Gavin Lerena and the Geoff Woodruff-trained Master Sabina will attempt to retain the Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup together at Turffontein on Saturday and the high-flying jockey believed the seven-year-old gelding was going in with a better preparation than he had last year.

Lerena has a number of other good rides at the meeting and it is no coincidence that the majority of them are for two trainers who were mentored by Woodruff, Johan Janse van Vuuren and Candice Dawson. Lerena said about the latter, “They are both very good trainers, they have done amazingly well, they learnt a lot from Geoff.”

Master Sabina is highly regarded by Lerena. The son of Jet Master was a touch disappointing in both the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and J&B Met subsequent to his Summer Cup win last year, but he ran a cracker in the Vodacom Durban July. Lerena said after the July, “I was forced to take him back early, so was considerably further back than I had wanted to be, but he ran on really well in the straight.” He finished a 3,35 length ninth.

He followed up by running a decent fifth in the Gold Cup over 3200m with topweight. That was the fifth consecutive time he had not made the frame, but on the positive side this allowed the handicapper to drop him three points back to 105, the same merit rating he ran off in last year’s Summer Cup.

He made his seasonal reappearance in a MR 104 Handicap over 1800m at the Vaal on October 25 and made eyecatching progress in the straight to finish a 0,8 length second to his stablemate Master Switch. He was raised one point for the run, but still faces the latter on 1kg better terms.

He carries 56kg in Saturday’s 2000m handicap event off a 106 merit rating, as opposed to 56,5kg off 105 last year, and he jumps from draw six as opposed to draw seven last year.

Lerena said, “He has a fair draw and his prep has gone very well. He had a nice prep run and took the run well. He has been putting up nice work and I am happy with the progress he has made. I think he is in a better place than he was last year. I can’t say I am confident, because it’s a horse race, but he is definitely in with a chance with luck in running.

“I think his stable companion Deo Juvente and also Saratoga Dancer are big runners and we will also have to be careful of the lightweights, there are some strong lightweight gallopers.”

Lerena rides the exciting Janse Van Vuuren-trained Captain Al colt Doosra from a tricky draw of nine in the Gr 2 Investec Dingaans over 1600m and said, “I certainly think he will get the trip. I have been very happy with his work at home, he keeps on improving nicely. Obviously we don’t have the number one draw we had last time, so will need a little bit of luck.”

He rides the equally exciting Australian-bred High Chapparral filly Being Fabulous for the Janse van Vuuren yard in the Gr 3 Fillies Mile. Like Doosra, she possesses a magnificently long stride, but she also has to overcome draw nine. Lerena said, “I would have been more confident with a couple of weeks and another run under the belt, but having said that she a very nice filly and is doing very nicely at home.”

In the Gr 2 Gauteng Tourism Ipi Tombe Challenge over 1600m Lerena rides the Alec Laird-trained Polyphonic, who was well regarded last year as a three-year-old and now looks to be coming into her own. Lerena said, “She is now having her third run after a rest and her last run was brilliant, carrying that big weight it was full of merit (she finished a 2,5 length second in the Gr 3 Yellowwood Handicap over 1800m under Lerena carrying 60kg and giving the winner Girl On The Run 8kg). She has the number one draw too, but it’s competitive, it’s quite open.”

Lerena rides the Paul Peter-trained African Ruler in the Gr 2 Citizen Merchants over 1160m and this consistent four-year-old Trippi gelding’s form speaks for itself, as he has only once failed to finish in the first three in 15 career starts, six of which he has won. His runs include a runner up finish to Equus Champion Sprinter Talktothestars in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville, but he faces the latter on 0,5kg worse terms here despite being defeated 2,25 lengths in the latter race. It is a very strong field and it remains to be seen whether his low draw of three is disadvantageous, which it can be in rain affected going. There is some more rain expected this week, so it might be on the soft side.

Lerena doesn’t know much about the Woodruff first-timer by Captain Al he rides in the first, Whosethebossnow.

In the second over 1160m, he rides the Candice Dawson-trained Ideal World filly Royal Utopia, who appeared to be going backwards on debut, but then suddenly stayed on well. He said, “She is doing ok, she is still quite green, but it’s not a bad formline and she could be in the places.”

He rides the Dawson-trained Prince Of Orange in the last, a MR 95 Handicap over 1600m. This five-year-old Indigo Magic gelding’s victory under Lerena in the Grand Heritage consolation race over 1475m was full of merit as he jumped from a seemingly impossible low draw of three.

Lerena said, “He is not drawn well again (10 in a field of 10), but is feeling fit and will be running on again.”

By David Thiselton