Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Pierre Jourdan set for Cape Town

MICHAEL CLOWER
Pierre Jourdan may be sent to Cape Town in the summer in a bid to win the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and the J & B Met.
Dean Alexander, brother and business partner of trainer Gary, said: “There are not the proper lead-up races to the Summer Cup that we need and so we are having a meeting with the owner [Emilio Baisero] this week to discuss taking the horse down for the Queen’s Plate and the Met.”
The Summerhill-bred Parade Leader four-year-old, bought for only R60 000 at the 2008 Ready To Run, was the highest earner last season. He collected more than R 3.1 million and his six victories included the Gauteng Guineas and the SA Classic.
In the SA Derby he started hot favourite to become the first Triple Crown winner since Horse Chestnut 11 years earlier but he was beaten more than nine lengths by Irish Flame.
Alexander said: “We don’t think he got the trip that day. The Derby was never a race we had been looking at for him but we had to go for it as he was in line for the Triple Crown.
“Also he was immature and still growing at the time. He’s had a nice break through the winter and we recently brought him back into work. He’s getting stronger all the time.”
The gelding, whose Derby defeat was only the second of his career, has so far been ridden by Derreck David and Sean Cormack but Alexander confirmed that new stable jockey Andrew Fortune will take over this season.
The former champion’s new diet and exercise regime is working so well that the Licencing Board has agreed to reduce his weight restriction from 57.5k to 56k.

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