There is no substitute for genuine class and that axiom was demonstrated in no uncertain terms at Fairview on Friday when the 8yo Copper Parade raced home like an enthusiastic schoolboy to lift the spoils in the R150 000 Listed East Cape Sprint Cup.
Copper Parade has been around for what feels like forever – and we mean around the proverbial block, a few times!
Copper Parade (Karl Zechner) holds off Villa Del Largo (S’manga Khumalo) to win the speed feature (Pic – Coastal Photos)
To put this fellow in perspective, he made a winning debut for Alan Greeff at Arlington and a week later travelled to Cape Town where he won his second start in the 2yo Listed feature on Met day – the year River Jetez beat Mother Russia )both of whom have potential champion offspring racing this term), with the legendary Pocket Power in third.
If you’re a racing person, that will date Copper Parade for you!
Since then he has started a further 62 times, for 8 more wins, including two ‘away’ Gr1’s and spent a large portion of his career with Joey Ramsden.
But Yvette Bremner has performed the real magic with the old boy, who keeps rolling along and has lost none of enthusiasm for the game.
He showed that in no uncertain terms, with a killer performance under Karl Zechner in a small, but very competitive field of speedsters over the straight 1200m.
Yvette Bremner – saddled the winner
Tara Laing saddled half the field, but the sticky going appeared to unsettled pre-race fancy Vauclair, and he could do no better than third, a couple of lengths off – but hardly disgraced.
Copper Parade held off Villa Del Lago by a half length in a time of 67,71 secs, producing his trademark late burst.
The popular winner was bred by Ascot Stud and is by Lecture out of the one-time winning Al Mufti mare, Copper Horizon.
Copper Parade took his stakes earnings to R2 299 525 and was registering his eleventh win with 24 places from 64 starts.
The word is they have plans for him still this season – we can almost ‘hear the drums’!
