Fire Attack holds off The Ultimate King to win the Gr 3 Betway London News Stakes (JC Photos)
The Alec Laird-trained Fire Attack burst back into prominence on Saturday at Turffontein Standside and appropriately it was in a race named after a horse Alec Laird trained, London News.
Fire Attack came into the Gr 3 London News Stakes over 1800m on Saturday under a cloud as his preparation for his first big target of the season, the L’Ormarins King’s Plate, had gone awry and he then finished last in that race.
However, what gave his connections and supporters hope on Saturday was the stablemate of Fire Attack, Sunset Riot, annihilating the opposition in a handicap over 1400m in his second run after returning from his own disappointing Cape Town campaign.
That race happened just two runs before the London News Stakes.
However, it still did not see Fire Attack’s status as the best weighted horse in the race converting to favouritism.
Instead it was the Betway Summer Cup runner up Olivia’s Way, who was half-a-kilogram under sufferance with Fire Attack according to official merit ratings, who started 9/4 favourite with Fire Attack at 28/10 and the Ultimate King 33/10.
Willy Meet Again led from the off and Fire Attack sat on her quarter without cover.
Olivia’s Way was content to sit at the back of the six-horse field.
Willy Meet Again opened up a lead in the straight, but was soon being chased by Fire Attack, BusstopinHounslow and The Ultimate KIng with Olivia’s Way starting to make progress from the back.
However, Fire Attack was going the best and held on by a neck from The Ultimate King with Olivia’s Way in third, beaten two lengths.
It was a fine preparation for Fire Attack’s defense of his Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge crown, a 2000m weight for age event that is to be run in seven weeks time on 4 April at Turffontein Standside.
A R450 000 National Yearling Sale purchase, Fire Attack has now won four of his 17 starts with eight places for stakes of R2 532 800.
The Fire Away colt is owned by Messrs G A Basel, G C Cornwall, L Clark & Canine Solutions CC (Nom: Mr D C O’Driscoll).
The other notable happening at the meeting was Sean Tarry scoring a second successive four-timer at a Highveld meeting as he did the same at Turffontein Inside on Thursday.
He had 21 runners for the eight wins at those two meetings and it signals his intent to make his annual charge in the second half of the season, which usually sees him significantly closing the gap on perennial rival Justin Snaith.
