Anthony Delpech keeps Vettel focussed to win the Highland Night Cup in 2012
The 164th renewal of the longest race on the island, the 2400m Air Mauritius Gr1 Maiden Cup, run at the Champ de Mars on Sunday, was won by a former Mike De Kock galloper in the form of the 7yo Argentian-bred gelding Vettel.
There are many who would have felt that Vettel’s winning turn in the big race was overdue – he had finished runner up in 2013 to Intercontinental and ran third behind Man To Man last year.
Vettel raced in South Africa for three wins in the famous Jooste silks.
He achieved his biggest SA win in the non black-type Highland Night Cup, but probably ran his best race ever when second to Jackson in the 2012 Gr1 Daily News 2000.
Despite that effort, he was never able to follow through on that level of performance and was exported to Mauritius in early 2013.
Winless on the island since his victory in the 2013 Gr1 Derby, he registered his third Mauritius win with a solid end-to-end effort under jockey Kevin Ghunowa, in the process completing a hat-trick on the day for the Gujadhur stable.
Sunday’s Rs 583942 race marked the return after an eight year absence of sponsors, Air Mauritius.
Guts And Courage
Vettel stays well and he showed plenty of character in the final straight to hold off the determined former SA Classic winner Love Struck (Mark Neisius), who hung on for second.
Vettel’s stable companion and pre-race favourite Bulsara (Jeanot Bardottier) had to settle for third this time round, whilst former Justin Snaith runner, Skippyjon Jones (Swapneel Rama), ran fourth.
The official photo-finish of the Maiden Cup
Vettel was bred by Haras Anderson and was purchased by Mike De Kock in Brazil. He is out of the Dodge mare, Inner’s Girl, a full sister to Gr1 winner Lost Love.
His stallion,by Shirley Heights, Know Heights, passed on in 2008 in the same week that his son, Negro da Gaita, won the Gr1 São Paulo Derby.
| Race 6. THE AIR MAURITIUS MAIDEN CUPBack to Top | 2400 m | Rating [65+] G.1 | 15h20 |
|---|
| Rank | # | Horse | Stable | Jockey | Time | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | VETTEL | GUJADHUR | K.Ghunowa | 2m28.26 | 960000 |
| 2 | 5 | LOVE STRUCK | P.MERVEN | M.Neisius | 2m28.49 | 400000 |
| 3 | 1 | BULSARA | GUJADHUR | J.Bardottier | 2m28.80 | 160000 |
| 4 | 4 | SKIPPYJON JONES | P.MERVEN | S.Rama | 2m28.92 | 80000 |
| 5 | 3 | DIAMOND LIGHT | S.RAMDIN | B.Bhaugeerothee | 2m29.23 | 0 |
| 6 | 8 | EVEREST | G.ROUSSET | D.David | 2m29.53 | 0 |
| 7 | 6 | ICE AXE | ALLET | I.Chisty | 2m30.63 | 0 |
| 8 | 2 | ONE COOL DUDE | R.MAINGARD | R.Joorawon | 2m30.68 | 0 |
Following this victory, which was also the 3rd leg of the Stayers’ championship – Vettel has 7 points and is in joint second position with Diamond Light on the championship log.
Skippyjon Jones remains at the top of the log, despite scoring only one point for his fourth placed finish.
There are 2 legs left to go in the Stayers’ championship : The 175th Anniversary Cup, which will be run over 2100 metres, and the Coupe Des Presidents which will take place over 2200 metres.
Bred by Haras Anderson, he was bought by De Kock in Brazil and is out of the Dodge mare, Inner’s Girl, a full sister to Gr1 winner Lost Love.
His sire,a son of Shirley Heights, Know Heights, passed on in 2008 in the same week that his son, Negro da Gaita, won the Gr1 São Paulo Derby run over 2400m.
Dazzling David
Derreck David – another four winners
Newest Mauritius Hall Of Fame jockey Derreck David, who has just returned from a holiday in South Africa, was in top form again and rode four winners for trainer Gilbert Rousset.
The Hall Of Fame Honour Roll:
Jack Day (1917)
Wallis Mc Cloud (1923)
Joe Gilmore (1961)
Basil Lervis (1964)
Alan Lilley (1972)
Johnny Wilson (1980)
Mark Grigsby (1984)
Felix Coetzee (1991)
Anton Marcus (1996)
Kelvin Jupp (2000)
Jeffrey Lloyd (2003)
Johnny Geroudis (2011)
Gaetan Faucon (2012)
Derreck David (2015)
