Crown Of Gold stays on best to beat Paddy O’Reilly (Coastal Photos)
Trainer Tara Laing showed great character and professionalism by overcoming a ‘horrible virus’ that has plagued her string in recent weeks, by registering a terrific feature double at Fairview on Friday. Crown Of Gold won the Listed Glenlair Trophy, which was run for the first time at Fairview this year following the closure of Arlington last season.
The feisty blonde horsewoman has plugged away relentlessly with her 36 strong string and showed the great advantage of putting her horses first at all times.
It no doubt also helps that she has a patron of the strength of the Joostes, as many less financially muscled owners have been known to succumb to the impatience bogey.
Laing’s rebound from despair with a feature winning double, both winners of which were ridden by Raymond Danielson. came perilously close to overshadowing the steamroller Justin Snaith machine’s four winners on the afternoon(three ridden by Richard Fourie) and Grant Van Niekerk’s well taken double.
A fomer PE Gold Cup winner, Crown OF Gold was easy to back at 7 to 1, with Cape challenger Paddy O’ Reilly going off a weak 11 to 2 favourite.
The 6,5kg weight difference between the two horses told in the final 100m as Crown Of Gold stayed on relentlessly.
Tara Laing bounced back
Tara Laing had two in the race, with Drill Sargeant marginally more fancied.
And the race went perfectly according to plan as Vital Match led Gianduja into the home straight, with Bordered In Grey and Drill Sargeant in touch. Paddy O’Reilly was near the rear.
At the 400m marker Danielson made a brave decisive move and let Crown Of Gold go, as Fayd’herbe was steering Paddy O’Relly through traffic.
At the 200m marker Paddy O’Reilly still looked in with a chance of scoring a double but his effort was in vain as Crown Of Gold held on stoutly to win by a half length. No time was published.
The Cape challenger stayed on gamely for second under his welterweight of 64kgs.
Jockey Raymond Danielson, who always appears to be a far more talented rider than his statistics would suggest, said his mount was always travelling well.
“I followed Muzi on Gianduja through to the 400m and then pressed the button. I had been watching his last few runs and I knew he could make up the ground and had the form to win this.”
An emotional trainer Tara Laing said she was thrilled after ‘weeks of nailbiting.’
“I have been calling Derek Brugman ten times a day. He told me to be calm and keep plugging away. Now its payback time. He is a lovely little horse and I earmarked this race some time ago. I only have thirty six boxes, so I have to work hard to keep my head above water.”
Originally trained by Joey Ramsden, for whom he won 4 races,Crown Of Gold stays very well.
He was bred by Midlands Equine and is by Silvano out of the Australian bred Palace Music mare, Palace Bride.
Ramsden has had tremendous success with the progeny of this mare. She has been nothing short of a true star, producing stakes winning progeny from 1200m to 3600m.
Raymond Danielson rode a feature double
He has trained all of Silver Mist (Western Winter), Shades Of Indigo (Indigo Magic) and Crown Of Gold.
Silver Mist was a superb late run specialist miler, who famously got closest to dethroning Pocket Power in his heyday.
Few of us will forget how we held our breath when he got to within a whisker of the legend in the Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate in December 2006.
The 7yo Shades Of Indigo won the 2011 Gr2 Cape Merchants, in a trojan career of service to Gisela Burg and Martin Wickens.
Palace Bride(AUS) also produced the Mike Bass trained Ze Kaiser, who is a full brother to Crown Of Gold, and is stakes placed.
Crown Of Gold cost R225 000 on the National Yearling Sale. and is now a winner of 5 races with 12 places from 30 starts.
He has earned a total of R457 410 in stakes.
Laing launched her feature double with Red Barrel’s victory a half hour earlier in the R100 000 NBT Fairview 1400.
The son of Right Approach registered his first win in the province after a spate of seconds, when he just shaded the Snaith’s longshot President Of Pop, who gave plenty of cheek.
