The well travelled Indigo Magic gelding Prince Of Orange put his best foot forward under a peach of a ride by man-of-the-moment Gavin Lerena to give Candice Dawson’s CK Racing a big victory in the R250 000 WSB Heritage Consolation at the Vaal on Saturday.
Gavin Lerena (black cap) gets low and serious as he drives Prince Of Orange to the line as third-placed Forest Fox challenges on the outside (Pic -JC Photos)
This was the fledgeling trainer’s biggest success to date since capturing the R200 000 RA Flamingo Mile in early August and she had her charge – who doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence with the way he travels to the start- tuned to the minute.
The blonde Ms Dawson trains a twenty-strong string for the Ralphs family and is based just outside Randjesfontein on a private training establishment.
With two of her three runners on Grand Heritage day lining up in the consolation race, it presented her major chance of striking and the talented 8-1 shot Prince Of Orange (trained previously by Roy Magner and Mike Azzie) produced a great finish to beat the persistent Counterstroke by a head in a time of 87,24 secs.
This was his first win in over twenty months – and Gavin Lerena’s fifth success on the day!
Forest Fox had looked dangerous for a long way and was a nostril away in third, with the classy Halve The Deficit 1,20 lengths back in fourth.
The Oldlands Stud-bred Orange Moon is a 5yo gelded son of Indigo Magic out of the seven-time winning Dominion Royale mare, Orange Moon.
A R120 000 National Yearling Sale graduate, he has won 4 races with 7 places from 23 starts and took his stakes earnings with this win to R440 150.
