Lerena family aiming for success in two sports in two countries
One brother steps into the boxing ring and another on the Kenilworth track for the WSB Green Point Stakes
01 December 2022 - 14:26
byDAVID MOLLETT
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Kevin Lerena in action against Bogdan Dinu at Emperors Palace earlier this year. Picture: GALLO IMAGES/JAMESGRADIDGE
Saturday is a big day for the Lerena family. Boxer Kevin Lerena takes on WBA heavyweight champ Daniel Dubois at Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London and cousin Gavin will be hoping Kommetdieding can knock out his rivals in the WSB Green Point Stakes at Kenilworth.
If bookies have their sums right, the chance of a SA win in the UK is minimal. Dubois is quoted at 1-6 and Lerena at 9-2. Punters will get much better odds for 2020 Durban July winner Kommetdieding, who showed his wellbeing with a second-place finish over 1,200m — a distance obviously short of his best.
“Kommet” and Jet Dark — the 18-10 favourite for the grade 2 race — are used to clashes in the country’s top races. Their latest meeting was in the Champions Cup at Greyville in July when Justin Snaith’s star prevailed by a neck.
The last time the two five-year-olds met over 1,600m was in the Queen’s Plate at the beginning of the year when Jet Dark beat Kommet by two lengths. That may well be the outcome once again on Saturday.
However, both the Snaith and Crawford/Rix camps will be wary of a certain gentleman named Vaughan Marshall. His big-race runners always demand the closest scrutiny and that is the case this time too.
Marshall saddles a trio of runners — Silver Operator, Rascallion and Linebacker — and it is surely significant that Grant van Niekerk prefers to partner the latter.
While Silver Operator ran second to Jet Dark in the Cape Mile, Linebacker hasn’t been seen in action since running fourth in the Champions Cup. Nevertheless, a good showing by the Captain Of All gelding looks likely as Marshall is quoted in Winning Form as saying his charge is “rested well, should run well”.
Rascallion — this column’s fancy for the 2020 Durban July — returned from a lengthy absence to finish fourth behind Jet Dark in the Champions Mile. He might just be the joker in the pack.
In the grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas, Ciao Bella is understandably the favourite as she has done little wrong in her five starts and has the advantage of a favourable draw.
Even so, bookies may fancy their chances of beating this daughter of Bela-Bela as they have a number of well-bred fillies batting for them including Make It Snappy, Golden Hostess, Time Fo Orchids and Hold My Hand.
Glen Kotzen was critical of Van Niekerk’s riding of Hold My Hand in the Fillies Championship and he will be even more worried if he watches a replay of the Summer Cup.
Calvin Habib had the worst draw on Pyromaniac, but he seemed to have no plan at all languishing in the rear and beating only two rivals home. Mr Kotzen needs to give some instructions to the young rider.
Possibly a nice double on Saturday is Make It Snappy to run a place and R7m buy Celestial City to stay unbeaten in the second race at Turffontein.
The starting price of 14-1 suggests Make It Snappy may have caught connections by surprise with her recent win, but she beat Marina, a seriously good female. A wide draw is a bit of a worry but another well-fancied runner, Golden Hostess, is in the same boat.
Time Fo Orchids — formerly with Sean Tarry but now in the care of Marshall — is another runner with a wide draw, but her Cape debut suggests she is a bargain buy at just R150,000.
Brett Crawford, who trains Make It Snappy, also has a big shout for capturing the grade 2 Southern Cross Stakes with Aussie-bred Whoa Whoa Whoa. The filly should be cherry-ripe in her third run after a break.
Iphiko, a five-time winner, is an interesting raider from the Highveld and Muzi Yeni will be seeking his third win on the Team Valor-bred daughter of Trippi.
Santa Maria comes into the picture following a good recent effort over 1,200m, though there is a suspicion that 1,000m might be on the short side at this stage of her career.
The distance is definitely too short for Gavin Lerena’s mount, Princess Calla, but should she win there will be a few backers prepared to back Kevin Lerena later in the evening.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Lerena family aiming for success in two sports in two countries
One brother steps into the boxing ring and another on the Kenilworth track for the WSB Green Point Stakes
Saturday is a big day for the Lerena family. Boxer Kevin Lerena takes on WBA heavyweight champ Daniel Dubois at Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London and cousin Gavin will be hoping Kommetdieding can knock out his rivals in the WSB Green Point Stakes at Kenilworth.
