The Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Francine (Silvano) wins the highest rated race of the day, a MR 94 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1450m, and secures a five-timer for Gavin Lerena. (JC Photos).
Gavin Lerena took advantage of Craig Zackey’s side-lined status at the Vaal Classic track today and his five-timer took him level with the national log leader on 104 wins for the season.
He has achieved the 104 wins at a strike rate of 26.80% compared to Zackey’s 17.99% and in third place is reigning champion Richard Fourie on 91 wins at 23.04%.
Muzi Yeni returned to action today, but was winless and remains in fourth place on the log on 68 wins achieved at a strike rate of 15.45% and Sean Veale on 61 wins at 14.42% is in fifth place.
Lerena ‘s 100th win of the season came in the first race on the Tony Peter-trained Vercingetorix filly Gregarious. From a good draw he managed to sit behind the favourite Dylan’s Champ, who went to the front from a wide draw. Gregarious managed to extract herself from the fence at the 400m mark and under a drive quickly got her nose in front of Dylan’s Champ. The latter fought back but Gregarious found extra to win by 0,30 lengths and thus deny Muzi Yeni a winner on his comeback ride. Yeni had been off for exactly two months following his fall off Back In Business in the Gr 2 Allied Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile, which saw him breaking a clavicle.
Lerena was on the favourite in all of the next three races, the Robbie Sage-trained eight-year-old Capetown Noir gelding Call Me Master, the Stuart Pettigrew-trained three-year-old Red Ray colt Twelve O’ Clock High and the Robbie Sage-trained five-year-old Ideal World gelding Tamarisk Tree, and he converted on all three.
He had thus won the first four races at the meeting.
He could only manage fourth on Nuclear Force in the fifth race.
However, in the highest rated race at the meeting, the sixth, which was an MR 94 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1450m, he won easily on the smart Mike and Adam-trained four-year-old Silvano filly Francine, who waltzed in by two lengths despite carrying joint topweight.
Lerena did not have a ride in the seventh race.
Hollywoodbets now go 11/10 Richard Fourie for the championship, with Lerena at 18/10 and Zackey 23/10.
Zackey was injured in a fall on Tuesday, but returns to action tomorrow (Friday) at Fairview.
