King Of The Gauls completes a fine day for boom sire Vercingetorix (one Gr 1 winner and two Listed winners) at the World Pool Gold Cup meeting on Sunday at Hollywoodbets Greyville. (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
The Tony Rivalland-trained King Of The Gauls completed a fine day for the boom sire Vercingetorix on World Pool Gold Cup day when winning the last race under the lights, the Listed LHKIR in December Umngeni Handicap over 1000m under a fine ride by Gavin Lerena.
This race was won by the subsequent Equus Champion Sprinter Isivunguvungu in 2022 and King Of The Gauls could well follow in his footsteps.
Part owner of King Of The Gauls, Robert Bloomberg, explained last week what had gone wrong in his Gr 2 Post Merchants run, “The first issue last time was we didn’t think we were going to get a run (he was first reserve) and Tony eased up on the horse and he was probably a gallop short. He was terribly above himself in the parade ring, on his toes, snorting like a bull. In the race there was a gap at one stage for him to slot in on the fence but once the horse had taken the jockey on he had no alternative but to let the horse go. I’m surprised he lasted until the 150m mark under the circumstances. Being beaten four and a half lengths after he had left the horse alone wasn’t as bad as it may appear on paper. Gavin, unlike Grant last time, knows the horse from Cape Town. You just cannot fight this horse. You need him to do what he wants to do. My horse has got superb gate speed and he got across very easily last time without using up much horse. So hopefully Gavin can do that again. But you have to settle this horse. Having said that, you can’t fight him in the process.”
So the step down to 1000m was likely going to suit the Vercingetorix gelding, because logically it was going to allow him a better chance of settling as the pace was going to be quicker.
Those who had read it correctly would have been licking ther lips on Sunday when King Of The Gauls drifted out to a starting price of 14/1.
Lerena duly rode the perfect race.
The gelding was out the stalls in a flash and with Lerena just holding him together he easily got over in to a one out and one back position.
Lerena had him in his hands on a beautiful long rein as they rounded the bend approaching the straight.
He got to work at the 350m mark and this time there was plenty still in the tank.
The strongly built bay quickened well and galloped all the way to the line to win by a cosy 1,90 lengths without ever coming under pressure.
Lunarcam was second and Donquerari was a 2,40 length third.
The twice winner of this race, Pray For Rain, finished a 2,70 length fourth and fifth-placed Black Egret was beaten three lengths.
The favourite was two-year-old Pistol Pete, who was a skinny even money price considering it was his first start around the turn. The Buffalo Bill Cody colt took an awkward step early and was soon stuck in the pack, so for a horse who is used to dominating his chances looked forlorn and so it proved as he was beaten 6,30 lengths into tenth.
The fancied Dreamland is also used to free-wheeling in front down the Turffontein straight. After being unable to get to the front he over-raced behind the vanguard and found nothing in the straight to finish last.
King Of The Gauls should mature into a top sprinter next season.
Gavin Lerena will likely keep the ride with the previous incumbent Richard Fourie having ridden Cafe Culture to victory in the Post Merchants and then been aboard Dreamland on Sunday.
Tony Rivalland said after the race: “Gavin couldn’t have ridden a better race. He rode with confidence and doesn’t get flustered easily. I thought it would work out well and something (a horse) had to go. He’s quick and was over in a flash. The Merchants didn’t work out well on July day with all the noise. Grant nearly had him in behind, but couldn’t hold him and went up the hill flat out. Today was a lot better. He actually cantered this morning and yet he’s so full of himself. He gets a bit wired up under the lights. I think he’s better up the straight, which we’ll see when he goes back to Cape Town later on. He’s won 2 listed races this season and he might have a big one in the tank somewhere. He might even be a better 4-year-old.”
Part-owner Mary Liley said, “Lovely horse. I told lots of people that if he could overcome the draw, he would be a certainty. It’s wonderful. He’s one of my favourite horses”.
Robert Bloomberg said, “That was some win from the draw. Yes, he liked the 1000m trip, but he gets 1200m no problem. Remember he won over six furlongs into a headwind at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. The secret is he needs to be setlled. It was a great ride today by Gavin. His gatespeed is phenomenal which aided our cause.”
The connections plan to give him one more run at Hollywoodbets Scottsville before resting him and then sending him down to Paddy Kruyer for the Cape Season.
They have a big race program mapped out for him, presuming everything goes according to plan.
King Of The Gauls was a R700,000 purchase at the Cape Racing Sales Cape Premier Yearling Sale.
From just 12 starts he has now won five races, including two Listed events, and has earned R525,937.
