A Cape based half-brother to past Cape Guineas and Selangor Cup winner Le Drakkar gave the local stars something to think about when he rallied powerfully under a balanced ride by Gavin Lerena to win the R75 000 Guineas Plate at Fairview on Friday.
Gavin Lerena gets down low to drive King Of The Rally up to beat Pacific Spirit and Karl Zechner (Pic – Coastal Photos)
Only six 3yo’s went to post for the non black-type mile contest on the turf, but it dished up a thrilling finish, with Lerena at his best on a horse who didn’t look to be giving his all.
Looking beaten inside the distance, King Of The Rally lived up to his name to come right back to beat the well-performed local Pacific Spirit by 0,25 lengths in a time of 99,37 secs.
Only 0,3 lengths covered the first three home, with Alan Greeff’s Green Lantern running on nicely for third.
Originally an A$11,000 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale purchase from the Widden Stud draft for Paul Lafferty Racing, King Of The Rally was consigned by Klawervlei Stud on the 2015 CTS Lanzerac Ready To Run Sale where he was signed for at R1,2 million by Green Street Bloodstock.
The winner races for recent Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup winning owner, Michael Leaf.
Sebring
He is by More Than Ready’s son Sebring who has sired 50 stakes horses from just 4 crops of racing age. Versatility has been one of his hallmarks as he has produced both sex stakes winners from 1000m to 2400m.
King Of The Rally is the fourth winner for the New Zealand-bred Mi Preferido stakes-winner My Mo Rally.
Justin Snaith, who currently leads the SA national log, took the training honours on the afternoon with a hat-trick, two of which were ridden by Gavin Lerena.
Snaith also enjoyed a special victory in the biggest stakes race of the day when his 7yo True Master found his best form under Muzi Yeni to hold off his 8yo stablemate Jet Explorer in the mile R100 000 Pinnacle Stakes.
Muzi Yeni steers True Master to a convincing win to round off the Snaith hat-trick (Pic – Coastal Photos)
The ill-fated champion Jet Master sired the trifecta, with Master James improving again to grab third.
True Master was a R1,2 million National Yearling Sale graduate and was bred by Varsfontein Stud out of the very well performed Badger Land mare, Bushra – a seven time winner from 1200m to 1800m.
Aurelien Lemaitre – his riding is a lot better than his english!
Former Ormond Ferraris assistant Sharon Kotzen saddled her first winner as a trainer when the Bankable filly Treize kept going under an enthusiastic ride by French rider Aurelien Lemaitre to win the seventh race.
Greg Cheyne and Alan Greeff enjoyed a double, as did JP van der Merwe and Gavin Smith.
Gavin Lerena, who rode a cracking double, was stood down prior to the tenth race after being treated for a cramp earlier.
The local jockeys held the visiting team to 226 – 174 points in the Air Mauritius International Jockeys’ Challenge.
