Gladatorian beats The Real Prince and See It Again in the Gr 1 HKJC Champions Cup (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Stuart Ferrie is confident the WSB Met will pan out better for Gladatorian than the L’Ormarins King’s Plate did and he could not be happier with the six-year-old Vercingetorix gelding’s well-being.
He said, “He hasn’t put a foot wrong since he’s been down there, except for the last race, which was a disaster, although not him, it was just the way the De Kock pair ran that messed it up for him.”
He finished a 3,95 length seventh in the King’s Plate last time when running on late.
That was not a bad effort at all under the circumstances.
Stuart explained, “The field just became too far strung out. There is a good pace and then there is a stupid pace. We ended up 17 lengths back instead of ten lengths back. You can make up ground on bad horses, but good horses, it is hard to catch them because they can also go fast. So hopefully this time he will be a lot closer.”
Stuart pointed out that Gladatorian was in 13th place at the 300m mark and after that was “flying”, but it was too late to catch the leading few, who, because they are good horses, were able to keep up the gallop.
He added, “It wasn’t a bad run last time, it was just the way the race panned out.”
The smaller field will be in his favour as he should be closer to the leader when turning for home.
He is a horse who often gets there just too late, so it is likely no coincidence that is only Gr 1 win happened in a small field of seven.
The quality of the Gr 1 HKJC Champions Cup field that he beat was top drawer, but just having less ground to make up than usual aided his cause and he ate up the ground late to pass The Real Prince and See It Again. He also beat Fire Attack, Dave The King, Montien and Son Of Raj in that race.
Another point in his favour on Saturday is he has drawn well in four as opposed to his draw of nine out of 14 in the King’s Plate.
This will allow Sean Veale to relax him from the off and still find a position with cover, as opposed to a wide draw when some maneuvering is required.
Stuart said, “The way the talk is going there should be a nice pace on Saturday, not a stupid pace and if he can just be three-quarters of the way back instead of last there’s no reason why he can’t catch them.”
The only time Gladatorian raced beyond the 1800m of the Champions Cup was in the Hollywoodbets Durban July over 2200m, where he finished a five length seventh.
However, Stuart pointed out he had to carry topweight in that race.
He will now be 3,5kg better off with The Real Prince and that should put them almost together on paper.
Furthermore, he had draw 16 in the July compared to The Real Prince’s draw 5, and he is now in barrier position 4 while The Real Prince has draw 6, so he has a reversal of draw fortunes in his favour.
Gladatorian’s sire Vercingetorix won the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and the Gr 1 Jebel Hatta over 1800m and his dam Harvard Crimson was not only by July winner Dynasty but she won a Listed race over 2000m itself.
Furthermore, Gladatorian ran on exceptionally well when winning the Champions Cup, so all things considered he should easily get the Met’s 2000m trip.
Gladatorian was green around the turn in the Green Point, his first time on a left-handed track, but he was fine around the turn in the King’s Plate. Nevertheless, he would have benefited from two runs at the course.
Stuart rates See It Again as the horse to beat.
He said, “Eight On Eighteen had a bout of biliary and horses who have been sick, you never know how well they are even if they look well. If his biliary did not effect him, which none of us know as you never really know what is going on inside, then he is the one to beat. But if you told me I had to have a bet on a horse, I would have a bet on See It Again.”
He concluded, “Gladatorian should be about eight lengths closer to the pace on Saturday, even if he is sitting last, and his prep has gone smoothly.”
