The Tony Rivalland trained King Of The Gauls, a promising young sprinting prospect, was allowed to run free at 14-1 to win the R200 000 LHKIR In December Listed Umngeni Handicap in good style.
King Of The Gauls (Gavin Lerena) storms clear to win the LHKIR In December Listed Umngeni Handicap (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
“He was a certainty with a better draw,” quipped Mary Liley, who races the winner in partnership with Atlantic Seaboard based Robert Bloomberg, whom we believe had a tickle and had touted the handsome bay as a serious speed prospect for next term some months ago.
The 1000m feature closed a successful World Pool Gold Cup day at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.
After winning the Listed In Full Flight Stakes in April, King Of The Gauls found Teflon Man and Craig Zackey in devastating form at his penultimate start, and then didn’t enjoy the crowds on Hollywoodbets Durban July day, where he gave Grant van Niekerk a tough time and ran just under five lengths off Café Culture in the Gr2 Post Merchants.
From a 14 draw on Sunday, the 3yo benefitted from a superb ride by the cucumber cool Gavin Lerena who used the gelding’s gate speed to beat the draw.
In the home run, King Of The Gauls (14-1) stormed clear in a rather clinical victory to beat the pacy Lunarcam (50-1) by 1,90 lengths in a time of 58 secs flat for the 1000m.
Donquerari (66-1) and Pray For Rain (50-1) rounded off the quartet.
A R700 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale purchase, King Of The Gauls has now won 5 races with 4 places from 12 starts for stakes of R525 938.
He was bred by Maine Chance Farms and is a son of Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of the High Chaparral mare, Grande Roche.
