Lerena on a championship mission

WITH under two weeks of the current season left to run, Gavin Lerena can all but sew up the Jockey Championship at Turffontein today where he has nine fancied rides on the 10-race card.

- ANDREW HARRISON

Going into yesterday’s Hollywoodbets Greyville meeting where he had five rides, he was eight winners clear of reigning champion Richard Fourie.

Fourie

Fourie has opted to stay home in a wet Cape Town for these two meetings which could indicate that he has resigned himself to second place on the log.

However, there is still the small matter of a 10-race card on World Pool Gold Cup day at Hollywoodbets Greyville next Sunday where Fourie is sure to have some plum rides. Deadline for final declarations for the meeting are at 11am this morning.

Lerena could get his afternoon off to a winning start when he partners Pretty Persuasive in the card opener. Johan Janse van Vuuren’s filly hacked up in her Highveld debut after a four-month break, her first outing resulting in a smart effort against males and finishing just 3.5 lengths back to the more than useful Military Command.

She does however, have to give 3kg to Candice Dawson’s filly Anchorage who has finished runner-up in all three of her starts with Serino Moodley making the trip to the Highveld.

The start was delayed given the antics of a few runners but Habib was not fazed as he sent Cappellino to the front and was never in danger of being caught.

Papa C