Disco Al storms home under Anton Marcus (Coastal Photos)
Cape Trainer Joey Ramsden and jockey Anton Marcus may both have two left feet on the dance floor, but they again proved that they have few equals as a combination when it comes to producing the golden hits on the racetrack. The pair teamed up to get the Captain Al gelding Disco Al home in Sunday’s R350 000 Betting World Gr3 Algoa Cup at Fairview, to cap a memorable weekend.
In a well-summed up reference to Disco Al’s unique double feat of winning the ‘PE July’ on two different surfaces (last year was on polytrack), Marcus quipped:” Good horses don’t look for excuses.”
Ramsden and Marcus enjoyed a winning double at Kenilworth on Saturday with Ready To Run hopeful Brutal Force shedding his maiden, and then the promising Dynasty 3yo and Cape Guineas prospect Act Of War getting up to defy the odds for a terrific win in the Gr3 Cape Classic.
Marcus in fact rode a feature treble on the ‘long’ weekend after he had piloted Bold Inspiration to victory in Friday evening’s Listed Michaelmas Handicap at Greyville.
Regular pacemaker Blaze Of Fire carted the fifteen horse field along at a soft gallop from Gone Baby Gone, Masai Warrior, with Cape challenger Arion just in front Lord Badger, as Disco Al shadowed them.
Into the home straight they fanned out with a tendency to the outside rail with Arion looking dangerous and the Mitch Wiese duo of Forest Digger and Silent Partner also shaping as likely winners.
Disco Al found himself hemmed in as they came into the 300m but Marcus was ice cool as usual and he switched his mount who came on strongly.
With Forest Digger kicking on resolutely, the 3 to 1 favourite Disco Al went on strongly to beat him by 1,25 lengths.
The 7yo soldier Silent Partner continues to pay his board and lodging and had looked very dangerous late. He stayed on a further half length away in third, with Bonnard in fourth.
Mitch Wiese saddled second and third
While nobody ever remembers who ran second, trainer Mitch Wiese maintained his own good form by saddling the second and third home and he would have been pleased to be the closest local yard to the winner – the next best finisher being Gavin Smith’s new charge Masai Warrior all the way down in eighth position.
A smartly attired Assistant Trainer Alson Ndklana, who travelled with Disco Al, said that he was an ’easy horse to train’, but that he had thought at the 200m that he ‘would run nowhere’.
Jockey Anton Marcus again made the difference as he kept his cool with traffic ahead and when the leaders appeared to have flown the nest.
“I have only ridden this horse once or twice previously and frankly I thought some of them had hm held on form. But Joey was very confident. Thanks again to the owners and the Ramsden team,” he said.
Besides the past two years, Ramsden previously won this race with the British bred Hawk’s Eye, who scored under Karis Teetan in 2010
Disco Al, a half-brother to 2013 Gr1 Gold Cup winner Jeppe’s Reef, was bred by Drakenstein Stud and is a 4yo son of Captain Al out of the brilliant six-time winning Badger Land mare, Studio Fifty Four.
Disco Al cost R800 000 on the National Yearling Sale and races in the patriotic national flag silks of Vanashree and Anant Singh, in partnership with leading Ramsden owners, Ingrid and Markus Jooste.
