David Thiselton

ALEC LAIRD said Pack Leader had come through his two WSB Summer Cup preparation runs well but believed he would have to “run the race of his life” to win the big 2000m event at Turffontein Standside on Saturday.

Pack Leader was not given any merit rating raise after his 4,50 length win in a Progress Plate over 1600m last time out.

He won that race effortlessly despite the lead rein having mistakenly been left attached to his bridle and lashing around in front of him before S’Manga Khumalo managed to gather it up around the turn.

The six-year-old Philanthropist gelding seems to have blossomed since joining Laird’s Randjesfontein yard.

Laird said a change could be as good as a holiday and added he was also suited to the tracks on the Highveld before pointing out he had been just as good a horse with Glen Kotzen.

“Those last two runs were quite easy races and he has not had the chance to run in such plate races for quite a while.”

Pack Leader’s seventh place finish in the Sun Met, beaten 6,70 lengths on weight for age terms, proves Laird’s point.

In that race he had One World, Rainbow Bridge, Hawwaam, Twist Of Fate, Bunker Hunt, and Vardy ahead of him and among the horses he beat were Undercover Agent and Do It Again. He had also beaten Undercover Agent and Do It Again in the Green Point Stakes about seven weeks earlier.

He now runs off a 109, which ranges from 13 to 25 points lower than the respective merit ratings of the aforementioned horses he mixed it with in the Met.  

On the other hand he ran disappointingly in a number of lesser races last season and hence the seven point drop in his merit rating from the 116 it was at the time of the Met.

However, one of his most eyecatching runs last season was in the Cup Trial at Scottsville over 1800m when running on strongly from last to finish fourth. 

That run and his Met run, when coming from near the back, gave indicators that he would appreciate the galloping nature and long straights of Highveld courses like Turffontein Standside and the Vaal. And so it has proved.

He is enjoying himself on the Highveld too, so looks set to reproduce that Met run. 

One possible detractor is he has the daisy-cutting type of action that is usually best suited to fast ground.

Therefore, Laird was asked if he foresaw any problems Pack Leader would have handling soft going. 

He said, “We don’t work them on soft going so it is always difficult to tell. I think if there is just a bit of cut in the ground he should be fine although if it turns out heavy it will be difficult for any horse unless he or she is a mudlark.”    

There is rain forecast most days this week in Johannesburg so the going is likely to be on the soft side. 

Pack Leader jumps from a plum draw of four and has a nice galloping weight of 54,5kg with S’Manga Khumalo in the irons.  

Laird won the Summer Cup in 2006 with the Rakeen colt Malteme, who converted 14/1 odds carrying 51kg under Brett Smith. 

Khumalo has also won it one once, aboard the Joey Soma-trained Wagner, who converted odds of 16/1 in 2012 carrying 52.5kg.