HORSES from KwaZulu-Natal have a fair record in the R2-million,
Grade 1 J&B Met and the win by Neil Bruss’ Zebra Crossing
last year ensured that the sunshine province was still seen
to be a force in South African racing.
In the past horses like Imperious Sue, La Fabulous, Model Man,
Charles Fortune, Foveros and Gatecrasher have carried the black
and white flag of KwaZulu-Natal into the winner’s enclosure
and this year Paul Lafferty will be hoping to add to that list
with his four-year-old Dominion Royale gelding, Pinero.
Lafferty, said he was very pleased that Pinero has been given
the opportunity to run in the J&B Met and that he “is considered
in that league”
He said the gelding, who has only been unplaced in four of
his 14 starts and has won six times, was a “straightforward”
sort of horse who had thrived in the Cape. He won five of his
first eight starts and showed his potential when running a good
third as a 25-1 outsider in the Cup Trail at Clairwood in June.
As a rank outsider and from a wide draw he ran a creditable
three lengths behind Equal Image in the subsequent Champions
Cup.
Moving down to the Cape after a three-month break, Pinero was
placed in two 1 400m races before running away with the Thoroughbred
Breeders’ Association Peninsula Handicap, giving the fancied
Wonder Gold 4.5kg and beating him by 1.5 lengths.
“He has thrived in the Cape and is very fit and a bonus is
having a good draw and Piere Strydom as the pilot. He doesn’t
have to go to the front but he will probably race up handy.
“We will keep an eye on Lion Tamer and could slot in behind
him but if Pinero gets a lead he will take it,” said Lafferty.