Rikesh Sewgoolam, who holds the 10th Prospector’s Ticket for the R7,5-million WSB Gold Rush over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Met Day, 28 January 2023, has two chances of representation in the rich, novel event. He is counting the days!
Rikesh acquired the 10th Prospector’s Ticket when they were first offered. He bought Ensuing (William Longsword) at the 2021 Cape Premier Sale as his original Gold Rush candidate and sent the colt (gelded since) to Vaughan Marshall at Milnerton.
Then, this September, Rikesh purchased the promising Gold Rush hopeful Time Fo Orchids at the BSA Sean Tarry Fasttrack Sale when the opportunity presented itself to have an additional string to his bow. Now also in Marshall’s care, the filly by Time Thief finished second in the G2 Western Cape Fillies Championship last Saturday. Her rating was adjusted to MR110, which put her back at the top of the Gold Rush log.
Rikesh said: “I have only really bought colts so far, but I will be investing in more fillies now to support my horse Seeking The Stars. He is back in training following injury and is due to run again soon. We will be sending him to stud when he comes to the end of his racing career. We did a lot of homework on Time Fo Orchids. I was assisted by Vaughan and my Durban trainers Alyson and Kevin Wright. We had her vetted and x-rayed and valued her at between R800 – R850,000. As it happened we won the final bid on 850. Drakenstein Stud were the underbidders.”
The Marshall stable was delighted with Time Fo Orchids’s debut for the yard and Rikesh said: “She has only been with Vaughan for six weeks. He took her to Kenilworth to see the left-hand bend. She needed her run last Saturday and performed above expectations, which is great, because we know she has much to come.”
Ensuing, a one-time winner from eight starts, remains in the hunt for Gold Rush glory. “He is rated 82, which may be too low, but he has proven he stays a mile and he has been consistent with places to runners like Royal Victory. So we will give things more time to pan out. Two or three weeks before the race, Vaughan will tell us which one of the two he fancies most.”
Meanwhile Sandy Arundel, who holds the 15th ticket, said that she did not have much to report at this stage, but that things may change in the next few weeks. “We are in the midst of qualifying our horses and keeping an eye on what else looks promising,” she commented.