If bookies have their sums right, the chance of a SA win in the UK is minimal. Dubois is quoted at 1-6 and Lerena at 9-2. Punters will get much better odds for 2020 Durban July winner Kommetdieding, who showed his wellbeing with a second-place finish over 1,200m — a distance obviously short of his best.
“Kommet” and Jet Dark — the 18-10 favourite for the grade 2 race — are used to clashes in the country’s top races. Their latest meeting was in the Champions Cup at Greyville in July when Justin Snaith’s star prevailed by a neck.
The last time the two five-year-olds met over 1,600m was in the Queen’s Plate at the beginning of the year when Jet Dark beat Kommet by two lengths. That may well be the outcome once again on Saturday.
However, both the Snaith and Crawford/Rix camps will be wary of a certain gentleman named Vaughan Marshall. His big-race runners always demand the closest scrutiny and that is the case this time too.
Marshall saddles a trio of runners — Silver Operator, Rascallion and Linebacker — and it is surely significant that Grant van Niekerk prefers to partner the latter.
While Silver Operator ran second to Jet Dark in the Cape Mile, Linebacker hasn’t been seen in action since running fourth in the Champions Cup. Nevertheless, a good showing by the Captain Of All gelding looks likely as Marshall is quoted in Winning Form as saying his charge is “rested well, should run well”.
Rascallion — this column’s fancy for the 2020 Durban July — returned from a lengthy absence to finish fourth behind Jet Dark in the Champions Mile. He might just be the joker in the pack.
In the grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas, Ciao Bella is understandably the favourite as she has done little wrong in her five starts and has the advantage of a favourable draw.
Even so, bookies may fancy their chances of beating this daughter of Bela-Bela as they have a number of well-bred fillies batting for them including Make It Snappy, Golden Hostess, Time Fo Orchids and Hold My Hand.
Glen Kotzen was critical of Van Niekerk’s riding of Hold My Hand in the Fillies Championship and he will be even more worried if he watches a replay of the Summer Cup.
Calvin Habib had the worst draw on Pyromaniac, but he seemed to have no plan at all languishing in the rear and beating only two rivals home. Mr Kotzen needs to give some instructions to the young rider.
Possibly a nice double on Saturday is Make It Snappy to run a place and R7m buy Celestial City to stay unbeaten in the second race at Turffontein.
The starting price of 14-1 suggests Make It Snappy may have caught connections by surprise with her recent win, but she beat Marina, a seriously good female. A wide draw is a bit of a worry but another well-fancied runner, Golden Hostess, is in the same boat.
Time Fo Orchids — formerly with Sean Tarry but now in the care of Marshall — is another runner with a wide draw, but her Cape debut suggests she is a bargain buy at just R150,000.
Brett Crawford, who trains Make It Snappy, also has a big shout for capturing the grade 2 Southern Cross Stakes with Aussie-bred Whoa Whoa Whoa. The filly should be cherry-ripe in her third run after a break.
Iphiko, a five-time winner, is an interesting raider from the Highveld and Muzi Yeni will be seeking his third win on the Team Valor-bred daughter of Trippi.
Santa Maria comes into the picture following a good recent effort over 1,200m, though there is a suspicion that 1,000m might be on the short side at this stage of her career.
The distance is definitely too short for Gavin Lerena’s mount, Princess Calla, but should she win there will be a few backers prepared to back Kevin Lerena later in the evening.
SELECTIONS
WSB GREEN POINT STAKES
1 (5) Jet Dark
2 (7) Kommetdieding
3 (8) Linebacker
4 (10) Rascallion
WSB FILLIES GUINEAS
1 (11) Make It Snappy
2 (3) Ciao Bella
3 (12) Golden Hostess
4 (14) Hold My Hand
SOUTHERN CROSS STAKES
1 (11) Whoa Whoa Whoa
2 (5) Santa Maria
3 (4) Iphiko4. (1) Hunting Trip
CAPE SUMMER STAYERS
1 (5) Rex Union
2 (8) Baratheon
3 (7) Salvator Mundi
4 (9) Black Thorn
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Related Articles
Kevin Lerena to fight Daniel Dubois for WBA heavyweight title
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.