A Virtue! Copper Parade gallops clear under Muzi Yeni to win the NBT Cradock Place Stakes (Coastal Photos)
The Lecture gelding Copper Parade has been an elusive customer to follow. A Gr1 winner in 2010 as a 2yo, he never quite rose to the heights once predicted. But his followers patience was rewarded with an emphatic win in the R90 000 Cradock Place Stakes at Arlington on Friday.
Copper Parade was trained by Joey Ramsden when he secured the first cheque under Piere Strydom in the R500 000 Gr1 Golden Horseshoe (then run at Clairwood) over the Mike De Kock trained Kavanagh way back in 2010.
Now a 6yo, the gelding has only ever managed two wins in the interim, but has seldom been far off the action.
He returned from a rest of ten weeks in this 1200m non black type feature after banging around in Champions Season and was produced in fine fettle by the current Hollywoodbets.net Star of the Week, Yvette Bremner.
With Sidestep and Two Gun Kid losing ground at the jump, Copper Parade was settled in fifth by Muzi Yeni from his 1 draw, as Richard Fourie took Cap Alright around from his 8 draw to show the way from Never Forever and Bois De Var.
Into the home run Cap Alright came to the outside and continued to gallop as a brief challenge by Never Forever dissolved into nothing, with Copper Parade finishing well.
Copper Parade floated into the lead at the 300m marker as Cap Alright came under pressure.
Yvette Bremner. Good day at the office
In a matter of strides Muzi Yeni punched him out and the son of Lecture strode away well to win with authority in a time of 72,52 secs.
He beat the gallant 28 to 10 favourite Cap Alright by 1,75 lengths, while the winner’s stablemate Celtic Fire plugged on for third and another honest performance.
The newly blinkered Silent Partner ran an eyecatching fourth when staying on well, and the Mitch Wiese galloper should pay to follow over slightly further next time.
The fancied Two Gun Kid was outpaced late and faded to ninth and five lengths off the winner. He is far better over further, and should not be written off quite yet.
Copper Parade, who went off at 7 to 2, was a third winner on the day for the Bremner and Yeni combination. He runs in the gold and black of Hedley MGrath, who races him in partnership with Peter and Val Fenix’s Optima Trust.
The winner was bred by Ascot Stud and is by Lecture, out of the once winning Al Mufti mare, Copper Horizon.
Copper Parade is now a winner of 6 races with 13 places from 41 starts.
He took his earnings with this win to R960 225.
He is a classy sort who should win again on this level of performance.
