Title-chasing Gavin Lerena slipped into third place on the National Jockey standings last week after Richard Fourie’s four-timer at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Wednesday took the reigning champions tally of winners for the season to 151 and into second behind log-leader Craig Zackey (165).
Lerena (149) replied with a double of his own the following day on the Vaal Classic track and the jostling between the three leading riders shows no sign of abating.
The eight-race Inside track meeting at Turffontein on Thursday 13 March presents another good opportunity for Lerena to take another sizeable chunk out of Zackey’s lead, as three of his rides on the card look confident win bets.
The two “baby” races are likely to go the way of Lerena, who rides Whispering Death (Race 1) and Emerald Forge (Race 2) for the powerful Mike and Mathew de Kock outfit.
Both De Kock runners finished second on debut and will be hard to beat with natural improvement expected.
Danon Platina colt Whispering Death got going late – once the penny had dropped – to fill the runner-up berth over 1400m on the Standside track last month. He would’ve come on appreciably with the benefit of that experience and need not improve much to go one better in the opener over 1450m.
Stablemate Emerald Forge was also a fast-finishing second on debut. She jumped odds-on favourite that day but blew her chances at the start before making eye-catching late headway over 1160m. On that evidence, the step up to 1450m will be more to her liking so she should reward followers with a victory at the second attempt.
Candice Dawson-trained Desert Cloud has filled the runner-up berth in each of her two appearances, both over 1000m with Lerena aboard. She returns from a two-month layoff in Race 3 and it will likely be a case of third time lucky for the well-bred Gimmethegreenlight filly with the step up to 1200m.
Ryan Munger, who also bagged a brace at the last midweek meeting on the Highveld, ought to repeat the feat with a race-to-race double of his own aboard Sean Tarry’s improving Tana Maree in Race 4 and consistent Craig Mayhew-trained Canford Cliffs filly Instant Attraction in Race 5.
Clive Robinson
