Gavin Lerena looks a ‘Key Worker’

Gavin Lerena started off the new season with a brace at the Vaal yesterday and can continue the good streak at Turffontein tomorrow, when they race on the Standside track.

Once again, he has some really good rides but two, in particular, stand out – Key Worker in race 2 and Corrupt in Race 6.

Race 2 is a Maiden Plate over 1800m and Lerena will be aboard filly Key Worker for his fourth crack at a win.

The Gimmethegreenlight filly is a full sister to Surcharge, who was also trained by Stuart Pettigrew before going overseas and having his named changed to Yulong Prince.

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He won six of his 11 starts while with Pettigrew, including the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 in 2018. He later settled in Australia where he won a Grade 1 event.

While this filly has a long way to go to match the record of her older brother, she could still turn out to be useful and should appreciate the extra distance on this occasion.

Lerena and Pettigrew had success yesterday in Race 1 with Orange County and the manner of that victory left one with the impression the son of Flower Alley is worth following.

After winning impressively on debut, Corrupt also give the impression there is a lot more to come from this Erupt gelding.

Johan Janse van Vuuren’s charge was well backed to win on debut and he duly arrived, flying up late to beat Kaleesh Cyborg by 0.75 lengths over 1160m at Turffontein.

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This time he will try 1400m in Race 6, a MR 74 Handicap, and as this is not the strongest of fields, he looks hard to beat.

However, on breeding he is probably going to be looking for a lot further as time goes on.

He is a half-brother to a slew of stayers, including 2020 Gold Cup runner-up Paybackthemoney, Out Of Your League, Zeus and Indian Ocean, who came from last to win at the Vaal yesterday.

Other than those two, Lerena also rides King Of Numbers in Race 1, a Maiden Plate over 1160m, for trainer Brett Webber, and this Royal Mo gelding had a great debut run on the Highveld after moving up from the Western Cape.

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Lerena does not ride often for trainer Erico Verdonese but when he does, they have a good record together.

They team up with Diesel’s Shadow in Race 4, a MR 74 Handicap over 1800m.

He has won on the last two occasions Lerena has been aboard and was a wellbacked winner last time out. He could easily add to Lerena’s tally.