Picture : Trois Trois Quatre will be going for a third win on the trot the next time he races (JC Photos).
The Mike de Kock-trained Trois Trois Quatre is the latest Hollywood Syndicate horse who has attracted attention through being well-named.
The Rafeef Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein-bred gelding was named after Delpech’s famous 334 wins in one season South African record, which has also been in the news lately due to Hollywoodbets offering a R1 million prize to any jockey who can beat it.
“Trois Trois Quatre” is of course French for “Three Three Four.”
Last week at the Vaal, Trois Trois Quatre won his first start out of the maidens over 2000m to improve his career record to two wins, two thirds and a fourth and a fifth in seven career starts.
The now four-year-old caught the eye on both of his first two starts over 1450m and 1600m respectively.
However, when the blinkers were applied he disappointed in his next two starts over 1600m and 2400m respectively.
He only managed to finish fourth at odds of 9/10 in the first of those starts over 1600m and then finished fifth at even money odds over 2400m.
However, the removal of the blinkers saw him back on track.
He finished a close up third in his next start over the too sharp 1400m on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly.
Then stepped up to the trip his breeding and his first two runs suggested he was going to relish, he stormed home to win by 0,80 lengths over 1950m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.
Last week he once again finished strongly from off the pace to win by 0,90 lengths over 2000m running off a 74 merit rating and carrying 58.5kg in the MR 75 Handicap event.
JP van der Merwe has ridden him in both of his wins.
This horse will not stop here. Rafeef has produced a SA Derby winner and Trois Trois Quatre’s damsire Ideal World and his grandam-sire Badger Creek are both stamina influences. He could turn out to be a useful stayer. His dam Badger Creek (Ideal World) won over 2200m and is a half-sister to Mr Brock (Fort Wood). The latter won the Maiden Cup in Mauritius over 2300m and also won over 2400m in SA as well as performing well in Dubai, including finishing third in the Gr 2 Dubai City Of Gold Stakes over 2485m.
