Lord Badger (Greg Cheyne) draws clear to win easily (Coastal Photos)
A former East Cape Guineas winner bounced back to his best to register his first win in over two years when scoring in Friday’s topliner on the Fairview Polytrack.
It is an indication of how long the Badger’s Drift gelding Lord Badger has been plying his trade that a certain former Tellytrack presenter and top-rate jockey rode him to win at generous odds on debut.
Gavin Venter was aboard on 15 May 2011 when the then 2yo scooted home to win a cracker over 1000m, a distance way short of his optimum trip.
He subsequently ran third two runs later in the Gr3 Champion Juvenile Cup behind subsequent Emerald Cup winner In A Rush and a Cape raider by the name of Variety Club, who was to go on and make a name for himself as one of the greatest horses to race in this country, and currently rated the second best racehorse on earth.
Lord Badger went on to win the Listed East Cape Guineas in 2012, but after following up in the Derby Plate and then an MR 70 Handicap in August 2012, couldn’t win again until Friday.
Greg Cheyne rode a confident race
Off a solid pace in Friday’s mile contest, an MR 89 Handicap, Lord Badger was well ridden from the best of the draw by the bang in form Greg Cheyne and he powered home to win by 1,25 lengths in a time of 95,07 secs.
He beat the improved again Swedish King, with Cinderfella just clinging on to third for PA punters from a flying Laurie’s Dancer.
Cinderfella’s stablemate Cannon, a former Gauteng based son of Silvano who was previously trained by Mike De Kock, was sent off a 7 to 2 favourite after a good opening effort in PE, but faded right out to finish 4,20 lengths behind the winner.
The 6yo Lord Badger was bred by Daytona Stud and is Badger’s Drift out of the one-time winning Montjeu mare, Lady Gee.
Lord Badger has won 7 races with 7 places from 29 starts and R399 100 in stakes.
Cheyne and Alan Greeff celebrated a double when they won the next race with the 10 to 1 Australian bred Jay Radical.
Francois Herholdt and Yvette Bremner also pulled off a double with Distiller winning the third race, and the modest Spectrum mare Frosted Flakes rattling Pick 6 punters with a surprise victory in the fourth race.
