OF JOE LOUIS, HEAR THE DRUMS AND KINDRED SPIRITS
Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 08:00AM 
Joe Louis… probably the greatest fighter in history.
(Photo : FC Associates)
R90,000 ARLINGTON FLYING FIVE
Arlington, 1000m, Turf
23 April 2010, 16:15
Joe Louis may not’ve been the greatest boxer of all time, but he was probably the greatest fighter in history. King of the Heavyweights, his reign lasted an incredible eleven years. Louis is said to have defined a champion as one who, having been knocked down and unable to get up, does.
In the sense that he’s never failed to rise from the canvas, and for the longevity of his status as the best of his era and area, the seven year old Hear The Drums is the spiritual brother to old Joe.
For all his thirty two victories and his complete supremacy over his rivals, it’s surprising that Hear The Drums has never been known for the margins of his victories. In a strange sort of way, he seems to do it the hard way, finding just enough to get the job done. It’s almost as if he needs to be heroic.
Joe Louis claimed he first strayed into a boxing gym on his way to violin lessons. Should Hear The Drums take up the fiddle, we expect he will insist on playing it underwater!
Yet somehow, this magnificent warrior makes it happen, 32 times in his career to date, turning every racecourse appearance into one of those honest wars that remind you there’s more to racing than scribble on a betting ticket.
Friday is the day, Arlington is the arena. The eyes of the land will be tuned in for the moment. The Summerhill team will be in your corner, old pal.
Thirty-three will make you the “greatest”, and the probabilities are, we’ll not see the likes of you again. Not in our lifetimes anyway.
FINAL FIELD
| No | Horse | Kg | MR | Dr | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HEAR THE DRUMS | 61.0 | 112 | 2 | A Fortune | Des McLachlan |
| 2 | BARTHEZ | 59.5 | 98 | 7 | S Khathi | Gavin Smith |
| 3 | KINGS TROOP | 59.5 | 98 | 5 | *J Soll | Gavin Smith |
| 4 | TAKE A CHANCE | 59.5 | 98 | 4 | *A Andrews | Justin Snaith |
| 5 | JACK DAN | 59.5 | 95 | 1 | W Kennedy | Gavin Smith |
| 6 | LULU BELLE | 54.5 | 88 | 8 | F Herholdt | Kobus Roux |
| 7 | SEVEN SAMURAI | 53.5 | 76 | 3 | B Vlooh | Des McLachlan |
| 8 | TOMCAT | 53.5 | 75 | 6 | S Khumalo | Mitchell Wiese |
