Cruel To Be Kind

Drama! Love Struck (blue and red) holds off the late challenge of Tellina

KZN trainer Paul Lafferty has mastered the fine art of winning feature races by remote control.His charge Love Struck scored a sensational win at Turffontein on Saturday in the R2 million Gr1 SA Classic  to  survive a hammering onslaught from the favourite Tellina and a nerve wracking objection after the race.

It doesn’t get more dramatic than the final strides of the richest 3yo race in Africa, as Sean Cormack plugged away as the awesome shadow of the favourite Tellina loomed large down his outside.

Robbie Fradd threw the kitchen sink and the Jacuzzi at his mount, but the photo showed that Love Struck had hung on to win by a desperately close short head.

The two horses came together at the 300m marker, and it appeared that Cormack had switched whip hands to keep his mount on a straight course. In doing so he appeared to strike Tellina across the face, and Woodruff’s Silvano colt’s stride shortened as a result thereof.

The big horse regained his stride, but just could not get past Love Struck.

The Stipes overruled jockey Robbie Fradd’s objection, and the Woodruff team’s Triple Crown hopes lay in tatters on the stipes boardroom table.

Love Struck was out early before being eased back as Gray’s Champ led him , with Francois Bernardus in third ahead of No Worries.

Grays Champ led for home with Love Struck on his heels and with War Horse looking dangerous down the middle.

In the charge for home Love Struck kept finding as Tellina ranged up alongside at the 300m under an animated Robbie Fradd. After the alleged bash to the face, Tellina lost a valuable stride or two and the bird had flown.

Winning connections. Owner Alesh Naidoo and trainer Paul Lafferty seen together in a rare file photo

Try as hard as any jockey could, Fradd just could not carry the dream and Love Struck had his measure by a short head in a time of 111,59 secs.

It was a first Gr1 winner for Paul Lafferty, who attended the Dubai World Cup festivities. His KZN based assistant Mike Burns was not at Turffontein, so the wily Joe Soma deserves most of the credit for having Love Struck spot on.

Training by remote control was in the spotlight during the Cape Summer Season, when Joey Ramsden achieved great success with the Gary Alexander charge, Blueridge Mountain.

Flamboyant winning owner Alesh Naidoo said that he had sacrificed his regular  trip to run the Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town, to be at Turffontein. He said that he had nominated his horse for the race as Lafferty had said he would not stay. Naidoo paid tribute to the Joey Soma yard who had trained the horse after the Guineas.

Love Struck had been prepped by Cape trainer Shane Humby when  registering his previous win in the Listed Breeders Cup Politician Stakes (also over 1800m) on L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Day at Kenilworth in mid January.

Winning jockey Sean Cormack, who deserves all the credit for keeping his head down and riding his mount all the way to the line, said that he went in with obvious stamina doubts in the conditions.

Love Struck went off unfancied at 20 to 1. Alec Laird’s Gitiano ran on well for third, ahead of War Horse who became a little one paced in the closing stages.

The disappointments included recent Egoli Mile winner Bay Of Bengal, the Graeme Beck Stakes winner Francois Bernardus, and Tony Ruffel Stakes winner Fantastic Mr Fox, who ran poorly and finished last.

Love Struck is a Summerhill Stud bred and is by Kahal out of the five time winning Rambo Dancer mare, Particular Passion.

A R260 000 National Yearling Sale purchase, he has now won 5 races with 3 places from 13 starts  and has earned R1 561 540.

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