It was heartening that two of the smaller Eastern Cape yards scored feature wins at Fairview on Friday to break the stranglehold of the power-players who well and truly dominate matters week in and week out.
One of the game’s great survivors and a soldier amongst SA’s fairer sex trainers, Tara Laing has done a remarkable job with the former Mike de Kock resident Sequoia, who has paid his way since purchased off a BSA online sale and having his first outing for the family yard back in September 2023.
Sequoia (Chase Maujean) puts his head down to pip Cherry Ano as Underworld (Richard Fourie) runs on for third (Pic – Pauline Herman)
“He was so ill a year ago, He had a virus and we thought we were going to lose him. But he’s a tough fellow and he showed that he still has plenty in the tank. Of he wasn’t boxed in on Friday, I reckon he wins by a length,” Tara Laing told the Sporting Post as she asked that a special mention of thanks goes out to her partner Gavin Venter for mapping out Sequoia’s prep runs, prior to Friday’s success in the non-black type R175 000 Fairview Mile
“Congratulations to our loyal owner Lorette Louw and breeders Maine Chance Farms, and to Chase Maujean for a fantastic ride,” she added.
Regular pilot Maujean got the gelding up at 7-2 to beat Cherry Ano (5-2) by a head in a time of 98,99 secs.
The favourite Underworld drifted from 7-10 to 9-4 and ran third, a further three quarters of a length back.
A R650 000 National Yearling Sale graduate, Sequoia is a 6yo gelded son of Querari (Oasis Dream) out of the well-related unraced Rakeen mare Shasta Daisy.
Raced by Lorette Louw & Tara Laing, Sequoia has now won 7 races with 14 places from 37 starts and has won R655 800 in stakes.
Put him in the black book – he will win more.
Juan Nel saddled Evie’s First to win the Fairview Merchants, a half hour later.
