Leading owner and breeder Laurence Wernars enjoyed a red-letter day at Turffontein on Saturday, capped by the Fanie Bronkhorst trained Pure Predator, who became the first 3yo winner of the R500 000 TAB Gr2 Colorado King Stakes in many a long year.
Pure Predator (Richard Fourie) becomes the first 3yo winner of the TAB Gr2 Colorado King Stakes in many a long year (Pic – JC Photos)
In yet another Gr2 contest on The Championships Finale day dominated by the sophomores, Pure Predator (17-10) showed no ill effects after his hard chasing second behind Purple Pitcher in the SA Derby three weeks earlier, as he cruised in and was geared down by Richard Fourie off a slow gallop to beat the flattered late chasing Hotarubi (7-2) by 0,75 lengths in a time of 123,56 secs.
Another Wernars flagbrearer, the 6yo Puerto Manzano (16-1), the only non Hollywoodbets Durban July entry in Saturday’s field, trailed his field for much of the trip, but showed a youthful dash of enthusiasm late to run past the stragglers and round off the quartet, some 3,25 lengths off the runner-up.
The Winning Form-sponsored Richard Fourie was celebrating his third winner of the afternoon.
“The only worry for me was the pace. I was instructed to drop him out, but the pace was pedestrian. So I pulled him out three deep at around the 1200m, and he took the bit – and we ended up in a dream seat! He needs to grow into himself. He’s a lovely horse,” added the SA National Champion elect.
The Hollywoodbets-sponsored Fanie Bronkhorst is enjoying the season of his life.
“He’s a still a baby, and he’s going to be a good horse one day,” Bronkhorst said of the SA Derby runner-up, who is a 2024 Hollywoodbets Durban July entrant.
This was Pure Predator’s maiden stakes success as he took his tally to 3 wins with 9 places from 16 starts for stakes of R910 875.
A son of the ill-fated New Predator, who also raced in the same silks, Pure Predator was bred by Laurence Wernars out of the Var mare, Little Sparrow.
