The Xander and Corne Spies-trained Trompe L’Oeil was an unlucky loser in his second start, having won in narrow but eyecatching style on debut, and his supporters must have feared the worst again today at the Vaal Classic track when he flyjumped and lost a number of lengths at the start of a 1000m handicap.
However, he had the right man aboard, Gavin Lerena, who did not panic and allowed him to find his rhythm and gather speed on the outside fence.
He was soon back in contention and in the end Lerena could literally switch him into cruise mode.
Lerena drove the horse with the hands between the 400m and 200m marks. It soon became clear he was eating up the ground and was going to catch the leader on the other side of the track, Sergeant Soqrat.
Lerena thus just sat on the young 91-rated three-year-old for the final 200m and he cruised in to win on the bit by 1,90 lengths, despite having lost plenty of ground at the start and giving the four-year-old Segeant Soqrat 7kg.
Lonely As A Cloud ran on well to be beaten 2,80 lengths into third in the small five horse field.
Lerena said in the interview afterwards Trompe L’Oeil was still mentally immature. He said he had got a fright from something on the outside, which had caused him to flyjump.
Xander Spies said boldly he believed that once the penny dropped Tromp L’Oeil would become a “top sprinter.”
The bay is strongly built and is certainly going the right way.
