Drill Sargeant. Top Stayer on his day
A notable absentee from today’s R150 000 Listed Port Elizabeth Gold Cup to be run over 3600m at Fairview is Tara Laing’s Silvano gelding Crown Of Gold. The Ingrid and Markus Jooste-owned local champion stayer would have been bidding for his hat-trick of wins in South Africa’s longest race.
The 6yo Crown Of Gold won the PE Gold Cup in 2013 when trained by Joey Ramsden and then followed that win up in the same race a year later when in the care of Tara Laing.
The race is a crowd spectacle and stamina test of note and has been won only by horses who genuinely stay. Like in 1994 when the late Arthur Miller-trained longhauler Stateway won the PE Gold Cup for a grand gross stake of R25 000 in the hands of a young Piere Strydom.
He was to go on and win SA’s premier marathon, the Gr1 Gold Cup in a shock result under Andrew Hoffman four months later.
Tara Laing – mixed emotions today
“I’m so disappointed that my champion stayer Crown Of Gold is not running today. He was going for his third consecutive winning chance having won it the last two years, but unfortunately after he won the Glenlair Trophy he didn’t pull up well – and after many tears, frustration and hair pulling, I decided to do what was best for my champion horse and give him the rest and healing time he so richly deserves. The ball has now been thrown into his stable companion’s court – the little horse with the big heart Drill Sargeant. May all steeds contestingthe longest race in Africa all come home safe and sound over the gruelling 3600m. And a big thank you to Jooste Racing Manager Derek Brugman for always standing by my decisions,” said Tara Laing.
Drill Sargeant stays well but will have to take on Sporting Post’s top-rated Cape challenger Paddy O’Reilly at 1 kg worse terms than he met him in the Glenlair Trophy, where he was 0,75 lengths in arrears.
Bernard Fayd’herbe has only the one ride on Paddy O’Reilly – that could be a sign!
The Fairview Bipot kicks off at 12h30.
