Warren Kennedy made full use of the opportunity of a replacement ride offered by Anthony Delpech’s unfortunate hospitalisation when he steered the consistent Just Cruised In to his first stakes success when winning the R250 000 Gr3 Caradoc Gold Cup over the arduous 2850m.
The well-bred Spring Valley stallion Just As Well was effective from 1000m to 2000m and he has passed this versatility on to his progeny – a vastly underrated stallion who has produced exceptional results from very limited opportunities.
Just Cruised showed that he stayed every inch of the 2850m in a race where Anton Marcus hurried things up by taking Kitty’s Destiny around his field to speed matters up at the 1200m.
Warren Kennedy was lurking off the pace on Just Cruised In and switched out at the 400m, the 4yo lengthened and drew away to beat Kitty’s Destiny by 2,75 lengths in a time of 185,1 secs.
It was a great day for trainer Gavin van Zyl after a previous Gr3 success in the Protea Stakes earlier on in the afternoon.
A 4yo gelded son of Just As Well (AP Indy), Just Cruised In is out of Modraj (Machiavellian). The mare is from the immediate dam line of Urban Sea, therefore the direct family of super sires Galileo and Sea The Stars. This makes him a half-brother to Dubai winner, Alareef.
A R80 000 National Yearling Sale graduate, KZN-bred Just Cruised In is a winner of 4 races with 9 places from 17 starts, Just Cruised In has amassed stakes of R435 400.
Just As Well has produced previous winners such as CTS Ready To Run Cup winner Chilli Con Carne – who has been exported to Mauritius along with Graded Stakes Placed Zodiac Jack, as well as Stakes Places from Just As I Said and Well In Flight.
Just As Well stands at Spring Valley Stud, who bred Just Cruised In on behalf of Shadwell Stud.
-extract sportingpost.co.za