Popular Summerveld trainer Paul Lafferty celebrated being named Personality Of The Year at the KZN Racing Awards on Friday night with a fine double at Scottsville on Sunday.
Lafferty thoroughly deserved the award as he does a lot to promote the Sport Of Kings.
Not only is he trainer, but is also a director of Gold Circle, Chairman Of The KZN Trainer’s association, the South African ambassador for Australian sales company Magic Milllions, he co-hosts two Tellytrack shows, Winning Ways and a new one about football, and he is also an on course racing presenter.
Lafferty has also had time in the past to be a highly entertaining Master Of Ceremonies at various racing functions. His witticisms on the latter occasions, as well as in everyday life, are the reason he was introduced on Friday night as, among other things, a comedian.
Lafferty has endured the probable toughest period of his life since being diagnosed with cancer over a year ago. He has coped admirably and has been on top of it to date due to his positive attitude as well as a tremendous show of support from the racing industry, which included raising funds for the medical treatment.
He said, “I was very surprised to receive the award, I had no idea it would be me, and I was truly humbled and honoured. It is a good award to win. I cannot state how grateful I am for the support I have received in the fight against cancer and it shows just what a wonderful industry we have. You are down all the time when fighting the disease and working through it, so it has been tough. But the industry were behind me from the jump and we didn’t allow it to get the better of me.”
Paul’s wife Jan is out from her home in England at present and this made Friday night a doubly special occasion for the Lafferty family.
Paul’s season was also memorable from a racing perspective as he made his debut as a trainer in Dubai.
On January 21 this year his crack Australian-bred colt Harry’s Son made that debut memorable by running second in the Gr 2 US$250,000 Al Fahidi Fort over 1400m on the turf, especially as his time was inside the previous Meydan course record. The prize money the colt earned covered the considerable costs of the arduous five month journey to Dubai. Harry’s Son followed with two fourth place finishes in a Gr 2 and a Gr 1, which qualified him for the prestigious Dubai World Cup night. Unfortunately, he jarred himself in the US$6 million Dubai Turf over 1800m and finished unplaced. He has been recovering in Spain since and the next big step in the roller coaster adventure for his passionate owners is his intended participation in the Gr 2 Prix de la Floret over seven furlongs on Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe day in France.
Yesterday Lafferty won the fourth race with the 14/1 shot Dress For Success, ridden by apprentice Diego De Gouveia, and the sixth with 6/1 chance Ole Gunnar, who was ridden by Keagan de Melo. The yard also had a second, a third, two fourths and a fifth from their total of twelve runners.
David Thiselton
