No jockey has ridden more winners at the Vaal this season than Gavin Lerena and he looks likely to continue his dominance at the Vereeniging track on the nine-race card at the Vaal on Tuesday 7 November.
Lerena has formed a formidable partnership with St John Gray over the years and ridden several of the trainer-owner-breeder’s top horses, including five-time Grade 1 winner Dancewiththedevil dating back more than a decade. In fact, very rarely do they team up without success. So, when Lerena rides for St John Gray, take heed!
Gray’s five runners at the Vaal on Tuesday are spread across five races on the card, but of particular interest are his two charges for which he has engaged Lerena to ride.
Homebred Willow Magic filly Out The Mist outran massive 50-1 odds when finishing second on debut over 1000m but she failed to confirm the promise of that introduction when only 10th of 13 runners over 1160m next/last time out. She was, however, returning from a break on that occasion and may have found the extra 160m too far at this stage of her career.
That run, despite drifting in the market, was too bad to be true, so Gray’s filly could certainly be worth another chance when she reverts to 1000m in Race 2 with the booking of Lerena a significant boost to her chances.
Progressive three-year-old colt Eiffel Tower is one of the better bets on the card and is good value to provide further success for the Gray-Lerena combination when he lines up in Race 6 over 1400m.
This son of Potala Palace has won two of his five starts, finished third twice, and was fourth in his other outing. He has shown his versatility by winning over 1200m and 1600m, so should have no issue remaining effective over 1400m, a distance he tries for the first time.
Eiffel Tower ran in a ‘hot’ three-year-old handicap last time and acquitted himself well on that occasion, finishing third just 3.20 lengths off the winner. As that was a much stronger race, he ought to capitalise on an unchanged mark by notching up a third career win, and first under Lerena.
Lightly raced four-year-old Exhale should also benefit from the services of Lerena and seems capable of shedding his maiden tag in Race 3 over 2000m. Johan Janse van Vuuren, who teamed up with Lerena to win the Grade 2 Allied Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile last Saturday with Puerto Manzano, has called on Lerena in the hope he can eke out the little bit of improvement needed from this Erupt gelding who has taken time to come to hand.
Exhale finished a career-best second in his first attempt at 2000m last time and he needn’t make a great deal of improvement to go one better in Leg 1 of the Place Accumulator.
Grade 1 runner-up Dave The King makes a quick reappearance in Race 7, having run in the Charity Mile 10 days ago. He is slung in under the conditions of the race and, if anywhere near his best, should be too good for his rivals with Lerena aboard for the first time.
Versatile veteran Dark Tide has been a model of consistency this year and ought to be rewarded for it with a deserved sixth career victory in Race 9 over 1000m.
Lerena has struck up a good rapport with the Fanie Bronkhorst-trained seven-year-old galloper – on whom he finished fourth last time having finished second in the two previous starts aboard the Captain Of All gelding – and in a competitive lineup from a favourable (high number) No 15 gate, could reward the supporters of Dark Tide who is worth a confident each-way bet.
Clive Robinson
