On a day that honoured his long-time boss Dennis Drier, Summerveld trainer Stuart Ferrie saddled his maiden stakes success when the Vercingetorix 3yo Gladatorian repelled the challenge of the year older African Skyline to win a grandstand finish to the R150 000 Listed In Full Flight Handicap at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
In a wide opening first leg of the Pick 6, Sean Veale, despite injuring his toe at the jump, got the Ferrie-trained gelding up to win a cracker. He paid R36-30 for a tote win.
Sean Veale gets the best out of Gladatorian (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
After the long time pacesetter Hooves Of Troy fell away, Gladatorian (25-1) and African Skyline (25-2) came together, with the former getting the verdict by the proverbial whisker in a time of 62,79 secs.
Having his first start for Dean Kannemeyer, the injury plagued Gr1 winner Tempting Fate (7-1) ran a cracker for third. The favourite Mercantour ran on for fifth.
The quartet paid a few thousand short of R100 000.
Bred by Erasmus Thoroughbreds, the winner is a R400 000 National Yearling Sale graduate and is a 27th stakes winner for exciting Maine Chance sire Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of the six-time winning Dynasty mare, Harvard Crimson.
Vercingetorix claimed his second feature race winner of the weekend here a day after his unbeaten daughter Mrs Geriatrix won the Gr2 World Sports Betting SA Fillies Nursery at Turffontein.
Now a winner of 3 races with 3 places from 8 starts, Gladatorian took his earnings to R312 938.
