'Chasing Circles: Top Striker tops Rawnaq in Colonial Cup
Carolina Cup chairperson Beverly R. (Peggy) Steinman balances the Cup on the helmet of Top Striker's jockey Ross Geraghty. The other celebrants at (l. to r.) George Sensor, owner Sue Sensor, trainer Arch Kingsley and Wendy Kingsley. (Photo by Don Clippinger)
Camden, S.C. is a friendly town where the folks have a whole lot of civic pride. When Top Striker drew clear of the Steeplechaser-of-the-Year Rawnaq after the last fence in the $150,000, Grade 1 Colonial Cup, car horns blared and the home folks' cheers turned to a roar.
The seven-year-old gelding races in the green and gold colors of Camden's Sue Sensor. His trainer is Camden's own Arch Kingsley, a former National Steeplechase Association riding champion turned successful trainer of Thoroughbreds both on the flat and over the jumps.
If pari-mutuel racing was legalized in South Carolina for just one day -- the Saturday before Thanksgiving -- Irv Naylor's Rawnaq would have been an odds on favorite to win the race of 2-5/8 miles, the richest in the history of the Colonial Cup, traditionally the 'chasing season's closer.
Top Striker would have drawn some support in the exotics on the strength of two second place finishes in Saratoga handicaps and then a win in the Grade 2 David (Zeke) Ferguson Memorial on the International Gold Cup card at The Plains, Va. in October.
With Ross Geraghty in the saddle, Top Striker, a gelded son of Vanistelrooy, opened his advantage from the last fence and crossed the finish line 10-1/2 lengths ahead of Rawnaq and Sean McDermott stopping the timer in 6:12:2/5 to claim the winner's check for $90,000. All nine starters carried 156 pounds.
Rawnaq, the winner of the $150,000 Grade 1 Calvin Houghland at Nashville in May and Far Hills' $350,000, Grade 1 Grand National in October will, no doubt, receive the Eclipse Award as 'Chaser-of-the-Year.
The Cyril Murphy trainee's next engagement will be at a British or Irish course early next year. That race will be a prep for the Ryanair Air World Hurdle at the Cheltenham spring meeting.
When Rawnaq won the Houghland at the Iroquois meeting, he became eligible for the Brown Advisory Cheltenham-Iroquois $500,000 bonus if he can couple a win in the Ryanair with this year's Houghland.
After the presentation of the Colonial Cup, Kingsley noted the race was another step in Top Striker's improvement as a 'chaser. "He trained just the way he ran today. He progressed very well," he said.
Owner Sensor agreed saying, "For him to do what he did today is phenomenal."
Murphy summed up the Colonial Cup saying, "I didn't know (Top Striker) wanted to go that fast. He did, and he won."
Naylor, a retired public utility executive from Reisterstown, Md. went to Camden with the NSA owner's award in his pocket. He added to his $900,000+ purse account with a win in the race after the Colonial Cup.
His Irish-bred mare Lake Champlain and McDermott won the filly and mare ratings handicap by a quarter length over Welcome Here Farm's Second Amendment.
After the race, Naylor jested with his rider saying, "That's what you're were supposed in the last race."
