Picture : Rule Book brought home today (Tuesday) by Philasande Mxoli (JC Photos)
The Alec Laird-trained Global View gelding Rule Book had the field stretched out like the washing when winning the last race over 2600m at Turffontein Inside today (Tuesday).
It was his fourth career win for owner Grant Cornwall.
He turned for home in midfield and ran on resolutely before fending off the challenge of the big stayer, Breeze Over, who started favourite at 2/1, to win by 1,75 lengths.
The third finisher American Grayson was beaten a further three lengths and the fourth and fifth placed horses, Over Two You and Flying First Class, were beaten eight and eleven lengths respectively.
Rule Book was actually beaten 3,50 lengths by Breeze Over last time out over the same course and distance and was today facing him on 1,5kg better terms.
However, Alec Laird said before the race, “Rule Book is terribly lazy at home, he gives nothing away, but he should be close to his peak now.”
This was his fourth run after a layoff of close to seven months.
He was only merit-rated 75 in today’s Middle Stakes event but was 2,5kg under sufferance with the best-weighted Flying First Class.
Hopefully, Alec can keep him ticking along at his peak for a while, because he looks to have the potential to win more races and maybe a feature race.
His four wins have been over 2000m, 2400m and twice over 2600m, which emphasizes his stamina capacity.
Global View’s two Group wins were over 1600m (Gr 3) and 1700m (Gr 2), but he is by stamina influence Galileo.
Furthermore, Rule Book, who is out of a British-bred Medicean mare, is a half-brother to Archipenko gelding Royal Honour, who won the Listed Aquanaut Handicap over 2400m as well the Gr 2 Ok Grand Challenge over 1800m at Borrowdale in Zimbabwe.
Rule Book stays all day and looks to be one to follow, as he is still quite lightly raced for a five-year-old.
He had a six month layoff between June and December last year as well as that aforementioned layoff between January and late July this year, meaning he has only had 15 career runs to date.
Today’s runner up Breeze Over, a Mike and Adam Azzie Twice Over gelding who has had eleven starts for one win and no fewer than seven seconds, gave Rule Book 2kg and also looks to be a stayer who will pay to follow.
