PROMISING Trippi colt Trip To Rio ran into all sorts of trouble when he was beaten as 9-20 favourite on the inside track Turffontein three weeks ago, but bettors who’d read the post-race report could help themselves to as much as 28-10 to do some damage control when he won his Maiden over 1400m on turf at the Vaal last Tuesday.

After suffering interference and injuring his mouth when finishing five lenghts adrift of The Elmo Effect at the city track, Tip To Rio was reported coughing at the pull-up and with three valid excuses the right thing to do was to draw a line through the disappointment.

Marco van Rensburg on Trip To Rio, who made his exit from the Maiden ranks over the straight 1400m at the Vaal.

Out in the country at the Vaal the three-year-old, who races for Sheikh Hamdan of Dubai, disposed of his opposition with some ease and a winning margin of 1.50-lengths. He is likely to make more progress, being bred to see out further.

Trip To Rio is the first foal of the young Brazilian-bred mare, Garota De Ipanema, who competed for Gaynor Rupert’s Drakenstein Stud and won four races from 15 starts in Mike de Kock’s care, excelling over a mile and further.

Trip To Rio hails from the potent family of Grade 1 winner Velvet Green and Wonder Lawn, who won two Gr2’s in South Africa and a Gr3 in Dubai. The Sheikh’s Shadwell Racing went to R600,000 to secure him at the  CTS Premier Yearling Sale of 2013.