SPORTING Post opines that, despite all the side-shows, the New Zealand-bred Rumya stole the day at the Durban July, winning the Gr1 Durban Golden Slipper, and showed that she is going to be a superstar as she matures. She should also go ten furlongs plus, which really just adds to the excitement.

Another grey was backed into favouritism. Vaughan Marshall’s recent Allan Robertson winner All Is Secret was all the rage and Anton Marcus did a superb job in getting the 2-1 favourite across from her wide draw after that diabolical start. She tracked the pacy Var filly Schiffer  and Corne Spies’ Straight Set all the way around and into the straight. At this stage Rumya was in sixth position and looked to have absolutely no chance as Delpech punched and urged her for an effort.

Jeff Lloyd set Corne Spies’ Straight Set alight early in the home run and she looked a winner. But Delpech had managed to knock some sense into the De Kock grey down the inside and she showed great strength of character and raw ability to go and fetch the leader and eat her for breakfast. The New Zealand bred daughter of Red Ransom was obviously still very green and lacking  in experience. She won by 0,75 lengths in a time of 81,68 secs – faster than that of War Horse in the male equivalent.

Undefeated in her two career starts, Rumya has earned R350 000 and the sky is the limit for a filly with her obvious talent. She also has the blood to match.  The New Zealand-bred is by deceased son of Roberto, Red Ransom. A stallion who helped to perpetuate the Roberto/Hail to Reason male line, he was euthanized in 2009 because of complications from intestinal surgery. Red Ransom stood at Tom Simon’s Vinery in Australia. His fee in his final year was  Aus $66,000.

Red Ransom was a superbly bred specimen, being out of the Damascus dam Arabia who was a half-sister to Mellon’s homebred grade I winner Winter’s Tale. Red Ransom got off to a good start as a stallion, topping the freshman list in 1994. One of his daughters from that foal crop, Bail Out Becky, won the Gr1  Del Mar Oaks  the following year.

Red Ransom began shuttling to Vinery on a regular basis in the late 1990s. He also stood several seasons at Sheikh Mohammed’s Dalham Hall Stud in England this decade.

Rumya is out of Sayuri San, a 3 part sister by Fuji Kiseki to the dam of UAE Oaks winner Raihana, who was also trained by De Kock.

The beautiful grey winner is already being compared in some quarters to the illustrious Empress Club. It is early days yet, but De Kock obviously has another very special sort on his hands here. – www.sportingpost.co.za