19th Grade 1 Victory For Lerena

It has been a decade since Gavin Lerena won the SA Champion jockey title and all the signs suggest that the 39 year old is set for a vintage season after securing his maiden L’Ormarins King’s Plate trophy on the exciting Vaughan Marshall-trained 3yo One Stripe in scintillating fashion at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth last Saturday.

On a short suspension this week, and taking a snap break with his family at Zimbali on the North Coast, Gavin chatted to the Sporting Post. He is tied in joint first with Craig Zackey on 106 winners on the national log as the sun set on another weather interrupted racemeeting at the Vaal on Monday 6 January.

There are still seven months to go in the current term, but with reigning champion Richard Fourie hot on their heels, Gavin says he is maintaining a level head, playing his own game, and, most importantly, enjoying his riding.

He wouldn’t have forgotten the 2012 season championship tussle that went right down to the wire at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on the final day of that hurly burly time in his life.

Anton Marcus won on Scaky Phane and Pirate Flag to beat him by just a solitary winner and secure the coveted title.

That was despite Gavin breaking his leg in the April and being off for six to seven weeks. The dreadful experience clearly built character and today the man, who hails from a famous racing family that dates back to his great Uncle Frederick Chapell, who was also a jockey, and trained the winner of the 1957 Durban July – a 3yo filly called Migraine – is at his pinnacle. In the background is his mentor, Dad Tex, back in the day, a top jockey himself.

On last Saturday’s success – the 19^th Grade 1 winner of his career – Gavin tells the Sporting Post about the unadulterated joy of partnering a ‘very special horse’.

“One Stripe is exciting. He has courage, heart, ability, no fear. What an honour and a privilege to break the L’Ormarins King’s Plate ice alongside two great racing men in owner Rikesh Sewgoolam, and trainer Vaughan Marshall, and his superb VHM Racing Team.”

Asked how he ended up riding One Stripe, Gavin says that he has always enjoyed good support on the Highveld, and also riding for Peter Muscutt and other yards in KZN, but that a phone call in May last year from Rikesh Sewgoolam, changed the landscape in a province where has enjoyed ‘okay’ support.

“Bernard Fayd’herbe had done a great job, winning two races on One Stripe, including the Gr3 Cape Nursery. But he had weight issues I believe, and I got the call-up prior to the Gr3 Winter Nursery – which we won. That was One Stripe’s final run as a 2yo. This season I have been honoured to partner the colt in all of his starts – with a Grade 2 and two Grade 1 victories to show for it. What a dream horse!”

Asked about Saturday’s historic win, as One Stripe became only the third 3yo to win the prestigious weight-for-age mile this century – and overall the tenth in 163 years – Gavin tells how the race unfolded and admits that he felt that he had it won at the top of the summer course home straight.

“He’s a versatile horse. I had him relaxed just back of midfield alongside former winner Al Muthana. I had to help him a bit between the 500m to 400m. But he was all over them and inside the final 300m he was going well, although I thought Gimme A Prince was going really well. When One Stripe went for the gap between Gimme A Prince and Montien on the outside, he did it largely on his own. That’s raw guts and solid gold character from a young horse!”

Asked to rate One Stripe – the handicappers have already shared the love, boosting him to a 132 – and whether he will go further, Gavin enthuses: “He’s right up there with the best. And I have no doubt he will go further. He’s a wonderful horse!”

One Stripe will not be going for the WSB Cape Town Met, but will be aimed at the inaugural CRS Big Cap on the Cape Racing Sales Festival day on 16 March.

The R5 million CRS Big Cap, which will be run over 1400m on handicap terms with conditions, is a new ‘slot’ race and has been modelled on the Everest concept introduced in Australia. This type of event has been featured successfully previously in South Africa as the ‘Gold Rush’.

For now, Gavin is looking forward to the next few months. Asked about his likely WSB Cape Town Met ride, he says that he has ‘a few exciting options’.