THE staying races, those that test the stamina of a race horse, have always been among the favourites of the Fairview crowd.
This Friday, one of those races, a test of stamina over 2 800m for the beautiful Glenlair Trophy, will be one of the highlights at a meeting full of quality.
The Fairview spectators just love to get involved in these races and the support for their fancies reach the climax when over the last 500m or so it is usually clear which horses are still in with a winning chance.
To win the Glenlair Trophy, you need a fit horse, a very fit horse. It also helps if you have a fit jockey in the saddle to urge the horse on because a lot can go wrong over such a challenging distance.
Nelson Mandela Bay Racing has produced some very fine staying horses over the years, one being Crown Of Gold.
Crown Of Gold, trained by the Tara Laing team that includes former champion jockey, Gavin Venter, won the Glenlair Trophy three years in a row – 2014 to 2016 – in a golden period for this stable.
The battle for the Glenlair Trophy is not the only big race on Friday’s card. The East Cape Oaks for three-year-old fillies over 2 000m is also part of the programme.
It is not all about stamina at Friday’s meeting. The day also caters for the lovers of speed. The sprinters will line up for the Flying Five race over 1 000m, a race won previously by big names like Hear The Drums, Insearchofthesun and Villa Del Largo.
It will be a feast of speed and stamina at Fairview and it is good to see that crowd attendance is picking up now that many of the COVID-19-restrictions have been removed.
More and more familiar faces are being seen at Fairview and popular KwaZulu-Natal trainer, Kom Naidoo, was also at the track to see how things are going at his satellite yard.
Former trainer, Grant Paddock, was another popular visitor, chatting away with some old friends without the pressure of getting horses to the start in search of a victory these days.
All the role-players appreciate the growing support and it is getting much more challenging to shout your horse home.
For those that haven’t been to Fairview, shouting your horse home is a real art. The regulars know how to do it – they wait to see if the horse is in with a winning chance in the straight and then start to scream, jump and shout to help the horse and rider to get to the winning post first.
Spectators are welcome to join the screaming and shouting on Friday or they can just watch the regulars doing their thing – it can be very entertaining.
Fairview in April
15: Turf – Glenlair Trophy/Oaks
22: Turf – EC Nursery
29: Poly
