Harold Crawford is a doyen of Western Cape racing and a rare visitor to KZN but his decision to send Perovskia for Champions Season paid dividends first up at Greyville on Friday night and there may still be more to come.
Perovskia (Callan Murray) gets the better of Undercover Agent (Corne Orffer) in the Drill Hall Stakes thriller
Perovskia has a reputation of being a difficult horse to pass as favourite Undercover Agent found to his detriment in the Gr2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes as Callan Murray kept his mount hard to his task and the gelding lived up to his reputation.
“I was always sure that I was going to get there,” said Murray. “I was only worried about what was behind me.”
From a small yard, Crawford does not have the luxury of spending big at the sales and must live off what’s on offer at the bottom end of the market. Russian Sage, a smart galloper in his time, did not make it as a commercial stallion. The aptly named Perovskia is probably the best of his progeny and Perovskia being the proper name for a flowering plant commonly called Russian sage.
Crawford gave all the kudos to his daughter Michelle Rix. “She’s done all the work with this horse. She’s been here a month. She must take all the glory.”
Harold with ‘assistant trainer’ Courtney (pic: Tracy Robertson)
“We’ll go for the Cup Trial next and see how he goes there, then maybe the July. I don’t know at this stage.”
Perovskia has not been further then 1800m, second to Kampala Campari at Durbanville at his penultimate start, but Crawford has no doubts that he will stay the trip.
“Richard Fourie rode him before he even raced and came back and said he would win the stayers race on Met day or the Gold Cup.”
“But he makes a bit of a noise,” said Crawford, pointing to his throat. “I’ve had him scoped but they found nothing. Still I have been scared to go too far with him. If we don’t go for the July, maybe the Gold Cup.”
–Gold Circle
