Lerena Arrives On Time in Longines IJC

South Africa's Gavin Lerena takes the IJC | HKJC

By

South Africa's champion jockey Gavin Lerena was always going to be a live chance in Wednesday's Longines International Jockeys' Championship. After all, three of his four rides were assigned post eight, a lucky number in the Chinese culture. After being shut out in the first two legs, Lerena shoved Hong Kong International Sale graduate Mr Right (Aus) (Statue of Liberty) across the line in the third leg of the series, then guided Superoi (NZ) (Zed {Aus}) to a more comfortable victory in race eight to lock up the HK$500,000 first prize at a very soggy Happy Valley Racecourse. It was Lerena's first call-up for the IJC, and his win came at the expense of a crack field of some of the world's best jockeys, including second-placed Ryan Moore and Joao Moreira, who is busy rewriting the record books in Hong Kong.

“I love Hong Kong,” Lerena shouted as he returned to unsaddle after his win on  Superoi. “In the last race the trainer [Derek Cruz] gave me a lot of confidence and told me we had the best horse in the race. A lot of owners and trainers are confident and this time it was right. Coming here, my dad told me just to enjoy myself, so I was feeling no great pressure. I would certainly consider coming to ride here, this is the best place to be, and the atmosphere is electric. It's great to be riding against such great riders, and we have a lot of respect for each other. I am very happy to have won this tonight.”

Day-long rains across greater Hong Kong had the Happy Valley penetrometer reading good-to-firm at 10 past 7 when the field for the first of the four IJC events left the gates. Riding for trainer Tony Cruz and also making his IJC debut, Silvestre de Sousa, England's top jockey in 2015, hit the gas early aboard the stretching-out Happy Spirit (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), rated the once-raced gelding nicely on the engine and had just enough left in reserve to hold off a late lunge from the Moore-ridden Go-Getter (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) to earn the first 12 points of the evening (video).

The rain picked up in intensity over the next 30 minutes, rendering the course officially yielding for the second leg, which ultimately ended in a rare IJC dead heat. Moore had the call for David Hall atop 5-2 favorite Happy and Healthy (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and settled the 5-year-old better than midfield, while Japan's top rider Keita Tosaki took up a spot just ahead of that one aboard the 30-1 roughie True Comment (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}). Happy and Healthy got first run down the center of the track in the lane, but Tosaki coaxed a bit extra out of True Comment nearer the inside and the camera could not split the duo (video).

With Moore two points clear of Tosaki and three ahead of de Sousa, the third leg of the series, the lone 1000-meter sprint in the sequence, saw Lerena named on Mr Right for trainer Peter Lo, and he had the 7-1 gamble under a hustling ride early on before taking a hold to sit just behind a crush of early speed. Three wide on the turn, Mr Right struck to the front with a furlong to race, but Maxime Guyon had St Yazin (NZ) (Keeper {Aus}) flying from the back of the pack, only to be outfinished by a half-head (video).

The contest was tight entering the fourth and final of the races, with Moore (15 points), Tosaki (13), de Sousa and Lerena (12 each) in control of their own destiny, with a trio of other riders in need of a win and a massive amount of help at the top. Lerena had the call for Derek Cruz on 11-2 shot Superoi and landed a perfect position from seventh before creeping closer on the turn. Pulled out into about the four path in upper stretch, Lerena and Superoi really never looked a loser from there as they hit the lead inside the final 100 meters, allowing Lerena a celebration on the wire (video). Moore held on for second (HK$200,000) just ahead of Tosaki (HK$100,000).

Representing the U.S., jockey Victor Espinoza did not have much luck, as each of his horses was sent off at double-digit odds and finished 11th, 12th, 11th and 12th, respectively.

Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.

Copy Article Link

X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.