Proceed winning the Gr 1 Gold Medallion (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Gavin Lerena has been riding a lot of work during his suspension and made mention of three horses in particular.
The Sean Tarry-trained 2024 Gr 1 Gold Medallion winner Proceed has not raced since finishing second to his Medallion runner up Cosmic Speed in last year’s Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m, so has been out for fifteen months.
However, this Laurence Wernars-homebred Gimmethegreenlight colt is apparently close to making his reappearance and Gavin said, “He’s coming back nicely. He is going to improve for sure and I think he will get a mile. I think he is having his comeback run soon.”
Proceed’s form looks great on paper. On debut he ran a 5,25 lengths second to the Tony Peter-trained Almond Sea in the Summer Cup day Maiden Juvenile Plate, meaning he was out as early as November in his two-year-old year.
He followed with a three length third to Pistol Pete in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m at the Vaal, ridden by Gavin Lerena.
Gavin then rode him to an impressive 7,25 length win in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1160m at Turffontein Standside.
His 3,25 length fourth in the Gr 2 SA Nursery under Richard Fourie was disappointing, but the winner was subsequent Gr 1-winning Highveld Horse Of The Year Fire Attack and the decent pair Mount Pinatubo and Pistol Pete were second and third respectively.
Fourie then won the Gr 3 Protea Stakes and Gr 1 Gold Medallion aboard Proceed before finishing second on him in the Golden Horseshoe. He was a horse who always looked to have plenty of scope and it will be an exciting day for Wernars and racing fans when he reappears.
Gavin has also been workriding the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint winner Buffalo Storm Cody and said, “He’s doing very well. He had a little bit of a break and he’s coming back nicely.”
Gavin was asked whether he believes this Tony Peter-trained Buffalo Bill Cody gelding would become as effective down the straight as he was around the turn and he replied, “I am hoping so because he is so effective around the turn. He switches off down the straight as well, but his turn of foot around the turn is exceptional.”
He said he was not sure why he had not been able to produce the same down the straight to date, but elaborated, “Maybe it because you’re running in a straight line for so long or the pace of the race is slightly different, I’m not 100% sure.”
Gavin is also impressed with the unbeaten Johan Jansen van Vuuren-trained filly Stormy Day, whom he won on by 4,25 lengths on debut over 1160m in July.
The imposing filly made her reappearance on Sunday with Craig Zackey replacing the suspended Lerena.
She might have only won the Turffontein Inside 1200m contest by 0,30 lengths, but she impressed with her obvious scope for plenty of improvement and she did have to carry topweight of 59kg off her 90 merit rating.
Gavin said, “She looks like she can be decent. I thought she would have won a bit more cosily, but she’s definitely going to improve.
