Gavin Lerena has been in fine form recently and is pictured above shortly before winning the Durban July for the first time, aboard Kommetdieding, and now has a plum ride in a bid to land a fourth Summer Cup. (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)
Sunday was a momentous day for Gavin Lerena as it was the 22nd anniversary of his first ever winner, the Jeff Freedman-trained Waves Of Argosy at Clairwood on November 3 2002, and he fittingly ended the day at Hollywodbets Greyville with a fine winning ride on the Peter Muscutt-trained Shanta’s Pride.
Gavin Lerena’s first ever winner on November 3, 2002, on the Jeff Freedman-trained Waves Of Argosy (picture supplied).
Lerena had further reason to be upbeat today when it was confirmed by Summerveld trainer Nathan Kotzen that he would be getting the ride on Royal Victory in the Gr 1 R6million Betway Summer Cup to be run over 2000m at Turffontein Standside on November 30.
Muzi Yeni was Royal Victory’s incumbent rider and will be out for a while, having fractured his clavicle in a nasty fall at Turffontein on Saturday, and Lerena would not have liked to have taken over in that way but will be glad Yeni is in good spirits in hospital and had avoided further injury in an incident that could have had a worse outcome.
Royal Victory ran on Sunday at Hollywoodbets Greyville in a Pinnacle Stakes event and ran a fine 1,20 length second under Deryl Daniels.
He was beaten by the ruling Summer Cup favourite See It Again, who was ridden by Rachel Venniker.
Taking the latter’s 1,5kg claim into account Royal Victory will be a massive 4,5kg better off with See It Again in the Summer Cup.
On that form alone Royal Victory’s Summer Cup price of 8/1 with Hollywoodbets looks to be good value compared to See It Again’s price of 28/10, but See It Again did also give Royal Victory 3kg in the July and would have beaten him had he not been hampered late.
See It Again jumped from pole position on Sunday in the 1600m contest and traveled well on the rail in third position under a weight of 62kg minus Venniker’s 1,5kg claim.
Royal Victory, who carried 62kg, sat behind See It Again in the six horse field.
See It Again quickened superbly in the straight as a dream gap opened for him and he ran on well all the way to the line under the hands with just a few shoulder taps by Venniker.
However, Royal Victory ran on just as well under the hands to be beaten just 1,20 lengths.
Nathan Kotzen said today the run was just what he had wanted.
He added Royal Victory had come out of the race well and would just have one more gallop before the Summer Cup, which Royal Victory won last year after being backed in from 80/1 to 33/1.
It has become the five-year-old Pathfork gelding’s pattern to have just one preparation race before taking part in a big race and it is clearly a pattern that works considering he also won the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge last season and was third in the Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Kotzen will use the same travel arrangements as he did for both the Summer Cup and the Challenge last season, which includes the horse being transported on Ted Hughes’ private float.
Later in race seven on Sunday over 1200m Lerena extracted a fine finish from Shanta’s Pride, whom he had got into a handy position from draw two.
It was a notable victory in more ways than one as the Hollywood Syndicate-owned horse was named by Craig Peters, who was commentating on the race.
The progressive William Longsword mare has won two in a row and it was her fourth career victory.
Peters named Shanta’s Pride by using the first two letters of the names of his three children, Sheldon, Angelique and Tacita.
It would have been fitting had it been the Hollywood Syndicate’s 600th career win considering there was a bonus given to the commentator for their 600th (as well as trainer, jockey and groom), but in actual fact it was their 601st win.
Lerena has gone to 58 wins for the season, just ten behind the sidelined Yeni.
Craig Zackey is on 55 wins and Richard Fourie is on 50.
However, it is Fourie who is favourite to retain the national title.
He is quoted at 8/10 by Hollywoodbets with Lerena and Zackey both 4/1 and the unfortunate Yeni now at 9/2.
