Charles Laird said the run of Exit Here in the Gr 3 Kings Cup on the polytrack on Friday night could be ignored and he will now likely go straight into the Gr 2 Canon Guineas on the opening night of the South African Champions Season on Friday May 6.

Laird also spoke about Ice Machine and his promising two-year-old winner on Sunday, Good To Give, as well as some of his other chief feature race contenders.

Charles Laird (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Kings Cup was run in the rain, and followed a torrential downpour, meaning Exit Here had to work a lot harder than usual to get into his favoured handy position from a draw of eight. He also “hated” the wet conditions. He not surprisingly found nothing in the straight and finished last. The Gr 1 Daily News 2000 is likely a trip he is looking for so is also on the agenda.

Laird also felt a line could be drawn through Stormy Eclipse’s run in the Kings Cup, despite him running on for third, as the conditions made it difficult coming from off the pace due to the water being kicked up.

Ice Machine was unlucky in the Gr 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein last time out when a slow pace saw him flying from last place to finish a close up third. Laird thought it was a fine performance and said, “If the race was over 1402m everybody would have said it was a great run.”

Ice Machine put up a fine gallop coming up the bottom sand track at Summerveld yesterday (Monday) and is on track for the Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m on Classic Day at Turffontein, April 2.

Philanthropist colt Good To Give ran on in eyecatching style on Sunday to win on debut in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m under Anton Marcus.

He displayed a fine turn of foot and Laird really likes the Philanthropists, of which he has three. “He is a proper sire,” he said. Philanthropist was a middle distance horse, while Good To Give is a half-sister to Sweet Sanette, who finished third in the Gr 1 King’s Stand Stakes over five furlongs at Royal Ascot, so the young colt has some speed too. Laird believes Good To Give will get 1600m so has a nice quandary to be in, whether to run him in the CTS $US500,000 1200m race at Kenilworth next January or the CTS $US500,000 1600m race. Good To Give is sure to be a player in the South African Champions Season Gr 1 races before that.

Laird was very pleased with the performance of Viva La Var on Friday night. He led until close home in a MR 102 1000m handicap, a race run in dry conditions before the deluge, and was only overtaken by a good sort in Captain Alfredo. That was his first outing since last October at Turffontein and he is now going to be targeted at the innovative R100,000 Easter Dash at Scottsville on March 27. This year is to be run over only 500m, so Viva La Var’s early speed will give him a big shout.

Laird said the promising three-year-old Main Submission had benefitted tremendously from an enforced layoff. The Oracy colt was injured in the float on the way back from the R2,5 million CTS Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup over 1400m on October 31, where he ran a decent sixth. He will be at the races soon and will later likely line up in the Canon Guineas too.

By David Thiselton

Feature image: Exit Here (Nkosi Hlophe)