David Thiselton
Stuart Ferrie was thrilled with the run of Gladatorian in the Gr 1 wfa Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge last Saturday.
He said, “The pace was not on and he finished like he normally does and came out of it well. They cantered and they quickened better than him at the top of the straight and he got going a bit late. But he was back to his best.”
Gladatorian appeared to be finishing like a train and was duly shown on the sectional timing data to have the fastest 200m to finish time.
The six-year-old Vercingetorix gelding had been below par in three runs in Cape Town, but clearly hated the relatively heavy tracks of Milnerton.
He bounced back in his Champions Season opener with a good runner up finish in the Gr 1 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m to Questioning, who has not only blossomed into a magnificent athlete but 1400m is his optimum trip too.
Gladatorian ran in the yellow and black colours of Michel Nairac for the first time on Saturday. He had been running for the estate of the late Agasthamuni Gujadhur for about three years and that share was sold by public auction at the beginning of this month and was purchased by Larry Nestadt and Jaap van de Vendel.
Larry said he liked buying horses in training and he felt Gladatorian still had racing in him.
The Vercingetorix gelding proved it and gave Larry and Jaap a cracking first run as part-owners.
Larry and partners had also sold Trust last month to a Hong Kong concern and this gives him a replacement July runner.
The Hollywodbets Durban July trip of 2200m creates a slight question mark for Gladatorian, considering he is a Gr 2 winner over 1200m.
However, on pedigree there should not be a problem as he is by Vercingetorix, who won two Gr 1s over 2000m including the Daily News 2000, out of a mare by the July winner Dynasty. Furthermore, that mare, Harvard Crinsom, is out of a mare by stamina influence Badger Land and she won herself won a Listed race over 2000m.
Stuart added, “Gladatorian was drawn 16 in the July last year, so we didn’t learn much, but it did him no harm running in the July.”
Indeed, after running a not-disgraced five length seventh from that tough draw, he came out three weeks later to put in a career best performance, winning the Gr 1 wfa HKJC Champions Cup over 1800m at Hollywoodbets Greyville, a race in which his devastating finish at long last did not come too late.
Gladatorian is currently a 16/1 shot for the Hollywodbets Durban July with the sponsor.
