Time for Laurie to strike gold
Laurie’s Gold has always looked a runner with genuine ability and it is unlikely trainer Mike Bass would have predicted his charge would be spending the latter part of his five-year-old career in Port Elizabeth.
In The Fast lane is taken through her workout by big-race jockey Grant van Niekerk at yesterday’s gallops for the Vodacom Durban July. In The Fast Lane is one of six three-year-olds in the R3.5-million race to be run at Greyville on Saturday 5 July. Picture: GOLD CIRCLE
If one considers Laurie’s Gold has finished second to the likes of Master Of My Fate, who started favourite for the Grade 1 J&B Met at Kenilworth, one would hardly expect to see him contesting a MR 88 Handicap over 1600m on the Fairview Polytrack on today.
He is by Silvano and they often improve with age so if Laurie’s Gold can adapt to the Polytrack, he should prove too good for some average opposition.
He has only had one run in Port Elizabeth and that was in the Listed Fairview 1400 on the turf. He was well supported to win the race and was sent out a 2-1 but most pundits feel a horse needs at least one run on the track to get used to his new surroundings and may might well have been the case with Laurie’s Gold.
He ran on well late in the race but could only manage to finish sixth, 2.70 lengths behind Red Barrel. There is the question of the change in course but by now Bass would have given him some work on the Polytrack and will know if his charge related well to the new course. He will be ridden by Robert Khathi for the first time.
Two Gun Kid has raced three times on the Polytrack for one place but he is rarely too far off the winner. Of his six career victories, three have been over 1600m so the distance should not be a concern. A good run should be expected from Dorrie Sham’s charge as long as 4kg claiming apprentice Jonathan Tai keeps his head.
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