Barbaresco and Gavin Lerena after winning a Graduation Plate over 1450m at the Vaal on April 9 (JC Photos)
Gavin Talks About All Of His Rides On The Big Day
Heavyweight jockey Gavin Lerena, a twice SA Champion jockey whose normal minimum riding weight is 57kg, is nearly down to the 53,5kg he is riding the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Barbaresco at for the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July.
He has a number of good rides on the day but lamented his lack of good draws.
He said, “I didn’t check my weight today, but yesterday (Sunday) I was 54.1kg.”
His sensible dieting has not affected his strength and he said he was “feeling great.”
He said about the chances of the three-year-old Gimmethegreenlight gelding, “I think he’s got a great chance. He’s obviously got the weight advantage on Flagman and Green With Envy and he had a rough passage in the Daily News 2000.”
Barbaresco was suddenly bumped and carried outward by Hluhluwe at about the halfway mark of the Gr 1 Daily News 2000. He did well to run on strongly from near the back for a 2,60 length third.
Gavin said that interference had affected his horse.
He said, “It got him right out of his rhythm.”
Barbaresco has the pedigree to stay the 2200m trip and was doing excellent late work in the Daily News 2000, so he should not have a problem staying the trip. He is by Gimmethegreenlight out of Fort Wood mare Negroamaro, a Gr 3 Fillies Miles winner whose Graded performances included a narrow second in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic over 1800m and a 1,75 length second to the top class champion Bela-Bela in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000.
Gavin confirmed, “I think he has got good stamina.”
Gavin mentioned the progressive profile of Barbaresco, saying, “We’ve always thought he’s a very good horse. He’s taken quite a while to come to himself, but he’s turning into a really smart horse. He’s getting stronger and better with every run.”
However, he does not believe his low draw of two is in his favour.
He said, “To be honest I would have preferred to have been drawn a bit wider. He’s not a horse that you want to be aggressive on at the gates, because he can be quite headstrong. So it’s a tricky draw for me, very tricky.”
He said nobody wanted to be too far back in the July.
He was far back early in his only win in the big race in 2021 on Kommetdieding, but they did go a decent pace that year and he was on the outside train having jumped from draw 18 of 18.
Reminded of that, he concluded, “Yes, it is all going to be pace dependent how I ride my race.”
Barbaresco was taken back to the Highveld after the Daily News 2000 and has done his preparation out of the Turffontein training centre.
All his serious work has been done and he will just have a breeze up on Wednesday.
Lerena rides the Sean Tarry-trained Rafeef filly Mrs Browning in the Gr 1 Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes over 1600m from a plum draw of two. She has fine sprint form and is out of a Galileo mare, so is interesting in her first try at this trip.
Gavin said, “She drew nicely and at home it does feel like she’ll get a mile. In a race it’s a bit different, but I think maybe we can get away with it over the Greyville mile.”
Lerena rides two exciting prospects for Candice Dawson in the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe and Gr 2 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper respectively, both over 1400m.
Heavenly Blue colt Truth is out of a Frankel mare and has won his first two starts over 1160m and 1450m by 4,25 and 7,25 length respectively. However, he has to overcome draw 11 out of 14 in the Golden Horseshoe.
Lerena said, “It is obviously not the best of draws, but he is a quality horse.”
Vercingetorix filly Little Ballerina has outstanding form and has also drawn eleven in the Golden Slipper.
Gavin said, “She’s a lovely filly, I just don’t know about the 1400. But she has got a great turn of foot.”
She skipped the Allan Robertson as the yard did not feel she was right but Gavin said she was not out of work for long and he believes she is fit enough.
The stayer Nebraas goes well for Lerena, considering he finished a two length third and 0,75 length fourth under him in two Gr 3s in Cape Town over 2500m and 2800m respectively.
He has fallen to an attractive merit rating of 106 for the Gr 3 DSTV Gold Vase over 3000m and Gavin said, “We were quite far back last time (in the Listed Lonsdale over 2400m), and he finished the race off well. He’s not an easy horse, because he can also pull quite hard, so from draw 12 we will have to play our cards right. He’s doing really well at home, Sean has got him moving very well and he stays, that’s for sure.”
He rides the Alec Laird-trained Atticus Finch from draw eight in the Gr 3 Splashout 2200.
He said, “I think you can put a line through his last run at Greyville, he apparently did not travel well and was all at sea and never got into the race. It was a great run last time (in the Gr 3 Jubilee), a nice comeback to form, and I think being drawn a little deeper is better for him.”
He gives Atticus Finch a good chance.
He does not know much about Troppo Veloce, whom he rides in the eleventh race over 1200m.
He said, “She’s run with some very nice fillies, but, again, not a good draw, so just hoping to get a bit of luck in running.”
In the first race over 1400m on the poly he rides Nettleton and said, “We’re trying her over 1400m, 1200m is probably ideal, but I think she’ll get the 1,400 on the poly. We battled with her as a youngster with soundness and all that, but she’s really grown into herself beautifully. She’s a nice, strong, big girl and she’s doing well.”
