Gavin Lerena rode the winners of all four legs of the Jackpot on Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile Day at Turffontein on Saturday.
The former champion jockey’s historic feat included victory in the main race of the day, the Charity Mile itself, aboard 7-2 favourite New Predator.
The four-year-old Australian import was trained by Johan Janse van Vuuren, who also had four winners on the day – including the last three legs of the Jackpot, all in the colours of the Wernars family.
There were multiples and co-incidences wherever one looked.
In the main race, the random draw for celebrity representatives saw Lerena and New Predator coupled with his cousin, the boxer Kevin Lerena. Also, the winning charity linked to New Predator was the sponsors’ own corporate responsibility initiative, the Peermont Educational Trust.
The trust claimed a cheque for R150,000 when the four-year-old cruised to triumph in the popular R1-million Grade 2 Charity Mile.
On a day of generosity and giving, the name New Predator didn’t seem to fit in. But a horse doesn’t know what it’s called and the colt carrying that moniker delivered a bounty of both cash and pleasure to a big crowd at Tuffontein on Saturday.
The general feel-good factor of the event wasn’t dampened by a 70-minute Highveld storm delay.
When the big race finally got under way, New Predator looked a class above in the preliminaries – a towering four-year-old son of 2008 Epsom Derby-winner New Approach, looking as fit as a fiddle.
Appearances didn’t lie. From the No 7 gate, Lerena had his charge right in behind the early sprint. Outsider Captain Aldo (66-1) set the early pace, with Mogok Magic, Romany Prince, Saratoga Dancer, New Predator and Champagne Haze and St Tropez in behind.
As they straightened, Cape Town raider St Tropez made a dash for glory, but it was short-lived as New Predator, Deo Juvente (22-1) and Saratoga Dancer (also 22-1) swept by.
In the final strides, New Predator always had the power to overcome his challengers and he passed the post 0.60 lengths ahead of Durban raider Saratoga Dancer, with Deo Juvente just 0.20 lengths behind that. Irish Pride (8-1) – also trained by Van Vuuren and owned by the Wernars, ran on well from far back into fourth.
Lerena commented: “He’s an amazing horse. He needed his last run; it put him in the zone and he was spot on today.”
After completing his Jackpot with a hair’s-breadth win on Doosra in Race 8, the R250,000 Grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes for three-year-olds, Lerena thanked his family profusely for their contribution to his stellar career.
His four winners were Chili Con Carne (15-1) in Race 5, the Ready To Run Cup; She’s A Giver (15-1), in Race 6, the Grade 3 Starling Stakes; New Predator (7-2) in the Charity Mile, and Doosra (13-10, favourite) in Race 8.
TABnews
