With a buzzing enthusiastic crowd, the delicious aroma of expert potjiekos chefs at work and the sun blazing down, Durbanville was a happy place for Cape racing fans on Saturday.
And as a bonus into the bargain, many will believe that we saw our likely 2018 Guineas winner in a masterful exhibition of race-riding.
Anton Marcus gets One World to rally and beat Kasimir and Bernard Fayd’herbe in a thriller (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
Vaughan Marshall’s super-smart Captain Al colt One World opened his 3yo campaign facing some accomplished older horses on unfavourable weight terms in the third, a R95 000 Progress Plate over the country course 1400m.
Taken up to make the pace by Ridgemont Racing jockey Anton Marcus, One World appeared to come under pressure at the 300m as Bernard Fayd’herbe went past him on the 4yo Kasimir, who grabbed a length at a crucial stage.
With the odds-on shot looking dead and buried, Marcus got serious and called on the handsome bay’s reserves of class and ability.
In a matter of strides he showed character and resolve to assert himself and went past his elder to win impressively after a 12 week break by a half length in a time of 81.98 secs.
His trainer Vaughan Marshall will thus be aiming for a Captain Al Cape Guineas treble after William Longsword (2016) and Tap O’Noth (2017). And let’s not forget that the Milnerton master won the Guineas with the trio’s sire, Captain Al, in 2000.
A Klawervlei bred, the smart winner is out of the UK placed Aquilonia (Giant’s Causeway).
One World cost R425 000 on the Cape Premier Yearling Sale and after his Listed Langerman success last term, is unbeaten in 4 starts for stakes of R286 000.
He is likely to either head for the Gr3 Cape Classic at Kenilworth over 1400m on 27 October or the Gr2 Concord Cup (formerly the Selangor Cup) over a mile at Kenilworth on 24 November.
