Son Of Raj wins the London News (JC Photos)
The five-year-old Duke Of Marmalade gelding Son Of Raj scored his first win since his victory in the Gr 1 SA Derby some 680 days previously when landing the GR 3 Betway London News Stakes over 1800m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday under Gavin Lerena.
Son Of Raj was given a holiday at Grace Stables after last seaon’s Champions Season and the Tony Peter-trained Steven Chetty-homebred five-year-old has returned in fine fettle, running third twice before Saturday’s win.
He went into the race only half-a-kilogram under sufferance with the best weighted runner, None Other, who won the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks on the same day as he had landed the SA Derby.
In his previous start he had finished well to be beaten just half-a-length in the Listed Richard Maponya Handicap over the same course and distance.
The horse he beat by 0,80 lengths in the Richard Maponya, Radicchio, was now going to be 9,5kg worse off with him and is a decent type, so Son Of Raj was going to take some beating in the London News, especially as he had in form Gavin Lerena aboard.
He duly shortened in the betting to 2/1 from 7/2 with the Gr 1 SA Classic winner over this course and distance, Purple Pitcher, also shortening slightly from 28/10 to 5/2 as None Other drifted out from 3/1 to 9/2 and the Gr 1 Wollavington 2000 winner Silver Sanctuary drifted out from 9/2 to 7/1 and her progressive stablemate Forgiveness, who was way under sufferance on official merit ratings, drifted out from 7/1 to 25/2 while former SA Oaks runner up My Soul Mate stayed steady at 6/1 and Radiccio drifted out from 7/1 to 10/1.
Son Of Raj also had the advantage of pole position in the small seven horse field.
Gavin Lerena relaxed him well from the off and sat behind the natural front-runner Purple Pitcher.
Purple Pitcher set steady fractions in the soft ground, but Son Of Raj behind him had relaxed superbly throughout and was striding out nicely.
My Soul Mate hit the front as they approached the 400m mark, but Son Of Raj and Forgiveness were close up on either side of her as they swept past a beaten looking Purple Pitcher.
However, it was soon clear that the only one who was still full of running in the testing conditions was Son Of Raj, although the brave Purple Pitcher was fighting back on the inside.
Son Of Raj ran out a 1,90 length winner from the gallant Purple Pitcher, from whom he received 3kg.
My Soul Mate was beaten 3,10 lengths into third with Radiccio a 3,90 length fourth and Forgiveness a 4,30 length fifth.
Son Of Raj went into the race merit rated 119, which is the same rating he ran off in the Hollywoodbets Durban July when beaten 19,55 lengths.
He was beaten 8,60 lengths in the Gold Cup off 119 too.
However, his holiday clearly did him good, so he will likely have another crack at the July and if he gets into the final field it will be dream time again for passionate Durbanite Steven Chetty.
The handicappers have not changed Son Of Raj’s rating of 119.
Son Of Raj was raised at Boland Stud and is a son of the deceased Cartier Champion Duke Of Marmalade out of the three-time winning Black Minnaloushe mare, Freudinia.
He has now won 5 races with 5 places from 20 starts for stakes of R1 587 250.
Son Of Raj is a half-brother to the useful Listed -winning stayer Arumugam.
The subsquent siblings to Son Of Raj was a filly by Futura, who finished well beaten in three starts and currently there is a colt by The United States, the Tony Peter-trained Status, who finished a promising two length third on debut over 1450m on December 19 last year.
Steven Chetty owns Status in partnership with S Govindsamy.
Meanwhile, Gavin Lerena’s double on the day matched Craig Zackey’s double down at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, meaning Zackey stayed three wins clear on the national jockeys log. Fourie only had a single winner in Cape Town and was 14 wins behind Zackey at close of play on Saturday.
Zackey was on 146 wins achieved at a strike rate of 18.32%, Lerena was on 143 at 26.68% and Fourie was on 132 at 24.18%.
However, at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday Zackey rode a double while Lerena scored a blank, meaning the gap is now five.
