A plan come together! Trainer Lucky Houdalakis provided the Drakenstein team with a PE Gold Cup success at Fairview on Friday when the Franschhoek team’s home-bred Battleground rounded off an incredible journey from Vereeniging with a well deserved victory in the only feature of a low-key local weekend.
The historic PE Gold Cup is a contest with a proud record over the decades, and while the once longest race in South Africa has tumbled down the status charts to a non black-type rating these days, the 3200m contest always delivers the goods in terms of a visual spectacle.
And on Friday the 2024 renewal had another angle, as the Lucky Houdalakis Racing Team spiced things with a very rare raid from their Vereeniging base.
Smanga Khumalo has Battleground finding more as Juan Carlos (Chase Maujean) gives plenty of cheek (Pic – Pauline Herman)
Natalie Houdalakis paid tribute to Drakenstein and her own team and told the Sporting Post that this had ‘been the plan for some time’.
“It’s quite a logistical exercise and we have the New Turf Carriers team to thank too. We were going to take a companion down and take up the whole float. But then Matthew and Mark (Sham) managed to bring in a few other horses,” added the happy trainer’s wife.
She explained that Battleground had left the Vaal on Tuesday and reached Colesberg before 18h00 that evening for an overnight. They then left the stopover on Wednesday morning at 08h30, and arrived at Duncan Mckenzie’s yard at lunch time the same day.
“Battleground took the trip in his stride. We call him Beegee – both for his name, and for the fact that he is a ‘Big Giant’ at 17hh. He is such a laid-back lovable horse and he showed courage to fight off Juan Carlos at the end, too!” said Natalie.
Richard Fourie led the gallop on Bournemouth, but the son of Canford Cliffs capitulated in the straight and Battleground (14-10) moved through down the centre with Smanga Khumalo just shaking him up late as Chase Maujean and Juan Carlos (9-2) threatened to spoil the party late.
At the line, Battleground held Tara Laing’s charge by a quarter length in a time of 207,32 secs.
Harold The Duke (14-1) completed the trifecta, a further 3,50 lengths back.
Bournemouth faded out of the money.
Bred by Drakenstein, the winner is a son of Futura out of the Arch mare Archerfield, and went through the BSA National 2yo sales-ring for R140 000.
Now a winner of 4 races with 11 places from 21 starts, Battleground has earned stakes of R445 375.
