SIR David Baird was named after a decorated British General who sailed the seas defeating the enemy on behalf of Britain in various ports. He’s a three-year-old gelding by Dynasty from Oceana, beautifully named on account of his sire and dam.

Sir David Baird has a stallion’s pedigree, but his own dynastic jewels had to be removed to keep him in training and with a chance to fulfil his obvious potential as a racehorse, shown in his 2.25-length winning debut for Callan Murray in a Maiden Plate over 1200m at Turffontein on Saturday.

Sir David Baird, first battle easily won.

Mike de Kock explained: “Sir David Baird is a big, heavy horse and he was becoming problematic to train, going unsound so gelding was the only option. His owner Mike Rattray understands that trying to make a stallion is a mug’s game so he was fully in agreement that we should geld this one. He’s a nice horse and we’re hoping he’ll go on with it and have a nice career.”

Mike added:  “Jehan Malherbe and I bought Sir David Baird at the 2016 National Yearling Sale after a phone call from Mr Rattray. We liked the horse, he went for R1,3-million being from one of the best old Koster Bros families in the stud book, bred by Vaughan Koster at Cheveley Stud.

“Sir David Baird stood perhaps a hand higher than his rivals in the parade ring Saturday, he has a bit of class so let’s hold thumbs.”