Ashburton-based Paul and Beth Gadsby have reason to be optimistic about the future because they have five Gimmethegreenlights in their yard and one of them, Gunner, landed the promising sire his first Gr 1 on Sunday when winning the Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville under Brandon Lerena.

Lerena has shown tremendous courage to come back from a broken vertebrae after a nasty fall in training last September and this was the fifth Gr 1 victory of his career.

Paul Gadsby said, “I have always had big faith in Gimmethegreenlight. As a racehorse he beat Variety Club fair and square twice. Any horse who can do that has to be a champion.”

Gadsby selected Gunner purely on looks at the CTS Cape Premier Yearling Sale in January last year and was subsequently impressed by the pedigree too. He said, “Gunner was very neat and reminded me of Sea Warrior.”

Gadsby, a former jockey, had broken in and spelled the Vaughan Marshall-trained Gr 1 Richelieu (Cape) Guineas winner Sea Warrior back in the 1980s.

Gunner is out of the decent Captain Al mare Play Nice, who won three times between 1200m and 1300m. Gadsby said, “Two no brainers as broodmare sires are Captain Al and Fort Wood.”

He continued, “I had tried to buy a couple of Gimmethegreenlights previously but couldn’t afford them, but I managed to get Gunner for R200,000 and have bought more Gimmethegreenlights since.”

Gunner was bred by Hassen Adams’ Nadeson Park stud farm. Adams kept a quarter share in the horse and allowed him to stay on his farm while Gadsby put an ownership syndicate together. Gadsby said, “It took me a long time to put him together and I aged five years, but perhaps this is what us KZN trainers have to do, otherwise we are not in the game.”

Gadsby was thankful to prominent KZN owner Morgan Pillay for introducing him to Neshal and Anusha Lalla. Gadsby said, “Neshal and Anusha came up to see Gunner and I told them he was a very nice horse. I told them he would come early and thank goodness I was right about that.” The couple are first-time owners.

Shakthi Banwari and Keith and Melanie Carelse were others to come to the party. Gadsby had advised the latter couple, who are good supporters of his yard, to buy into a “proper” horse.

Gunner won on debut over 1000m on April 10 and was gelded after his next start. Two runs later he was stepped up to 1400m in the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m and managed to stay on strongly despite having been caught wide throughout the turn.

If only he could find cover in the Premier’s Champions Stakes, he would have to have a shout. The other questions were whether he would stay the trip and whether he would handle the testing, rain affected going.

Gadsby was also concerned by him not having eaten up to his maximum capacity in the week of the race. However, he became upbeat about an hour before the race when the Dennis Drier-trained Hack Green became Gimmethegreenlight’s first stakes winner, hacking up by three lengths in the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m.

Brandon Lerena said, “I was very grateful to be given the ride by Mr Gadsby and the owners.”

Lerena spoke of the valuable race riding lessons he had learnt from Gadsby while the latter was chief riding master at the South African Jockeys Academy and of the tremendous support Gadsby had subsequently given him upon renewing his trainer’s license.

Lerena said about Gunner, “He has the whole package, a good action and he is laid back and does what you want. If a stallion is to have a chance he has to be sent the right mares and Gimmethegreenlight looks to have had that. Gimmethegreenlight and Captain Al looks like a nice cross.”

Lerena reined Gunner back early from a tricky draw of seven. The horse responded beautifully and showed no sign of fighting. He was at the back, one wide, but, crucially, was covered up. Lerena said, “At the 450m mark he was the only horse still on the bridle.”

Lerena swung Gunner outward to the centre, but not before noticing 17/20 favourite Zodiac Ruler coming under pressure.

He patiently waited for a gap to open. Gunner then burst through and had caught the leader Africa Rising by the 150m mark. However, the big horse Zodiac Ruler had found top gear and was suddenly in front on the inside.

Gunner, despite probably being the smallest horse in the field, has an impressive stride and once again responded to the powerful and rhythmic urgings of Lerena. He found another gear and passed the favourite inside the 50m pole to win going away by half-a-length. Lerena said, “The way he quickened up was impressive.”

Gadsby was impressed by the courage Gunner had shown in going through the patchy area close to home so well. On the downside the time was 1,11 seconds slower than the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes for two-year-old fillies.

Lerena has experienced plenty of back trouble since making his comeback at the end of Novemner, two months after the fall. However, he is doing extensive excercises under the guidance of a personal trainer to strengthen the back muscles. The always talented rider is eager to be back to 100% well-being in order to chase his ambitions to full capacity.

Gunner has pulled up well and will have a holiday before likely being prepared for the CTS $US500,000 Sales race over 1600m at Turffontein next January.

David Thiselton