Just a fortnight after the handicappers officially confirmed that Tony Peter’s One Fell Swoop was ‘gifted’ her second graded stakes success courtesy of the operator’s ratings restrictions, another smart 3yo enjoyed similar benefits and a confidence boosting SA Derby prep in the process, with a good victory at Turffontein.
Two weeks earlier it was Mike de Kock’s Betway Gr3 Sycamore Sprint runner-up White Pearl, who was on the receiving end of the operator conditions that are essentially designed to protect promising youngsters from incurring overzealous official ratings that might have the effect of denying their career aspirations.
It’s all swings and roundabouts though, and on Saturday the master trainer saw his promising 3yo Marauding Horde slung in for the Turffontein sixth, a 2000m MR 80 Handicap, where he duly arrived, giving a half kilo and a beating to contemporary Jordan (20-1) by a facile 1,75 lengths in a time of 129,37 seconds.
Marauding Horde charges clear under Marco van Rensburg to wrap up his SA Derby prep (Pic – JC Photos)
The improved again 3yo Crepuscolo (40-1) was always thereabouts, and was beaten 2,15 lengths into third in receipt of 6,5kgs from the winner.
Marauding Horde had his rating increased to 89 from 83 after winning the Listed TAB Hawwaam Stakes on 9 March, beating the eventually designated line horse George Handel (93).
The specific race conditions there prohibited the Handicappers from increasing the winner by more than 6 points, and he was capped on 89, despite achieving a considerably higher performance figure.
It’s all systems go now for the SA Derby on 6 April for Marauding Horde, who is raced by one of South African horseracing’s most powerful owner partnerships in Laurence and Jarryd Wernars, Gaynor Rupert’s Drakenstein Stud, Pieter Graaff’s Lammerskraal Stud, the Kieswetter family’s Ridgemont, Mary Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift, and Hollywood’s Devin Heffer.
Hollywoodbets have Purple Pitcher at 5-2 in their SA Derby ante-post, with Marauding Horde easy to back at 9-2. Have a look at the latest betting here.
Bred by Maine Chance, the progressive Marauding Horde is a son of Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of the feature winner producing Indigo Magic mare My Lady Bluff.
He was a R750 000 National Yearling Sale graduate and has now won 3 from 5 with 2 places for stakes of R323 000.
Marauding Horde bids to give the De Kock team a seventh SA Derby victory after Horse Chestnut (1999), Greys Inn (2004), Bouquet-Garni (2009), Irish Flame (2010), Malmoos (2021) and Aragosta in 2022.
Enjoy the replay of Saturday’s race here:
There were 18 entries for the SA Triple Crown third leg when the first door closed on Monday 18 March.
SA DERBY (Grade 1)
| 3 | Atarime | Paul Matchett | 83 | |
| 9 | Frances Ethel | Brett Crawford | 94 | |
| 11 | Fushimi Inari | Stuart Pettigrew | 83 | |
| 17 | George Handel | Fanie Bronkhorst | 93 | |
| 4 | Hotarubi | Sean Tarry | 116 | |
| 14 | Madison Valley | Frank Robinson | 83 | |
| 2 | Marauding Horde | Mike de Kock | 89 | |
| 5 | Mondial | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | 105 | |
| 18 | My Soul Mate | Candice Dawson | 115 | |
| 8 | Presley | J A Janse van Vuuren | 98 | |
| 10 | Pure Predator | Fanie Bronkhorst | 116 | |
| 6 | Purple Pitcher | Robyn Klaasen | 120 | |
| 15 | Rossore Finale | Weichong Marwing | 79 | |
| 16 | Shoot The Rapids | Frank Robinson | 89 | |
| 12 | Taxhaven | Paul Matchett | 80 | |
| 1 | Thunee Playa | Lorenzo Karriem | 80 | |
| 13 | Twenty Drachma’s | Stuart Pettigrew | 92 | |
| 7 | Viva Brazil | Lucky Houdalakis | 92 | |
| (18) | ||||
Supplementary entries for the R1 250 000 Gr1 SA Derby to be run at Turffontein on Saturday 6 April close at 09h00 on Monday 25 March, with declarations due by 11h00 on Wednesday 27 March.
