Bernard Fayd’Herbe has decided to ride Winter Series winner African Night Sky in preference to Marinaresco in the big Cape Town races this season, writes Michael Clower.
Winter Series winner African Night Sky
Chase Liebenberg captured Aldo Domeyer taking Our Mate Art to post before his Matchem win
His decision comes as a surprise, not least because Marinaresco won the Vodacom Durban July carrying more weight than any horse has ever done when Fayd’Herbe scored a famous victory on the gelding.
But Fayd’Herbe explained yesterday that his choice is the result of his close ties to the Justin Snaith stable and added: “It was a hard decision – Marinaresco is the horse to beat in these races and I am good friends with his owners – but I can’t upset the relationship [with Snaith Racing] for one horse.”
Aldo Domeyer is to take over on the Candice Bass-Robinson stable star and he rode the horse in a 1200m Kenilworth gallop with Our Mate Art (Belinda Haytread) on Wednesday.
Mrs Robinson, in blistering form with a four-timer, said: “Both horses worked well but Our Mate Art went particularly well. He runs in the WSB Green Point on Saturday week.”
Marinaresco is a 33-1 chance with the sponsors for his reappearance in Saturday week’s WSB Cape Merchants – the 1 200m is widely expected to be much too short for him – and the Mike de Kock pair Mujaafy and Naafer share 10-1 favouritism. WSB has temporarily stopped quoting prices on the Green Point.
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