Jack Milner
I’m going there to win!
That was the conviction expressed by jockey Gavin Lerena as he was about board his flight to the USA to ride One Stripe in Saturday’s Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational over 1810m.
The Grade 1 race will be run at Gulfstream Park just north of Miami.
South African-bred One Stripe, winner of the Grade 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate last year, has been in the US for around 10 months and is now trained by Graham Motion. Lerena rode the son of One World, then trained by Vaughan Marshall, in six of his nine races, winning four times including his two Grade 1 victories – Cape Guineas and the King’s Plate.
He is keen to renew his relationship with the colt on the world stage.
“I am looking forward to the opportunity and I want to fly the South African flag high.
“I know I’ve got the horse and I’m going there to win.”
After a disappointing first run in the US, One Stripe has started to find his feet and ran out an impressive winner of a Claiming contest over a mile at Gulfstream Park. “I know it wasn’t a very strong race but the way in which he won was fantastic,” added Lerena
“I understand that he almost broke the course record although Graham Motion said the track was running very fast.
“I’ve been watching all the videos of his training, and it clearly looks like he’s improved a bit.
“That win will have got him confident again which is good.”
Lerena does not have another on the day, but he said he would walk the course and talk to other jockeys to get a feel of the track.
“I also don’t know much about the opposition.”
There are 12 runners in the field and One Stripe at least has drawn well enough in barrier No 4. He is currently trading around 12-1 behind the current 5-2 favourite Program Trading.
The race is set to run at 23:54 SA Time on Saturday night and will be broadcast live on Racing 240.