The inaugural Grand Heritage race meeting is one jockey Gavin Lerena and trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren will remember for a long time. Lerena came away with five winners while Van Vuuren had four owners leading in winners.

Most important was that the pair teamed up with Irish Pride to win the main race on the day, the R750,000 World Sports Betting Grand Heritage (Non-Black Type) over 1475m.

With 27 runners, the race, as most pundits expected, turned into a cavalry charge, and Lerena timed his run to perfection as he brought the four-year-old son of Ideal World, who was well supported late to go off 8-1 joint favourite with Humidor, to the front close home to beat Front Rank (28-1) by 1.10 lengths. Just a long head back in third was Lunar Approach (9-1) with Raise The Red (50-1) another 0.10 lengths back in fourth. Fifth place went to Analyse This (22-1) with Kings Archer (22-1) running sixth.

“He is the type of horse we have to ride for cover,” explained Janse van Vuuren. “I decided to put Gavin on this horse two runs ago already because I think he is the type of rider who will suit this type of horse. He gets him to sleep early on.”

For Lerena the race went well, except for one minor wobble. “I followed the right horses through. Firstly, I used Joe Soma’s runner, Miracle Bureau, and after that I used Lunar Approach. I go a bit of a fright when he dropped the bit at the 600m but he picked it up again. After that it went very well.”

There will be some hard-luck stories but the unluckiest horse had to be sixth placed Kings Archer. In the early races horses went inside and outside but it soon became apparent the outside draws were better and riders opted to move their mounts towards the outer rail.

Kings Archer was drawn No 3 and jockey Marco van Rensburg had to take a gamble. “The raw killed me. I knew we couldn’t stay there so I had to take drastic action.”

He pulled the horse right across to the outside fence but after 400m he was at the back of the field. He began to move up and with 400m Kings Archer moved up strongly into contention. But just when it looked as if he would challenge for the lead, Pivotal Pursuit ducked in and Van Rensburg had to take evasive action.

“It not for that I definitely finish in the top four – at least,” he said.

Kings Archer was beaten just 2.10 lengths and was just one length behind the second-placed runner.

Anyone who caught the Quartet would be whooping around in delight as it paid a remarkable R480,018.90.

Lerena and Janse van Vuuren struck in the third race with Doosra, who looked one of the best bets on the card. This horse won with authority and is definitely worth following.

Lerena then won Race 4 with African Ruler for Paul Peter, Race 5 aboard Drifting Dusk for Luck Houdalakis.

Janse van Vuuren had his second winner in Race 6 when Seattle Lady caused an upset in race 6, winning easily under JP van der Merwe at 15-1.

However, Lerena left his best of the day for Race 8, the final leg of the Jackpot, when he drove Prince Of Orange to victory in WSB Heritage Consolation, also over 1475m. The race looked to be between Counterstroke and Forest Fox but Lerena had the Candice Dawson-trained runner in full flight down the centre and in a three-way tussle he got the nose down at the line to win by a head from Counterstroke, who would have caused a major upset.

Van Vuuren then teamed with Randall Simons to win Race 9 with Green Pepper.

“It’s beautiful when a day like this comes together,” said Lerena.

TABnews