Rule Book being led in after a fine win (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Alec Laird scored a rewarding stakes double at the Champions Day meeting on Saturday and he spoke about the future for the stalwart pair Fire Attack and Rule Book as well as about a tilt at the Hollywoodbets Durban July with Atticus Finch.
Fire Attack is a Fire Away colt and he caused a 33/1 upset in the Gr 2 TAB SA Nursery, beating the 17/2 shot Mount Pinatubo by 2,25 lengths with the the 1 to 4 favourite Pistol Pete beaten 2,50 lengths.
Alec said, “I asked Diego (De Gouveia) after the race, six furlongs or 1400m? He replied 14. The soft ground on the day helped him. We got that horse (Pistol Pete) in the last 100m because of the soft ground. Looking at his female line, he will go a mile.”
Fire Attack is actually from the family of Dave The King, among others, and the latter has finished runner up in a Gr 1 over 2000m before.
Fire Attack’s sire Fire Away was a miler.
Alec said he and the connections had not decided on the route for Fire Atttack yet.
Alec himself is undecided on whether the Gr 1 Gold Medallion over 1200m will be a good idea, but likes the idea of the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horsehose over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Hollywoodbets Durban July day.
Fire Attack has plenty of substance and looks to have plenty of scope for further improvement.
The connections, Gary Basel, Grant Cornwall, L Clarke and Canine Solutions CC, have got a lot to look forward to.
Alec said he usually looked for horses at the Sales in unison with some of his clients and it was no different at last year’s BSA National Yearling Sale, where they found Fire Attack.
However, he added, “We did a bit of legwork, but Gary Basel (who is a cousin of Clyde Basel’s) was adamant about Fire Attack. He said, ‘I don’t care what you guys say, I want this one.’ Gary has a great eye for a horse, I must say.”
In the last race on Saturday a soldier for the stable, the five-year-old Global View gelding Rule Book, came from near the back in the Listed 4Racing Caradoc Gold Cup over 2850m to prevail by a neck under Kaidan Brewer.
KZN-based Grant Cornwall is part-owner in Fire Attack and is the sole owner of Rule Book.
Alec said, “It is Grant’s wish that he runs in the Gold Cup. He’s got a box at Greyville and it will be nice if we can get him into the Gold Cup. So that is the ultimate aim.”
Rule Book is not as lazy as he used to be at home and has now won seven races for Grant.
He has been tried as far as 2850m twice and won both of them, which augurs well for the 3200m Gold Cup. He did only carry 50kg on Saturday, but the conditions were testing.
Alec said, “He’s got a couple of niggles and when his niggles aren’t woryying him he’s obviously a better horse. He’s done us proud and won four race since having serious colic surgery.”
The two horses aforementioned horses will likely raid for the Champions Season.
Alec also plans to have a tilt at the Hollywoodbets Durban July with the smart and progressive Atticus Finch (Master Of My Fate), who was just 4,40 lengths behind Royal Victory in the Gr 1 Bewtway Summer Cup in his last run.
He plans to go the same route as last year’s July winner Winchester Mansion, with the Gr 2 WSB 1900 and Gr 3 Cup Trial being the main qualifying events he will be targeted at.
