Close call! Anton Marcus(green silks) keeps Black Toga on the job to beat stablemate Act Fast and MJ Byleveld.
Take great care when following what you perceive to be the smart money or even when using the betting as a guide. That was the message to come out of the second race at Greyville last night.
The bang in-form Vaughan Marshall yard sent out two expensive first-timers who ended up dominating the finish of the Maiden Juvenile Plate run over 1400m. The interesting issue was that the one horse started at 9-10 while the other went off at 8-1. And Marshall has shown that he can train the juvenile winners.
This is one gamble that thankfully had a happy ending. The short-priced Black Toga kept going under Anton Marcus to score a meritorious win after leading most of the way and coming under visible pressure in the run for home from MJ Byleveld on the Silvano colt, Act Fast.
Assistant trainer Adele Alsop noted in the post-race interview that the winner was ‘lucky’ to win and that there was very little between the two horses in work. The Marshall stable is not a punting yard but that just goes to show that if you are looking for a decent price don’t engage champion Anton Marcus.
The champion jockey rode the colt for the Joostes, so there was nothing sinister either in the engagement. So what else could have influenced punters in the direction of Black Toga at such a huge discount in value to a horse that he was supposedly on a par with at home? They both paid just R1-10 on the Tote.
Punter's choice. Anton Marcus has many funs amongst the punting fraternity.
Marcus completed a winning double in the next race when the obviously smart Hail The King bolted clear to win the Maiden Plate over 1200m. He led all the way to win very easily. The odds-on favourite Service Of Silence stayed on well enough for second and his winning turn cannot be far off.
Yogas Govender’s Western Winter gelding had started his career as a promising sprinter but somebody obviously believed he wanted further and the experiment around the turn failed dismally. Back to 1200m with a top jockey on board, he showed his true colours and looks the sort who will train on and win more. He is a product of La Plaisance Stud and is out of the Zabeel mare, Zabaya. He was saddled by Byron Foster, who has returned to KZN after a stint with Sean Miller in Port Elizabeth.
The opening leg of the jackpot, a Maiden Plate over 1600m produced a thrilling three cornered contest between three top jockeys. The Edge had set a nice brisk pace and was tracked by Albert’s Daughter with the favourite Jet Set Model and the overdue Music Pass about four lengths off the front-runner.
In the dash for the post, Music Pass moved up under Anton Marcus looking a winner but drifted outwards at a crucial stage. This allowed Anthony Delpech on Albert’s Daughter to regain the advantage. In the meanwhile the other Tarry filly, first-timer Jet Set Model, was storming down the outside under Karl Neisius, and only racing experience cost her in the end. Albert’s Daughter started at a generous 4-1 and she continued the upward trend of the Klawervlei stallion Albert Hall. The winner was bred by Klawervlei and is out of the seven-time winning Modern Day mare, Speedy Doll.
Jet Set Model really ran a terrific race on debut and is one to be with next time. Tarry said that she had shown nothing in Johannesburg and he had sent her down to Durban four months ago. The change of scenery certainly worked.
Easy. Karl Neisius steers Bermuda Sloop to an easy win in the fifth race, a Progress Plate.
Nine fillies went to post for the Progress Plate over 1600m and Dean Kannemeyer’s Bermuda Sloop looked the one to beat off a 94 merit rating. And so it turned out with Karl Neisius riding her confidently.
Jeter led Katy’s Dream and Satin Silver early off a muddling pace. Anthony Delpech got Jeter going for home at the top of the straight, but Bermuda Sloop slipped down the inside and won readily. She started a 2-1 favourite and the Captain Al filly will improve more over additional ground. It was a good effort at her first try on a right-handed turn for a filly who can spook. Bermuda Sloop has won four from thirteen and was another Klawervlei to win. She is out of the Casey Tibbs mare Wind Jammer, who won three for Kannemeyer. Co-owners Raymond and Paula Deacon were on hand to lead her in.
Warrior’s Walk took the initiative to lead the MR72 Handicap over a mile and Muzi Yeni appeared to have the race in the bag going into the final 250m. But that’s where the whole picture changed. Ina cavalry charge to the line MJ Byleveld stormed down the inside on the favourite Solera as Mo Da Di Du ran on from stone last into the straight at 35-1. At the same moment Personal Question was scything through down the middle.
Think Pink! Solera(inside) beats Mo Da Di Du(nearest camera) and Personal Question(7).
Byleveld had moved at the right time on the favourite though and he held on narrowly to win a gutsy race. Trainer Duncan Howells conceded that Solera was a difficult and temperamental horse who was on the right track now that he had turned the corner. He was full of praise for the gelding’s patient owners. The sparingly raced Maine Chance bred son of Victory Moon has won three from twenty starts. He is out of the Joshua Dancer mare Single Rose.
In the absence of a willing leader, Alec Forbes took the Craig Eudey gelding Secret Symbol up to dictate the pace on his own terms in the final leg of the jackpot, an MR91 Handicap. He was tracked by the old soldier Keat’s Drift while Karl Neisius had the class horse and odds-on favourite Gold Onyx following the ‘wrong horse’ as it emerged afterwards.
The former Gr1 winner was head and shoulders above his opponents and powered through from miles back in the straight to win going away. Described by Neisius as a ‘lovely horse and beautiful ride’, he started at 15-20. Gold Onyx was in fact the only horse who made up any ground. Trainer Sean Tarry described the win as ‘full of merit’ off a slow pace and a big weight and said that his charge had an affinity with Greyville. His next target was the Greyville 1900.
Gold Onyx was the second Black Minnaloushe to win on the evening. He was bred in New Zealand out of the Kaapstad mare, Egoli Lass. This was remarkably only his fourth win from 21 starts and he has a mountain to climb to get back to the levels of his highest career merit rating of 105. But he appears on the right track.
The final race, an MR70 Handicap, produced a fancied 2-1 winner when Anton Marcus registered his treble on the night, producing the Dupont colt Turning Tide for a smooth win. Jazzy Drum caught the eye with an improved run in second while the pacesetting Logically hung on for third. The consistent Gandolf The Great, who was going for a hat-trick under apprentice Bryan Claassen spoilt his chances at the start and also checked on the turn. He nevertheless stayed on well enough late and will still win his races.
Paul Lafferty trained the winner for Bernard Kantor and the quarter cup blinkers appear to have done the trick for a horse who was recording his second win and has earned at every one of his five starts. He is out of the Coastal mare Skimming, and was bred by Just-in Stud.
