to 1800m called Flo Jo.
Flo Jo is by the stamina influence Black Minnaloushe and is a half-sister to a classy son of Silvano called Seal, who won the Gr 1 SA Derby over 2450m, the Gr 2 Gold Vase over 3000m, the G3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m, the Gr 3 Caradoc Gold Cup over 2850m the Listed Wolf Power 1600 and the Listed Aquanaut Handicap over 2450m. Seal ran twice in the Gold Cup, both times carrying topweight, and finished fourth and seventh respectively.
So there is a lot of stamina close up in Raiseahellelujah’s pedigree.
Raiseahallelujah has drawn pole position.
Candice said, “It is sometimes not a good draw, but it is probably better the further you go. You don’t want to be trapped wide around the first two turns and he does like to come from off them and chase them down, so whether it is a good draw or not will depend on the pace.”
Raiseahallelujah has an interesting history.
He was bred by Dr Ian Heyns and sold on the BSA National yearling Sale for R275,000 to Team G Racing (Gavin van Zyl).
It is not surprising Van Zyl bought him because he trained Seal.
The horse was originally called Marukami, but the name was changed to Raiseahallelujah.
He was up for sale after a few runs with Van Zyl and prominent Johannesburg owner Larry Nestadt bought him.
However, Van Zyl was admirably honest with Nestadt. He said he was battling to find suitable staying races for Raiseahallelujah in KZN and he also felt the horse needed the long straights of the Highveld.
Nestadt took his advice and sent him to Candice Dawson.
After winning in his second start over 2000m for Dawson, Gary Player and Cecil Millinger joined Nestadt as partners.
Raiseahallelujah won once for Van Zyl over 2400m and has won five times for Dawson from 2000m to 2400m.
If he is anywhere near as good as Seal, he will be a runner carrying bottom weight of 54kg, although he is officially 4,5kg under sufferance with the officially best weighted Shangani.
JP van der Merwe has ridden him in his last two starts, including a narrow second in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville, and is aboard for the Gold Cup.
