Dear Ivory with Tropics
TROPICS bounced back to form yesterday at Newmarket with a fabulous second to Slade Power in Europe’s most prestigious and richest sprint, the £500,000 Group One Darley July Cup.
The Dean Ivory-trained six-year-old son of Speightstown was the oldest horse in the race but he is still lightly raced, having not made his debut until four. Sent off at 66/1, he raced on the far side with the hot favourite, Slade Power, who had beaten him 7 1/2 lengths in the Wokingham. Despite being rated 11lbs lower, Tropics reduced the deficit to just 1 1/2 lengths yesterday under a great ride from Robert Winston.
The horse won over £109,000 for his endeavours yesterday and has now won £236,000 in just 18 starts. A delighted owner/trainer said yesterday future plans might include going for the Sprint Cup at Haydock or going abroad.
Tropics’ climb up the sprinting ladder has been a truly remarkable story for a horse who cost just 2,500 guineas at Tattersalls in 2011, having started life as a $280,000 foal and later a $700,000 yearling!
