Lots of heat and not a lot of light ... for my part I'd ask Mike de Kock or Anthony Delpech, who have both got experience of champions, whether they think Igugu's up there among them. The rest of us, who haven't such experience, can only go by what we see (or think we see) on the track.
Until de Kock took up Lizard's Desire, who'd have thought the horse had it in him? If anyone had "spotted" the horse's talent that early, they'd be popping their buttons with pride after the last Dubai Carnival. But sowaar, we all love to be one of the few that have spotted a dark horse, an underrated potential star, or even just a maiden winner at long odds. That's why we bet and that's why tipster's competitions are entered even if there isn't a big money prize involved. (And who on earth is it that puts money on the 100-1 shots in a race? SOMEone does, or the tote board wouldn't show them as going off at R89.50/win). Sometimes we get ahead of the evidence and announce the next world-beater prematurely, and get eggy faces and flat pockets as a result. Won't stop any of us ... we'll go on doing it till we get taken off in a wooden box.
Nowadays we've raised the bar anyway ... the horse has to compete internationally to rate as a "true champion" or "superstar". I think Igugu is a champ-in-waiting ... not proven, but has that indefinable something called "Class" ... over a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half ... lets see if she goes to Dubai, then we'll know one way or the other.
Btw, Igugu has been beaten into second twice, once by Ebony Flyer, but which was the other horse?
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