ATTORNEY and racing expert Robert Bloomberg spotted five-year-old Trip To Rio”s name on the list of entries for the recent Michael Holmes Horses-In-Training Sale in Durban and, having followed the gelding’s career, ensured that he got himself a slice of the action.

Trip To Rio, sold for only R35,000, won first time out last week for Bloomberg and Mike de Kock, who retained a share himself.

Bloomberg commented: “I phoned Mike and he told me the horse had some issues and niggles, including a problem at the pens, but that he had ability. We thought he’d go for around 60k so the 35k was a surprise. I’d kept an eye on Trip To Rio because he’d started his career with two promising wins and a Listed second before going off the boil.

Lyle Hewitson returns on Trip To Rio.

“Trio To Rio was supposed to run on Gold Cup night, but he kept turning away at the pens and was left behind. But interestingly Anton Marcus, who was engaged after Weichong Marwing has been stood down, said the horse was full of himself and actually enjoyed a proper gallop back to the unsaddling area. He said Trip To Rio’s unplanned workout was ‘phenomenal’ and that gave us confidence.”

As it happened Trip To Rio went into the pens next time out, last Wednesday at Greyville, and bagged a MR89 Handicap over 2000m on the Polytrack, drawn widest of all.

“Lyle Hewitson rode a very good race on him, he will win again,” said Bloomberg.