Ice Machine, who has come into his own since joining the Charles Laird yard, will stay in training at the age of seven this season and will be aimed at the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate.

Laird also spoke about the plans of Viva La Var, a classy sprinter, and the progressive Stormy Eclipse, whom he rates.

Ice Machine, a Silvano gelding, appeared to have the Gr 1 Champions Cup over 1800m won on Super Saturday but the subsequently-named Equus Horse Of The Year Futura fought back courageously to deny him on the line.

In his first run for the Laird yard in March, Ice Machine finished a 2,25 length second to subsequent Vodacom Durban July winner Power King over 1400m at Scottsville, despite it being his comeback from a nine-and-a-half month layoff and having to give the winner 1,5kg.

In his next start he powered to an impressive three length win in the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes, despite having to give most of the field 1kg.

Then came his unlucky moment of the season when standing on a stone upon arrival at Greyville and having to be scratched from the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

“I don’t think they would have beaten us that day,” said Laird, when reflecting on the yard’s confidence of Ice Machine beating the like of Legislate and Futura over his probable optimum trip of 1600m.

In his next start Ice Machine cut through the field like a knife through butter in the Vodacom Durban July before the trip and his interrupted preparation told and he ran out of steam in the final 100m to finish seventh.

“I got excited as I thought he was going to maybe run a place,” said Laird. Rider Donovan Dillon remarked afterwards about the outstanding acceleration Ice Machine had shown that day and it was visually highly impressive too.

Ice Machine joined Laird as a 105 merit rated horse but is now rated 117, meaning the country’s biggest races will be his only option.

Laird has won a Gr 1 with an eight-year-old before as the top class sprint-miler Nhlavini landed the Cape Flying Championships at that age having won the race for the first time the previous year as a seven-year-old.

Viva La Var has only had six career outings despite now being a five-year-old. The Var gelding won his first three starts for Dennis Drier before being bought by Alesh Naidoo and he then won first time out for Laird. He then nearly fell to his knees when coming out of the stalls at Scottsville and duly lost his unbeaten record. However, he returned after a seven month layoff to run a good second in the Listed Umgeni Handicap over 1000m on the Greyville polytrack on Super Saturday. He will run in a Pinnacle Stakes event later this month (September) on the poly and his long term aim, if all goes according to plan, will be the Betting World Cape Flying Championships in January.

Laird has always believed the Dynasty gelding Stormy Eclipse would be better this season as a four-year-old and is eyeing the Gr 1 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile for him on October 31 at Turffontein. Stormy Eclipse, who has only had eight starts to date, has won four times over 1600m on the Greyville polytrack.

Laird is also sorting out programs for his younger horses, which will likely include tilts at the various lucrative sales races. He won the richest of them last year, the R3,85 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup over 1400m at Turffontein, with the aptly named Rich Girl. He did not mention any of his current three-year-olds by name, but his promising Jay Peg filly Exit Here, who is already merit rated 94, is an obvious sales race candidate and qualifies for the CTS Million Dollar race at Kenilworth in January, which is over a suitable trip of 1400m.

Meanwhile, Laird’s sister Therese Mitchley had an eye catching winner at Scottsville on Sunday in the form of the A P Answer filly Whatawonderfulworld. The three-year-old filly showed good cruising speed and a fine turn of foot to win a maiden over 1200m in comfortable fashion under Sean Veale. She looks likely to go further and could be one to keep an eye on.

Mitchley also mentioned a newly acquired horse in her yard, the Var gelding Avaricious, as one who could “be okay”.

Mitchley previously achieved fine results as the Summerveld assistant trainer to the Sabine

Plattner racing operation and is still in the process of building up her own string.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Ice Machine (Nkosi Hlophe)