Gladatorian storms home to win the Gr 1 HKJC Champions Cup (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Gladatorian had a nice rest after his magnificent win in the Gr 1 HKJC Champions Cup. He rested on the Summerveld smallholding of Manfred Rohwer. The property was formerly owned by Stuart’s guvnor Dennis Drier, who now lives in Cape Town.
Drier might soon have reason to get out of bed early in Cape Town, because Gladatorian, whom he originally trained, is to be sent there for a Cape Summer campaign.
The six-year-old Vercingetorix gelding will be staying at Lucinda Woodruff’s Milnerton yard and perhaps the latter’s five-times SA champion trainer father, Geoff Woodruff, will also take an interest in him.
Gladatorian will be going the traditional route for the best older horses. i.e. the Gr 2 weight for age with penalties Green Point Stakes over 1600m, the Gr 1 weight for age (wfa) L’Ormarins King’s Plate over 1600m and maybe the Gr 1 wfa WSB Met over 2000m too.
All three of races are on the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Summer course.
The Green Point Stakes is to be run on December 13.
Stuart has earmarked a race in KZN for Gladatorian at the beginning of November which will either be over 1200m or 1400m, depending on whether they stand up.
Stuart does not believe he himself will have to go down to Cape Town often as he is not envisaging Gladatorian having to have a gallop.
He said, “The Green Point will be his gallop, so I might just go down between races.”
Stuart is having a good season so far and that included a four-timer on the first day of the season and he has had three more winners since.
He said, “The horses have been running well, I can’t complain.”
He is looking forward to the promising William Longsword gelding Town Crier’s run over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday, which will be his first run as a gelding. He is a half-brother to former stakes-winning inmate Pray For Rain (Soft Falling Rain) and the form of his win second time out over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville has been franked.
Stuart is also looking forward to the debut of the Hollywood Racing-owned Rafeef colt Cognac, who runs in a 1200m Maiden on Sunday, as he rates him “a nice” horse.
