Former National Champion Jockey Gavin Lerena is a firm favourite with the betting public having firmly established himself among the Top 10 riders in the country. His current season haul is bettered only by record-chasing rider Richard Fourie and Muzi Yeni, though only Fourie (22.7%) can boast a better win strike rate than Lerena’s 19.6%.
On the Highveld, however, Lerena is peerless. He is the only jockey in the jurisdiction to have ridden more than 100 winners this season (at a healthy 22.3%) – and his Gauteng dominance ought to continue on the Inside track card at Turffontein on Thursday 23 May with a potential three-timer on the nine-race card for trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren and his ‘boss’, prominent owner-breeder Laurence Wernars, for whom Lerena is retained jockey.
Two-year-old Halcyon is the first of the triumvirate’s probable winners on the day in Race 2 over 1200m. This Gimmethegreenlight-gelding finished second in open company over 1160m on the Standside track on his debut and would have come on appreciably with the benefit of that experience, so should improve to open his account.
Halcyon is, however, carded to run at an earlier meeting (on 18 May), meaning his participation could be in doubt. If he is to take his place in this line-up, Lerena should be off to a winning start.
Fourie is in town as he continues his push towards a maiden riders’ championship. He rides Sean Tarry-trained colt Rondebosch who, like Halcyon, is a son of Gimmethregreenlight and should improve after an encouraging introduction.
Lerena and Fourie square off again in Race 3 over 1200m and are likely to fight out the finish, though preference is for the former aboard Vercingetorix-filly Far Reaching who caught the eye when a fast-finishing second over 1000m on debut. Van Vuuren’s charge was slightly disappointing when only fifth of eight runners over 1000m last time but she looked patently in need of further, so the extra 200m should be very much to her liking.
Fourie rides Tarry-trained Gimmethegreenlight-filly Green Sapphire who finished an encouraging fourth on debut over 1200m behind Grade 2 winner Little Ballerina, albeit in receipt of 5kg. Tarry’s trained runner ought to have come on considerably given the benefit of that introduction so is expected to fight for victory.
Lerena and Fourie both ride for Tarry in Race 5 but Radu and Zenobia’s Gold have an earlier engagement so are not guaranteed to line up from the 1600m marker.
From three associations with Joker Man, Lerena has two wins and a second aboard this son of Vercingetorix who impressed in his first outing beyond 1200m last time out. Kabelo Matsunyane had this progressive three-year-old gelding at the head of affairs shortly after the start and Joker Man found plenty under pressure to complete his hat-trick with a resolute start-to-finish success over 1450m on this tighter inner Joburg-course.
On the evidence of that performance, the step up to 1600m is unlikely to hold any fears for Van Vuuren’s runner who is good value to extend his winning sequence with improvement on the cards in Race 7.
And the Lerena-Van Vuuren-Wernars dominance should spill over to Race 8 with Moonshiningthough likely to be rewarded for her consistency with blinkers back on over 1000m. This five-year-old Rafeef-mare acquitted herself well in the Grade 2 Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m on the Standiside track last time, when beaten just 3.75 lengths by Tarry-trained Grade 1 winner Lucky Lad, and her return to 1000m with the headgear refitted is expected to sharpen her up for a winning bid with Lerena reuinted.
Clive Robinson
