Defiant. Vauclair charges in under Ray Danielson to win the Listed East Cape Sprint Cup (Coastal Photos)
Despite finding himself in shark infested deep water at the weights, Tara Laing’s Vauclair gave his highly vaunted opposition that sinking feeling when winning the R150 000 Listed East Cape Sprint Cup at Fairview on Friday. The superbly consistent son of Var has proven a revelation since relocating from the Cape and he looks destined for better.
The lady trainers dominated the feature with Tara Laing beating Yvette Bremner, and what a great job Laing has done with Vauclair.
She threw her charge into the deep end in this weight for age contest, a race he could not win on paper, with recent Gauteng feature winner Copper Parade and Cape galloper Cap Alright standing out on the level weights terms.
After former East Cape champion juvenile In A Rush jumped slowly and never got into the race, Copper Parade led the charge, as Raymond Danielson settled Vauclair three lengths off the action.
Raymond Danielson rode a confident race
Producing him at the right moment inside the 300m as Copper Parade continued to battle on, Danielson got Vauclair into full flight and he drew clear in really impressive style.
Vauclair powered home late to win by 1,25 lengths in a time of 67,11 secs.
Copper Parade ran very freely but (hardly surprisingly) had nothing to offer late and was beaten by the superior horse on the day.
Tetelestai ran on steadily for third but is battling to capture a win in this centre.
The favourite Cap Alright was never going like a winner and he appeared to find his feet at the 400m after being unchracateristically caught for early pace.
After a brief flicker of hope, he faded out disappointingly to run a modest 8,85 lengths behind the winner. He may have just needed it but at these weight terms it was not an exciting run.
He is rising seven and it may be time to call it a day. He has after all earned over a million rand and for a R100 000 buy he has done his connections proud.
The 4yo gelding Vauclair on the other hand is on the up and has won 8 of his 20 starts with 5 places and R420 955 in stakes.
He was purchased by Joey Ramsden at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 for R350 000 and won on debut in June 2012 over the Kenilworth 1200m.
He left Ramsden as a one time winner from eight starts for Tara Laing’s PE yard in March 2013, and the move has been an unqualified success.
He has won seven of his twelve races in the Eastern Cape.
By the superb sire Var, he is out of the Elliodor mare Wild Aster
Pippa Mickleburgh bred the winner
A delighted breeder Pippa Mickleburgh, who with just three of her own mares, has an impressive feature strike rate this season, said afterwards that the winner’s dam Wild Aster had been purchased at a Lammerskraal Mare dispersal sale for R80 000.
“I had buyer’s remorse for a while afterwards.I had bought a barren mare for decent money and thought I was being crazy! But I wanted a Group winning Elliodor. She was one of the last left and she came from a really nice family. She proved a fantastic buy in the end. The Var / Elliodor cross has worked so well and I was so sad when she left us for the paddock in the sky,” she said.
Wild Aster was trained by the late Michael Airey and won 6 races, including the (then) Gr2 Majorca Stakes in 1998 in the hands of champion jockey Garth Puller, beating Fair Bianca and Eternal Dancer.
She has produced a host of winners, amongst others the five time winner Clarkie’s Promise (by Western Winter), five time winner Blue Lace Agate (by Rakeen), four time winner Wild Kodiak (by Western Winter) and trainer Michael Robert’s smart maiden winner, Valsaintes, a full brother to Vauclair, last weekend at Clairwood.
Vauclair has the blood, the temperament, and most importantly the ability to go a mile in our estimation.
Well done to Tara Laing for a great training feat. Vauclair is in good hands.
